Elf on The Shelf on a Budget!

This is a special post to all the parents out there who will very soon be having a special little visitor to join them in the Christmas cheer. And if it’s anything like ours, it will be causing lots of mayhem and mess!

If you’re like me, I spend nearly every night in December going to bed with not a care in the world and just as I’m about to nod off, I’m woken up by a jolt of “Oh No, I’ve forgotten to move the bloomin Elf!”. Or in my case – two bloomin Elves!.

Please tell me it’s not just me that does this?!

As parents we must be mad! Why do we do this to ourselves and make our lives harder at the busiest time of the year by having an Elf. But then seeing my girl’s face light up each morning is definitely enough for me! Almost lol!

I don’t know about you. I always start off super creative on the 1st of December and then as the month moves on so does my motivation, creativity and will to live. Last year Chippy and Buddy our Elves got stuck in the Christmas tree for a few days as I forgot to move them, opps! And the worse part, there was me thinking my failings had gone unnoticed by my daughter, until one day when she told me the Elves were boring and she didn’t want them to come again. Ha! Now I know she didn’t mean this but it made me wake up to the serious responsibility I had of chief Elf planner and mover and from that day forward I promised my elf (sorry couldn’t resist) I would not be so crap next time.

This year is the next time – so here’s to being the best Elf mover around!

This year, so far, I’m organised. We are still in November, most of my Christmas shopping is done with the Christmas fund and not debt and I have an Elf plan. And even better than all that, I thought I’d share it all with you too! Sharing is what Christmas is about of course – oh and presents and definitely prosecco 😊.

I have come up with or found 24 things our naughty little Elves can get up to and included some pictures (below) and a list of what you need to use and/or buy (under December 24 activities).

The pictures I have taken in one spot in the kitchen but I will be moving the little naughty elves around the house.

I have also made little cards to print and put together a shopping list so you can get everything in before December 1st (Below)

Most of the items I bought new and I noted the price I paid on the list. Anything without a price I already had at home. Everything I bought came to approximately £20 and I got the items from Tesco and Home Bargain. You could get them cheaper still if you shopped around.

December Elf’s activities:

December 1 – Elf brings the advert calendar

What you need – Advent calendar

Print – Look who’s Back!

December 2 – Elf plays hungry hippos

What you need – Pack of skittles (use a handful), Kinder Happy Hippos (5 pack)

Print – We Love Hungry Hippos!

December 3 – Elf burst out of cereal box

What you need – Cereal

Print – Make sure you eat up!

December 4 – Elf between two pieces of toast

What you need – Bread toasted

Print – I was cold, but now I’m toasty

December 5 – Elf playing jenga with chocolate fingers

What you need – Chocolate fingers

December 6 – Elf in bathroom sink drawing smilie face with toothpaste

What you need – Toothpaste

Print – Make sure you brush your teeth!

December 7 – Elf drawing funny faces on pictures

What you need – Black sharpie

December 8 – Elf in a roll of toilet roll which they have drawn a funny face on.

What you need – 3 marshmellows, icing stick black, chocolate drops, mini matchmatchers

Print – Do you wanna build a snowman?

December 9 – Elf rainbow magic

What you need – Skittles

Print – Just add hot water for Elf rainbow magic

December 10 – Elf making snow angels in flour

What you need – Flour

Print – Let’s make snow angels!

December 11 – Elf snowball fight with toys

What you need – Scrunched up bits of paper, other toys.

Print – Snowball fight!

December 12 – Elf cooking eggs in the pan

What you need – Haribo/Other gummies shaped like eggs

Print – Eggs anyone?

December 13 – Elf put tape across bedroom door

What you need – tape

December 14 – Elf has hidden candy canes

What you need – Candy canes

Print – Can you find all the candy canes?

December 15 – Elf zip wiring across the room

What you need – string

Print – Weeeeeeeeee!

December 16 – Elf has hidden a treat underneath a cup, but which one!

What you need – paper cups or you could use plastic ones, treat

Print – Find the hidden treat

December 17 – Elf making a sledge and wants help!

What you need – Candy canes, Santa chocolate, 4 finger kit kat, chocolate coins, fredo

Print – Lets make a sledge together

December 18 – Elf on a swing

What you need – Swing and string, or use empty loo roll

December 19 – Elf hanging from the letterbox with Christmas card from Elf

What you need – Christmas card

December 20 – Elf making Christmas biscuits

What you need – large biscuits, icing tube, laces, dolly mixtures, haribo

Print – Lets make a Christmas biscuit

December 21 – Elf in a bath of balloons

What you need – Balloons, black pen

Print – Find me and pop the balloons

December 22 – Elf toasting a marshmellow over a candle

What you need – Marshmellows, candle, cocktail stick, chocolate digestives

Print – Lets make s’mores

December 23 – Elf made a gingerbread house

What you need – 5 pieces of bread, Jar of ginger, gingerbread house (optional)

Print – Hey, I made a gingerbread house!

December 24 – Elf leaves Christmas box and goodbye note

What you need – Whatever you fancy, I usually leave some Christmas PJ’s, popcorn, sweets, hot chocolate

You will also need to print the Elf Shopping List and the Elf Print Cards 1 and Elf Print Cards 2

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