Need fresh Elf on the Shelf® ideas for December? Here are 24 fun, family-friendly Scout Elf® setups: eight easy surprises using everyday bits and pieces, eight crafty projects to make together, and eight quick scenes from the official Polar Props™ 24-Day Ultimate Elf Ideas Kit.
From a two-minute kitchen joke to a cosy craft, choose the Elf Idea that suits tonight and make tomorrow morning feel special. Pick a category to get started, then click through for full instructions.
Quick Elf on the Shelf ideas at a glance
Short on time? Try Scout Elf Banana Bread, a Pepper Posse or a Stocking Surprise. Got a spare half hour? Try making Bestie Bracelets or a handmade Christmas countdown. Have a little longer? Build a tiny treehouse for Frost Pips™. Want a ready-made scene every day? The Polar Props 24-Day Kit has props and setup instructions for all 24 days of the countdown.
Category 1
8 Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Busy December evening? These quick Elf on the Shelf ideas use things you probably already have at home. A little imagination does the heavy lifting.
Pepper Posse
Your Scout Elf has recruited a new crew from the vegetable drawer: a tray of halved peppers, each with its own googly-eyed personality. Expect plenty of giggles at breakfast.
- Estimated prep:
- About 10 minutes
- Great for:
- Families with young children
Scout Elf Banana Bread
A cheeky breakfast surprise featuring a banana, two slices of bread and one very proud North Pole chef who has taken the recipe a little too literally.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes, plus printing
- Great for:
- Busy parents
Hot Sauce Mix-Up
Your Scout Elf reached for the strawberry sauce and found something much spicier. A funny breakfast scene with waffles, a hot sauce bottle and a free printable speech bubble.
- Estimated prep:
- About 10 minutes, plus printing
- Great for:
- Families who love a joke
Sundae Sunday
Your Scout Elf has opened an elf-sized ice cream parlour, with cones, bowls and toppings laid out ready for the family to build their own sundaes.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Families with a sweet tooth
Stacked Can Stilts
The gingerbread is on the worktop and your Scout Elf is determined to reach it, balancing on two towers of tins for a very sneaky look.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Busy parents
Scout Elf Spa Day
After a long night reporting to the North Pole, your Scout Elf is unwinding in a tiny tub of pom-pom bubbles with a towel, eye mask and rubber duck.
- Estimated prep:
- About 10 minutes
- Great for:
- Families who love a cosy morning
Christmas Tree Hide-and-Seek
A classic hiding spot with extra sparkle. Your Scout Elf has settled among the baubles, and the family needs to spot them before breakfast.
- Estimated prep:
- About 2 minutes
- Great for:
- Last-minute planners
Stocking Surprise
Your Scout Elf has found the cosiest spot in the house, peeping over the top of a Christmas stocking to say good morning to the family.
- Estimated prep:
- About 2 minutes
- Great for:
- Last-minute planners
Love a simple hiding place? Find more in 30 Easy Elf on the Shelf Hiding Places.
Category 2
8 Crafty Elf on the Shelf Ideas
For families who love cutting, sticking and creating, these crafty Elf Ideas bring a little art-table fun to the Christmas countdown. Grown-ups should handle glue guns, scissors and small parts.
Tiny Treehouse for Frost Pips™
Big imaginations build tiny things. Your Scout Elf has made a lolly-stick treehouse covered in festive messages, ready for Frost Pips to move in.
- Estimated prep:
- About 1 hour, plus drying time
- Great for:
- Frost Pips fans
Elf Knitting Tangle
Your Scout Elf tried knitting a festive scarf and ended up in a woolly tangle. A quick, funny scene using wool and a pair of knitting needles.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Busy parents
Scout Elf’s Pet Rock
Every mini-me needs a maxi-me. Your Scout Elf has painted a smooth stone in their own likeness, complete with a red felt hat, and brought it along for company.
- Estimated prep:
- About 1 hour, plus drying time
- Great for:
- Families who love painting
Bestie Bracelets
A thoughtful little gift from your Scout Elf: beaded friendship bracelets for the family, plus spare supplies so everyone can make their own.
- Estimated prep:
- About 20 minutes
- Great for:
- Families with older children
Snowball Target Practice
The North Pole snowball championships have come indoors. Your Scout Elf has made a hanging target and a pile of cotton wool snowballs for the family to aim at.
- Estimated prep:
- About 30 minutes, plus drying time
- Great for:
- Active families
Elf Pets® Mask Party
Your Scout Elves have arrived in disguise, wearing printable Elf Pets® masks. Can the children guess which cuddly friend inspired each one?
- Estimated prep:
- About 10 minutes, plus printing
- Great for:
- Elf Pets fans
Family Elfies
Your Scout Elf has dressed the whole family as elves, using spare photo prints and red and white paper. Expect plenty of laughs when everyone spots themselves.
- Estimated prep:
- About 30 minutes
- Great for:
- Crafty families
Handmade Christmas Countdown
Your Scout Elf has made a colourful sign counting the sleeps until Christmas, ready for the family to update each morning as the big night gets closer.
- Estimated prep:
- About 20 minutes
- Great for:
- Families counting down to Christmas
Official Polar Props kit
The Polar Props 24-Day Ultimate Elf Ideas Kit
No late-night hunt through the craft cupboard. With 24 sets of Elf Ideas, interchangeable props and instructions for each day, the Polar Props 24-Day Ultimate Elf Ideas Kit makes planning your Scout Elf’s next surprise simpler.
- 24 sets of Elf Ideas, one for every day of the countdown
- More than 70 interchangeable props
- Setup instructions for each day
- Mix and match props to create your own scenes
Shop the 24-Day Elf Ideas Kit (opens Santa’s Store in a new tab) Scout Elf sold separately.
Category 3
8 Elf on the Shelf Ideas Using the 24-Day Kit
Six of these scenes come straight from the kit’s daily idea sets. The last two are bonus mix-and-match ideas that pair kit props with a couple of things from around the home.
Fireside Noughts and Crosses
The living room has become a miniature games lounge. Set up the fireplace backdrop and tiny noughts and crosses board, then challenge the family to a festive match.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Families who love games
Elf-Sized Toast at Breakfast
There’s toast on the table and a cheerful little chef behind the counter, thanks to the kit’s miniature kitchen backdrop, table and tiny toaster.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Busy parents
Presents by the Christmas Tree
Your Scout Elf has created a cosy corner of early Christmas cheer, with a miniature decorated tree and presents arranged in front of the fireplace backdrop.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Busy parents
North Pole Sledge Adventure
No snow outside? No problem. Your Scout Elf is ready for a North Pole sledge ride in front of the kit’s snowy backdrop, arms up and raring to go.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Snow-loving families
Scout Elf Beach Holiday
A North Pole visitor has swapped snowdrifts for a seaside escape, with sunglasses on and a tropical backdrop that brings a little winter sunshine indoors.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Sun-seeking families
North Pole Christmas Baking
Your Scout Elf is busy in a bakery fit for Santa’s helpers, with a miniature rolling pin, biscuits and kitchen backdrop straight from the kit.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Keen bakers
Is This How You Rock ’n’ Roll?
A bonus mix-and-match idea. Your Scout Elf pairs the kit’s mini rolling pin with a clean garden stone and a sign that takes a well-known phrase very literally.
- Estimated prep:
- About 5 minutes
- Great for:
- Pun lovers
North Pole DJ Sound Check
A bonus mix-and-match idea. The kit’s table and headphones meet a homemade paper turntable and speakers, and your Scout Elf takes over as resident DJ.
- Estimated prep:
- About 20 minutes
- Great for:
- Music-loving families