Elf on a Shelf: Christmas tradition explained and inspiration

It can only mean one thing: Christmas is just around the corner – and festive spirits are high.

Newport has been spectacularly decorated and lit up at the Christmas lights switch-on, and the city centre has reopened its annual Christmas cabins, where you can enjoy a delightful range of food, gifts and activities.

Alongside the traditional Christmas festivities, the mischievous 'elf on the shelf' is back and bigger than ever, creating endless giggles and mayhem for parents and children alike.

Throughout December, Santa sends his elves to thousands of homes to keep an eye on children in the lead-up to Christmas – here are some of the cheekiest ideas we’ve found, as well as some thoughts from those in Newport themselves.

How can you get involved with Elf on the Shelf?

This spectacle began back in 2005 when Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell published their book, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition.

It tells the story of a scout elf who hides in peoples’ homes to watch over what is happening, and then flies back to the North Pole each night to report back.

In similar vein, the modern-day Elf on the Shelf hides around the house, supposedly keeping an eye on children to decide whether they’re fated for Santa’s “nice list” or “naughty list”- but a wave of creativity has transformed this tradition into some new fun and wacky ideas.

You can visit the official Elf on the Shelf shop to purchase your own all-in-one starter kit, as well as 24-day kits from Amazon, to complete the full December advent period.

For a cheaper alternative, plastic elves are available anywhere that sells Christmas decorations – you just need to use some imagination (or this list of ideas) and some basic household items to give it some flair!

Some inspiration

The Argus has orchestrated these five homemade Elf on the Shelf scenes to inspire the naughty elfish spirit into your household.

1. Snow angel

Here I used flour – but a bit of baking powder or washing detergent powder are easy, household alternatives that will transform your elf into this classic wintery activity.

2. Hanging around

With a bit of tinsel we had decorated the curtain rail with, it was easy to attach the elf to be swinging freely from the sky! Another fun idea is to wrap some tinsel around the elf’s waist and have it abseiling down the wall.

3. Toasty and warm

This quick and easy idea only requires popping your elf in the oven (without turning it on, of course) and writing a note to reassure your kids that the elf is staying warm in this cold weather.

4. The Snowman and the Snow-Elf

With just a couple marker pens and some spare toilet rolls, you can create a makeshift snowman that your elf can be perched upon, or even hiding behind and peeking out behind!

5. Taco Tuesday

To replicate the classic mid-week “Taco Tuesday” dinner, just pop your elf into a tortilla wrap or taco shell to create the illusion of an elfish burrito or taco.

What you had to say

We asked the people of Newport to share their thoughts and ideas about Elf on the Shelf, and how they typically implement it in their households.

Here’s what mum-of-two Louise Worrall thinks about the tradition.

As the owner of Voyage of Hope Therapy Services based in Gwent, she understands and utilises the importance of play and play therapy in helping children’s development.

Louise says the most important thing is to ensure that Elf on the Shelf remains a playful activity, and comes from a place of joy rather than feeling like a necessity.

Furthermore, the elf mustn’t be used as a means of manipulating behaviour.

A prominent example of doing so is through the “Santa cam”; by telling your child that the elf is reporting back to Santa and constantly watching their behaviour, this can instil fear and make children feel afraid in their own home, when they might need to unwind after school.

As part of her business, she has created an Elf on the Shelf Pack and Pop-up Support Group, so people can get Elf on the Shelf ideas and advice from a professional play therapist.

Here’s a couple of Louise’s elves she’s done for her children.

Louise’s cute ideas include a naughty elf spreading around some cotton bud “snow”, and the poor elf getting stuck in the washing machine!

Another creative mum, Becky Wood, has shared a couple of her elf on the shelf ideas from the beginning of December that she’s implemented for her kids: Becky’s gone all out with her elves brandishing some treats to kick off the festive season right.

So, what are you waiting for?

Whether you’re an Elf on the Shelf connoisseur, or completely new to the activity, hopefully this article has been some needed inspiration to start a new tradition this Christmas, or some new, mischievous ideas you haven’t tried before.