Christmas Elves

I mould these cute Christmas bas relief elves from pettinice. If the pettinice is a little soft knead in some tylose or gum trag.
Take some flesh colored paste and mould a flattened ball for the head. Attach to the cake with gum glue. Use a black non toxic food color pen to poke in the eyes and push in a small rounded mouth with a tiny balling tool. Mould a tiny ball for the nose.
Using red or green pettinice, mould another ball for the tummy. The tummy is slightly fatter than the head. Attach under the head with gum glue.
Using red or green pettinice, mould a triangle shape piece of paste for the hat. Roll the top part of the triangle between your fingers to elongate it. Glue onto the top of the head and fold over the tip of the hat at a jaunty angle.
The edging on the hat is made by rolling out a strip of icing in a contrasting colour to the hat. I use pinking shears or a sharp knife to cut a zigzag shape on one edge. Attach the plain edge to the base of the hat.
You can then add some elf ears by making two tiny flesh colored teardrop shapes. Ball in the middle and attach to the head pointy side up.
To make the striped arms and legs, lay sausages of contrasting paste side by side. Roll gently lengthways with a rolling pin until sausages stick together. Cut 2 legs and 2 arms from the paste and roll them gently until rounded. Attach to body in desired position with gum glue.
Add a frill around the neck as for the hat.
To make hands, mould a small teardrop from flesh colored paste, flatten slightly then cut out a thumb. Ball slightly then mark fingers with a knife. Attach to arms.
Feet are elongated teardrops, twisted into elf shoes and attached to the base of the leg. Add edging (as for hat) around neckline and tops of shoes if desired.
Using black paste (or soft liquorice), roll a tiny sausage and add a curl in the middle of the forehead. To make a belt, use black paste (or liquorice) rolled out and cut into a strip. Wrap around tummy.
To finish off, add cachous to tips of shoes and to hat. Alternatively pipe balls with royal icing and when dry paint with gold or silver. Chalk some colour onto the cheeks, into the mouth and a little inside the ears. Elves can sit on top or sides of cakes.
Cheeky Christmas Elves (Sitting up version)
Roll a ball of paste for body and attach to plaque or cake. Place a piece of spaghetti into the body, leaving some protruding out of the top. Using black paste or liquorice, mould a belt and wrap around the belly. It is easier to do it now than after the arms are on.
Mould legs as for bas relief elves using 2 or 3 colours. Attach to body, placing at desired angle.
Add elf shoes to ends of legs, then a cachou on the point of each shoe.
Mould 2 small hands and place beside body, palms downward. Mould arms as for legs and attach from the top of the body down to the hands.
For the collar, roll out some contrasting paste. Cut out a small circle using a fluted round cutter or trim the edges of the circle using pinking shears. Place on top of body at the neck.
Using flesh colored paste, mould a head. Use a black non-toxic food color pen to poke in eyes and a small balling tool for the mouth. Add a tiny nose. Push onto protruding spaghetti.
For hair, flatten some paste using your fingers until an oval shape. Try on head to make sure it will fit. Use a scalpel or knife to mark hair on it in a circular motion, and then attach to head.
Using a cone shaped piece of paste, mould a hat. Bring to a point and fold over at a jaunty angle. Hollow bottom slightly. Roll out some contrasting paste and cut another circle of paste as for the collar. Attach this circle to the base of the hat. Attach hat to the head and add a cachou for a bell.
Finally mould two tiny ears as for bas relief elf. Attach to the side of the head.
To complete, add some blush colored chalk to cheeks and paint a gold or silver buckle on the belt.