Elf paper dolls | Papercraft

Two little pixies are waiting to be dressed for Christmas.

This cozy paper cutout consists of a girl pixie and a boy pixie with different outfits that you can cut out and combine yourself. The set also includes a Christmas tree and a bowl of rice porridge - because, naturally, a proper pixie home must have both.

A nostalgic paper cutout that invites play and creative Christmas cheer, bringing to mind the classic paper dolls.

Cut, dress up, and play

Cut out the pixies and their clothes and help them get ready for Christmas. Switch between the different pieces and create little Christmas stories featuring the girl and boy pixies.

The Christmas tree and the rice porridge can be used to build a small scene around the figures. Perhaps the pixies are decorating the tree, perhaps it is time for Christmas dinner, or perhaps the porridge isn't meant for them at all, but is being set out for an entirely different pixie.

This paper cutout is lovely to spend time with in December and can be used both for play and as a small Christmas decoration.

Hand-painted Danish paper cutout

The paper cutout is designed by Tall Hat Tales and has a charming hand-painted look inspired by classic paper dolls and old-fashioned Christmas ornaments.

Once the figures are cut out, the clothes can be changed and combined, and the small extra elements offer the opportunity to create your own story about the pixies.

Why do pixies eat rice porridge?

Rice porridge and pixies are inextricably linked in the Danish Christmas, but the connection goes back to a time before the cozy Christmas pixie we know today.

In old Nordic folklore, a farm could have its own "nisse" or farm sprite. He stayed on the farm all year round and was associated with the farm's prosperity and the care of the animals, among other things.

The pixie had to be treated with respect. If you were on good terms with him, he could be a valuable helper. If he felt mistreated, however, he could become both angry and vengeful.

At Christmastime, it was therefore customary to set out a bowl of porridge for the farm's pixie. This was both a meal and a way to thank him for the year's work and ensure his goodwill in the future.

And don't forget the pat of butter

In stories about the pixie, it is not always enough just to serve the porridge. It had to be good, and the pat of butter was important.

An old tale tells of a pixie who receives his Christmas porridge but cannot see a pat of butter. Furious at the apparent insult, he takes revenge on the farm. Only when he has eaten his way further down into the porridge does he discover that the butter was actually hidden at the bottom of the bowl.

It is a story that illustrates the old farm pixie quite well. He was not originally the cute Christmas figure we often portray him as today, but a supernatural being whom it was wise to keep on good terms with.

Over time, the old farm pixie blended with newer Christmas traditions, but the porridge remained. That is why a bowl of rice porridge still stands ready for the pixie in many Danish homes every December.

From paper doll to pixie play

Paper dolls have been a popular toy for generations. Dolls and clothes were cut out of paper or cardstock, and small foldable tabs held the clothes on the figures.

Here, the old tradition of paper play meets the Danish pixie tradition. The scissors, the pixies, the Christmas tree, and the porridge together become a small creative Christmas world that you can continue to build upon.

Product information

• Unique Danish design
• Motif with Pixie paper dolls
• Printed on sturdy 300-gram paper
• A5 format
• Printed on both sides
• Figures are cut out by hand
• Suitable as Christmas decorations, ornaments, table decor, and place cards
• The motifs are hand-painted, so the front and back may vary slightly

Missing the tools?

For the fine details in papercraft, we recommend a sharp hobby knife and a good cutting mat. You can purchase our cutting set for papercraft and paper cutouts, which contains an NT-Cutter precision knife with 10 blades and a Linex cutting mat.