Warrior Elf Stick Puppet

Inspiration

lves have been around us since the beginning of time, despite our human eye’s inability to spot them. We can find extensive evidence of elven beings in folk tales and literature dating back to the discovery of the Beowulf manuscript. Just like J. R. R. Tolkien imagined them in his Legendarium, I too envisioned them. My warrior elves inhabit the enchanted forest, they respect nature, and protect their worlds from all evils.

You may know that the Enchanted Forest is a magical place inhabited by fantastical creatures of all sorts. These include mermaids, unicorns, gnomes, fairies, witches and more. Not everyone can enter the Enchanted Forest. Only true believers of the magical realm are granted passage. Now, as the realms of fairy tales intertwine, the villains and the wicked from different fairy-tales battle to conquer the mystical powers of the Enchanted Forest. This means that Warrior Elves are entrusted with the most important job in the world of make-believe, guarding each portal entrance to the Enchanted Forest.

Warrior Elf Stick Puppet Ornaments Design Process

The Enchanted Forest’s Warrior Elves are taller and fairer than humans. The protectors of the Enchanted Forest have multi-color hair that changes based on the surrounding, acting as camouflage. So, I gave the Warrior Elves hair in hues of browns, greens, blues and yellows. Each of these colors represent one element of the Enchanted Forest. Browns represent wood and the trunks of the trees. Greens represent the foliage with its infinite tones of hunters, malvas and chartreuses. Blues represent the air, the sky and the creeks that weave and turn within the heart of the forest, keeping it alive. Finally, yellow represents the sun, and the light that filters through the canopy of the Enchanted Forest. On the left side of the Warrior Elf’s head, I added a long braid of magical hair strands. Legends say that this braid provides them with extra protection. When they sense danger, the braided hair turns into a venomous snake that can snap or strangle the threat in seconds.

Enchanted Forest Warrior Elves have a magical power that emanates from their forehead. Whenever it is dark, their forehead projects a ray of light just like a firefly does. In dangerous situations, this light can turn lethal, torching anything within miles. To depict this unique power, I added glitter to the Warrior Elf’s forehead.

Elves’ ears have some distinctive qualities. Given their large, slender, and pointy characteristics, they magnify the warrior elf’s hearing ability. It allows them to discern the most subtle human whispers, the murmurs of the forest within its vast stillness and the hums encoded in the silent air. This uncanny trait is used by the warrior elves to protect themselves and those they are trying to guard. Thus, I gave the warrior elf very prominent ears with earrings that aid in perceiving the faint sound waves.

Warrior Elves are slender, graceful and nimble. So, I gave them a skinny and tall body made from wooden beads. One thing that warrior elves cannot do is fly. That said, warrior elves’ capes have magical powers which help them to fly. So, I gave the warrior elf figurine, a large cape on earthy tones and animal print. The animal print adds an extra level of protection by deterring human predators.

The warrior elf’s armor is made from leather. Although, it is not a common beast’s leather. The leather comes from ogres, trolls and sometimes dragons. Like every piece of wardrobe warrior elves wear, it has a special protection quality. Given the origin of the leather, the armor is three times stronger than a knight’s armor. For this armor, I chose a two-toned green leather.

A warrior elf’s most powerful means of protection is his sword. Many legends surrounding a warrior elf’s sword have survived to this day. Some claimed that they were made from the sheath of Excalibur. Others, from coins found in dragon’s liars. Still others, from the metal mined by Snow White’s dwarfs. Regardless of how these swords were forged and their metal’s provenance, the undoubtable truth is they possess unmatched power. To complete the warrior elf ornament, I gave him a sword almost as tall as he is. The sword has a gemstone that magnifies the power of the metal it was forged from.