diff --git a/piccolo-test.asd b/piccolo-test.asd
index 4bb1d78..0f7e34b 100644
--- a/piccolo-test.asd
+++ b/piccolo-test.asd
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 (defsystem "piccolo-test"
   :class :package-inferred-system
   :pathname "tests"
-  :depends-on ("fiveam")
+  :depends-on ("fiveam"
+               "piccolo-test/element")
   :perform (test-op (op c) (symbol-call :fiveam :run-all-tests)))
diff --git a/src/element.lisp b/src/element.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09c41e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/element.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+(defpackage #:piccolo/element
+  (:use #:cl)
+  (:export #:element-kind
+           #:element-props
+           #:create-element
+           #:expand))
+(in-package #:piccolo/element)
+
+(defclass element ()
+  ((kind
+    :reader element-kind
+    :initarg :kind)
+   (props
+    :reader element-props
+    :initarg :props)))
+
+(defun create-element (kind props &rest children)
+  (make-instance 'element
+                 :kind kind
+                 :props (append props
+                                (and children
+                                     (list :children (flatten children))))))
+
+(defun flatten (x)
+  (labels ((rec (x acc)
+             (cond ((null x) acc)
+                   ((atom x) (cons x acc))
+                   (t (rec
+                       (car x)
+                       (rec (cdr x) acc))))))
+    (rec x nil)))
+
+(defmethod expand ((elm element))
+  (with-accessors ((kind element-kind)
+                   (props element-props)) elm
+    (if (functionp kind)
+        (apply kind props)
+        (error "element-kind is not a function."))))
diff --git a/tests/.keep b/tests/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/tests/element.lisp b/tests/element.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db2887d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/element.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+(defpackage :piccolo-test/element
+  (:use :cl
+        :fiveam
+        :piccolo/element))
+(in-package :piccolo-test/element)
+
+(def-suite create-element)
+
+(in-suite create-element)
+
+(test create-html-element
+  (let* ((inner (create-element "span"
+                                '(:class "red")
+                                "World!"))
+         (outer (create-element "p"
+                                nil
+                                "Hello,"
+                                inner)))
+    (with-accessors ((kind element-kind)
+                     (props element-props)) inner
+      (is (string= kind "span"))
+      (is (equal props `(:class "red" :children ("World!")))))
+    (with-accessors ((kind element-kind)
+                     (props element-props)) outer
+      (is (string= kind "p"))
+      (is (equal props `(:children ("Hello," ,inner)))))))
+
+(test create-component-element
+  (labels ((comp (&key variant children)
+             (create-element "p"
+                             `(:class ,variant)
+                             "Hello,"
+                             children)))
+    (let* ((inner (create-element "span"
+                                  nil
+                                  "World!"))
+           (outer (create-element #'comp
+                                  '(:variant "red")
+                                  inner)))
+      (with-accessors ((kind element-kind)
+                       (props element-props)) outer
+        (is (eql kind #'comp))
+        (is (equal props `(:variant "red" :children (,inner)))))
+      (with-accessors ((kind element-kind)
+                       (props element-props)) (expand outer)
+        (is (string= kind "p"))
+        (is (equal props `(:class "red" :children ("Hello," ,inner))))))))