What will your elf be up to?

[UndertheCedartree]

My DD was given an elf a couple of years ago but I've only ever moved it to different places occasionally as due to circumstances I wasn't around much. However this year I'm home with her (and her DB). I'm not planning on setting up antics every day but maybe once a week I'd like to set up something fun.

So what are your elves up to and what easy things could I do?

@twilightstarbright I saw it on pinterest, I just cut a thin piece of wire to the length of each arm and leg and then found a gap between the stitching at the end of each to push the wire through. Some things I saw suggested cutting the threads and then sewing up but I went for the easy option 😄

Velcro hands are genius

Ours has velcro hands which will be good for climbing the Christmas tree!

Here's our elf last year playing poker and cutting hair!

I can’t wait for Stripy and his friend Freddy to arrive back to our house!

We do a mixture of ‘naughty’ things and just moving them.

The one the children remember and still talk about was chocolate sauce in a doll’s potty, and ‘I did a poo’ written on the bathroom tiles in the sauce. They were disgusted, could ‘smell it’ and then thought it was even more hilarious when they actually realised it was chocolate.

Party elves are easy and they seem to like that too, or anything to do with eating sweets or treats.

Kinder egg one was good as it took 2 nights! Hopefully the photo works.

@Pidgythe2nd we seem to have the same worktop!!

@MakeTeaNotWar we do!!
Was in our house when we moved in, but I love it!
Going to steal your poker idea for this year...it’s a great one.

Ours loved. 'I pea'd myself' written in peas, opening the fridge to find googly eyes on everything 👀 and when elf made his own mi on the Wii and got the highest score.

I'm thinking of doing the elf this year, has anyone brought a non official elf, any recommendations?

@IloveGroot think about what you want from your Elf.

Do you want a 'good' Elf, a 'naughty' elf getting up to mischief or an elf for behaviour management or a bit of each. Will it sit out of reach of DC or do you have young Dc that will want to carry it about? Depending on what your elf is going to get up to depends on how robust you might need it to be. If they don't come with velcro on hands and feet add some using adhesive velcro dots it'll make your life much easier.

Our Elf was an official one, it came with a book about how DC shouldn't touch it as it took away its magic and the Elf would report back to Santa on DCs behaviour. I really didn't like this element, I think Christmas should be magical and children shouldn't be threatened with Santa and the bad list so we ignored this. The elf itself is fairly delicate and looks a bit worse for wear after 9+ years which would explain the no touching rule.

Our Elf brings arts and crafts gifts or ingredients for recipes at the weekend which we would have made anyway but the fact the Elf arrives with it adds an extra element.
We have a couple of tradition gifts that the Elf brings every year, a collection of Christmas stories, manger scene, and now Dd is older I'm getting her her own version of the Christmas Carol for him to bring.
He also delivers the Christmas tree and decs on the first day of the Christmas hols.
When Dd was younger the day he arrived he would take over Dds big dolls house and shed find him asleep in the bed and I'd put fake snow in the rooms and decorate the house with a bit of tinsel etc.
As a single parent I would make a fuss about certain things that I would like, a new book or favourite chocolate etc and the elf would also deliver DD these gifts for me and wrapping paper and sellotape, she loved to wrap them up and present them to me on Christmas morning thinking the Elf had gotten me exactly what I wanted.

Nothing the Elf delivered really added to our Christmas financially, everything he did we would have done anyway he just delivered it and as I said up thread as I got busier with work and DD got older our Elf became a supervisor for all of the new naughty elves and only tends to come at weekends and holidays now as it can be quite a commitment once you start.

@ilovegroot we've had a boring elf the last few years who only moved around and doesn't do anything exciting (he came with a letter explaining he's a good elf) and to be honest DD was more than happy with that, but this year I've bought another elf from home bargains and he's going to be a mischievous one tagging along with the good elf to be trained up.

I figured I can make an effort this year after the rubbish year we've had and I've already made a list of the things they're going to do as I know I won't do it otherwise. It's nothing too extreme but I know DD will be thrilled.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime @MarmaladeTeepee

Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking an elf that DS can hold and cuddle as he loves his cuddles, rather than one to check on his behaviour, I like the idea of posing them differently each night, but nothing too complicated.

Love the idea of them bringing craft or cookery things to do as well, lots of planning to do!

Many many years ago I made an Elf from a Christopher Eccleston Dr Who Doll ( so it was years ago ) then upgraded to a Liam Neeson The A Team Doll ( who was Action Man sized )
Sewed them into theire red/green felt outfits, hat , shoes .

Elf Wee Wee - green food colour in the toilet bowl ( just a drop )
Elf abseiling in the fridge
Elf Snow Angel in talcum or flour

My DC are adults now .
EotS is such an innocent bit of fun, but there are loads of threads on here about "Is this a Thing " "More work" "Don't like the Spying on Kids Idea"

Well , it is fun, no-one has to do it , it is as easy or as difficult as you make it .

EotS -A Christmas Tradition, yes it does come from the USA , I'd imagine there's loads of ideas out there
Enjoy