Depends on what you want from your bonsai Grasshopper.
If you want little sticks in pots them put them into bonsai pots and you'll have sticks in pots immediately (and for many years into the future too).
If you want impressive bonsai that tell a story then you'll need to follow Ken's (and Sid's (humble apologies Sid, your reply must have come in just as I was posting so i did not see it
) advice - into larger pots or the ground and feed them so they grow big to promote impressive trunk thickness. Cut them back once or twice each year to promote taper and movement. In a few years you could have impressive trees.
At my place you would have paid $6 each but they would have had the roots trimmed and arranged proberly for bonsai. $2 would hardly cover the cost of pot, mix and time to strike cuttings/ seedlings and pot up so its quite cheap.
after a quick chat i asked him if he had any chinese elms that i could use to bonsai, he went into his nursery and came back with 2 chinese elms for me and said i could have them for $2 
what do you think of them 
not bad for a few bucks 
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