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Quick! Easy! Fast Elf Ideas!

Need an elf idea quick? Scout Elves—if you don’t have a lot of time, and you’re looking for a fast idea that will still bring a smile to your family member’s faces, check out these easy elf ideas that you can create in no time!

Click each picture for full instructions for your Scout Elf.

Elf with Printable

Wheel of Good Fortune

Elf with Printable

Sugar and spice and everything nice! Your Scout Elf will set kind deeds in motion with this free printable that encourages little ones to partake in simple acts of kindness.

Materials:

Instructions:

  1. First, your elf will print and cut out the printable kind deed wheel.
  2. Next, they will use a brad to fasten the arrow to the wheel, leaving a small space between the brad and the paper to ensure a good spin.
  3. Your elf will sit next to the wheel and wait for you to give it a spin to see what kind deed you can do today.
  4. Bonus: Elves love reporting kids’ kind deeds to Santa, and they may bring the wheel back more than once for kids to spin again!

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Elf with Printable

Christmas Rocks!

Elf with Printable

Let’s jam! Your elf is excited to rock out like a Scout Elf superstar, and they’ll set the perfect stage with a free printable that attaches to windows or walls.

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Claus Couture Collection® North Pole Rock-and-Roll

Instructions:

  1. First, your elf will print and cut out the stage printable and tape it to a window or wall.
  2. To look the part of a rock star, your elf will put on their North Pole Rock-and-Roll outfit, complete with a Christmas tree-shaped guitar.
  3. Finally, they will take the stage and rock out!

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Elf with Printable

Holiday Hide-and-Seek

Elf with Printable

Who’s up for a quick round of hide-and-seek? Your elf picked a tricky hiding spot and left clues on a free printable for you to follow. Along the way, pick up treats your elf left and at the end you’ll reveal their secret hiding spot. Catch them if you can!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. First, your elf will print and cut out the printable.
  2. Then, they will fill in the printable with creative clues or rely on the clues provided to lead you to where they are hiding.
  3. Your elf will wait for you to find them in their extra secret hiding spot!

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Elf with Printable

Donut Seeds

Elf with Printable

Using magical donut seeds from the North Pole, your Scout Elf will grow a donut garden featuring full-sized donuts for kids to enjoy for breakfast or as a sweet Christmas treat!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Donut seeds (small, round cereal)
  • Small bag
  • Stapler
  • Brown sprinkles
  • Flowerpot
  • Dry floral foam
  • Wooden skewers
  • Full-size donuts
  • Elf Pets® Saint Bernard

Instructions:

  1. Your elf will print and cut out the donut seeds label from the printable.
  2. Then, they will fill a bag with small, round cereal and staple the donut seeds label to the bag.
  3. To set up a beautiful donut garden, your elf will place a piece of dry floral foam in a flowerpot and cover it with brown sprinkles to mimic soil.
  4. They will place donuts on wooden skewers and stick the skewers in the dry floral foam.
  5. When kids wake, they will see that their elf helped the donut seeds grow into yummy full-sized donuts they can eat!

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Elf with Printable

Elf-Sized Oven

Elf with Printable

Batch of cookies, anyone? With their mini oven, your Scout Elf will bake up surprises just for you!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Double-sided tape

Instructions:

  1. Your elf will print and cut out the oven.
  2. Then, they will lay the oven flat on a table with the blank side facing up, and fold each piece inward along the dotted lines. Helpful hint for elves: Fold each piece into the middle, with the exception of the stove top, which will be folded the opposite way of every other piece.
  3. After, your elf will start with the smallest flaps near the oven’s controls and tape each tab to the oven piece that it naturally touches. All tabs should be taped inside the oven.
  4. Finally, they will sit near the finished mini oven with a sweet surprise they baked up just for you!

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Elf with Printable

Seasonal Snowflake Wreath

Elf with Printable

With this free printable, your elf will create a cool piece of décor, a seasonal snowflake wreath that is just as beautiful as the flakes falling outside, and every bit as unique, too!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Tape or Glue
  • Wire or flat wooden wreath frame

Instructions:

  1. Your elf will print and cut out the seasonal snowflake wreath pieces. Helpful hint for elves: Depending on the size of the wreath you want to make, you may need to print out multiple copies of the wreath pieces.
  2. Second, your elf will lay out the circles so they are overlapping and covering the wreath frame.
  3. Then, they will tape or glue the pieces to the frame.
  4. After they have created their wintry wreath, your elf will sit nearby to watch you find their surprise!

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Elf with Printable

Holiday Party Placemats

Elf with Printable

Eating just got a whole lot more entertaining with this printable holiday party placemat your Scout Elf brought with them!

Materials:

  • Printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Crayons, colored pencils or markers

Instructions:

  1. To create this spirited spread, your elf will print and cut out the holiday party placemats.
  2. They will leave crayons, colored pencils or markers out on the table to encourage you to design your own unique placemats.
  3. They will be sure to stick around to scope out the colorful creations!

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Elf with Printable

Winter Pals Face Cutouts

Elf with Printable

Scout Elves love dressing up—especially as other fun North Pole objects like snowmen, and now, they can do just that using this free printable!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Wooden craft sticks or skewers

Instructions:

  1. Your elf will print out the photo prop and cut out the face hole.
  2. To complete this prop, they will use wooden craft sticks or skewers to prop up the page so that they can hide behind the piece of paper and stick their face through the open hole for a fun photo opp!

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Elf with Printable

Gingerbread House

Elf with Printable

Creating a sweet little gingerbread cookie cottage will be as easy as 1, 2, 3 with this printable!

Materials:

  • Color printer
  • Card stock/paper
  • Printable
  • Scissors
  • Tape

Instructions:

  1. First, your elf will print and cut out the gingerbread house. Helpful hint for elves: Make sure to cut along the slit between the green roof and brown flap next to the front of the house.
  2. Second, your elf will fold along each of the lines.
  3. Your elf will lay the house flat on a table with the blank side facing up, and fold each side of the house up, keeping the plain brown rectangle flat on the table.
  4. Starting with the two brown tabs attached to the front of the gingerbread house, they will tape each tab to the wall or roof piece that it naturally touches. All tabs should be taped inside the house.
  5. To show off their handy cookie carpentry work, your elf will sit near their cottage and wait for you to find them!

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Looking for more quick elf ideas! Use these 10 printables to inspire your Scout Elf’s last-minute surprise!

Before you or your elf get to work recreating any of these inspirational photos, be sure to read these safety warnings. Santa wants to make sure everyone stays safe!