Halloween has come and gone and Christmas is quickly approaching. A few years ago, The Elf On The Shelf became the big Christmas craze. If you are not familiar with The Elf On The Shelf, it is a book that was written in 2005 by Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. The book tells a Christmas story about one of Santa’s scout elves visiting your home from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. The elf watches over your children during the day, and every night when your children go to sleep, he or she flies back to the North Pole to tell Santa if they have been naughty or nice. When your elf returns to your home, he hides in a new place, and when your children wake up, they have to find him. What a fun game of hide and seek for little ones!
How The Elf On The Shelf Game Works
So how is this little elf able to fly back to the North Pole every night, and what’s going to stop your two, three, or four children from fighting over your elf every day for the next 28 days? Well, there’s rules of course! Your family’s Christmas elf only receives his magic after your family names him, and no one is allowed to touch your little elf! If anyone touches the elf, he immediately loses his magic and won’t be able to make the journey back to the North Pole to report to Santa. The “do not touch” rule might take some getting used to, so if your little one accidentally touches the elf, they can apologize to him and then sprinkle a little cinnamon beside him before going to bed. The cinnamon is like vitamins for Santa’s elves, and it helps them get back to the North Pole to be checked out by a doctor. You can find the answers to any other Elf On The Shelf questions you may have on The Elf On The Shelf website.
What’s Included With Your Elf On The Shelf
The Elf On The Shelf game comes in a keepsake box with a hardcover book and soft toy elf. Some packages even include The Elf On The Shelf movie. The movie can also be purchased separately. There are a variety of elves to choose from. You can even purchase accessories for your elf – different outfits and even a pet reindeer. The name of the elf in the Christmas story is Chippy. Last year, my boys were 2 and 3 years old so when they saw their elf for the first time, they immediately started calling him Chippy. Throughout the coming weeks, I will be posting Elf On The Shelf ideas that I used during last holiday season. I got really creative with our elf and he was constantly getting into mischief! The only downside to getting creative with your elf, is that he is not posable. This can be easily fixed though, by “hacking” your elf.
Hacking Your Elf On The Shelf
To hack your Elf On The Shelf you will need the following items:
- 14 gauge wire
- Needle nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- Seam ripper
- Red and white thread, and a needle
Simply break the stitches at the ends of the elf’s arms and legs with the seam ripper, and insert your wire. Be sure to loop your wire at each end to prevent it from poking through your elf. Cut your wire a little shorter than the length of your elf’s arms and legs so that there’s room to bend it. Once your wire is inserted into your Elf’s arms and legs, stitch the hands and feet back together, using the red thread for his feet and white for his hands. I also added a little velcro to his hands. That’s all there is to it. With these few simple steps, you will be able to pose your elf in any position you want! The possibilities are endless!
Check back soon for some fun Elf On The Shelf ideas!
