Give your Elf on the Shelf a new way to communicate this Christmas with this adorable Elf Sticky Note Holder!
'Tis the season for our favorite friends from the North Pole to arrive - and I don't mean Santa (this time). We've been having a magical elf arrive at our house since my daughter was little, and the tradition is still going strong. After making some Personalized Teacher Sticky Note Holders at the beginning of the school year, I got inspired to create something similar for the holidays! I put my xTool S1 laser cutting machine to work to create this Elf Sticky Note Holder so that our family elf can leave messages all throughout the holiday season. The note holder takes minutes to assemble, and will definitely be a hit with the kids this Christmas!
New to laser cutting? Be sure to check out how to get started with the xTool S1 Laser Machine!
Free Printable Planning Calendar
For more elf holiday fun, check out these other ideas:
Free Printable Elf JokesFree Printable Planning Calendar
Elf-Sized Activity Pages
The crafting possibilities are endless when it comes to using the xTool S1 laser cutting machine, and it's actually very easy to use! Once you have one of these, the hardest thing you'll have to do is decide what to make with it. If you want to learn more about how this incredible machine works, be sure to check out my complete xTool S1 review.
To make your own Elf Sticky Note Holder, you will need these supplies:
- xTool M1 or xTool S1 laser cutting machine
- Elf Sticky Note Holder Design (for personal use only)
- 3mm Basswood
- Stain or Chalk Paint Wax
- Acrylic Paint Markers - black, red, green
- Strong Adhesive
- Clamps (optional)
- Clear Sealant
*Save extra 15% off on xTool selected materials: AFFMTRS15
Upload the Elf Sticky Note Holder design into xTool Creative Space. In the right menu bar, change the material setting to 3mm Basswood. When you upload an SVG design, you need to make sure each part of the design is set for cutting, scoring, and/or engraving. For this project, everything in black needs to be set to engrave, green needs to be scored, and the red needs to be cut.
Place a piece of 3mm basswood into the xTool S1 machine. Manually pull the laser box with your hand so that the red "+" is located on the material - it doesn't have to be centered. In XCS, you will see "Distance (mm)" in the right menu bar. Click on the target icon to the right of that space, and the machine will automatically measure your material.
*For more details on how to complete this step, be sure to check out my review of the xTool S1 Laser Machine!
Make sure that the design elements are within the marked bounding box in XCS, and then click the green "Process" button in the bottom right corner to proceed to cutting the project.
After removing the wood pieces from the machine, I would highly recommend cleaning the soot away from around the edges of the wood using a Magic Eraser or baby wipes to prevent making marks all over your hands and workspace.
Next, it's time to paint the main sticky note holder base. I personally love seeing the wood grain, so I often use stain or antique chalk paint wax on a lot of my projects. If you're using the wax, paint a thick coat over the surface of the larger snow globe-shaped pieces and then use a paper towel to wipe the excess away. Cover the opposite side of the back piece the same way. If you want it to be darker, you can apply multiple coats. Just make sure to let each coat dry completely before adding another.
Apply strong adhesive on the back side of the piece with the engraving design. Place it on top of the base., and make sure all of the edges are aligned. Clamp pieces in place until the adhesive has set to keep them from shifting.
Apply a small amount of strong adhesive on the back of the elf hat and letters. Place them onto the base, lining the pieces up with the score lines on the wood. If necessary, clamp them in place until the adhesive sets.
Once the sealant has dried, you can place a sticky note pad into the holder. I found these adorable holiday plaid sticky notes that I think will work great. If you want it to stay in place, you can add a glue dot to the back of the pad before placing it in the holder.
After your elf has officially arrived, they will be able to leave a special message for the kids all Christmas season long! Since they are written on sticky notes, the kids can peel the messages away and put them on display all over the house.
Once the adhesive has fully set, I would recommend covering the sticky note holder with a coat of clear sealant. This will protect the paint and keep this piece looking good as new for years to come.
This Elf Sticky Note Holder is such a fun project to make with the xTool, and I'm looking forward to making more for the elves to bring to my nieces and nephews! As always, I would love to see what you're making! Share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #AFMCrafts
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