Making Your Elf Poseable

I am really amazed that the Elf on the Shelf people don't do this in the factory, but this year, I took a few minutes out of one evening and it has made a huge difference in our elf flexibility.
What did I do?  I wired my elf.
What you need:

• Wire - I used 20 gauge
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Red thread
• Needle

What I wish I'd used:

• a dab of glue gun glue on the ends of the wire

There are tons of posts on Pinterest on how to do this, but here is the readers digest of what I did.

1. Make tiny snips in the back of the elfs armpits and at the top of the legs near the crotch.
2. Cut the wire to match the full length of the limbs
3. Carefully insert the wire into the slits and thread it through tot he end of the limb.  This is delicate work.  These Elves are made of felt and the wire can and will punch through if you are not careful.  I wish I had taken the time to heat up my glue gun and drop a dab of hot glue onto the ends of the wire because ours did poke through within a couple of weeks of posing.  In the off season, I'll be remedying this on ours.
4. Once the wire is threaded - sew up the slits

Voila - poseable elf.   Sorry for the lack of photos.   I realized after the fact that I should have taken some but I forgot.  Maybe if I end up helping someone wire theirs - I'll shoot some.
For a simple craft that takes only minutes - this really took Libby to the next level this year.  It is so much easier to make her cooperate now that she can sit independently and have posed gestures.
If you really need pics and want to see other ways people have done this - here are some links I got off my pinterest.

• All Mommy Wants - How to Make Your Elf on the Shelf Poseable
• A Bird and a Bean - How to Give Your Elf on the Shelf Bendy Arms & Legs
• Domestic Femme - Make Your Elf on the Shelf Bendy! A Quick and Easy Tutorial