Elf Door

The elf door is an integral part of Danish Christmas tradition called „Nissedør“ and symbolizes the arrival of a small elf called Nisse into the homes of families during the Advent season. This little door serves as the entrance to the elf home, indicating that he has moved in. The elf Nisse is known for becoming active at night, playing small pranks, or leaving gifts. Which is especially popular with children. The tradition enhances the anticipation of Christmas and is a cherished part of Danish holiday decorations.

This tradition has spread to other countries including Germany. Here in Germany, it is common for the elf to leave letters for children throughout the advent season. These letters often contain stories, riddles, or tasks for the children to complete, enhancing the interactive and magical experience of the tradition.

This year, I thought a cute door like this would go perfectly with our Christmas decorations. But I wanted a door that looked very much like nature, with wood, snow and ice. I am proud particularly on the design of the door, which looks very organic. To be able to send letters, I added a letterbox. And to show that the elf Nisse likes nature, I built a small garden with a snow-covered Christmas tree. Finally, I completed the set with a bench for the elf to rest on.

Originally, an elf door is leaned against a baseboard, so I put an arch and a ladder on the door at the height of our baseboard in the living room. But we have a cat, and lo and behold, she has started playing with the pieces. So I now decided to remove the arch and ladder and put everything on a windowsill. So both options are possible.

Here in Germany, you can buy different versions of elf doors everywhere. And usually these boxes are just the starting point for further decorations. When my door was finished, I thought that this could be a very nice box for Lego fans to build their magical elf door out of Lego.

Wish you and your elf Nisse some exiting Christmas time!