Budget - Elf on a Shelf Ideas

[libinatorsmom]

Well its almost that time again - about a month until our elf "Frankie" returns from the North Pole -(GOSH I HOPE I REMEMBER WHERE I HID HIM THIS YEAR) I have a few little things bought for this year but I hate giving DD7 a present all the time - everyday from him.... he has been here 2 years now and I am running out of ideas.... I am on my own as Hubby thinks its stupif... but goodness DD loves it... So all the BUDGET ideas you have PLEASE let them out...

 

[MineMail]

My sympathies - I never fell for this idea. Our DDs' assistant teacher in Kindergarten used it without any rewards. Instead, the elf was a tattletale who would squeal to Santa.

Why not give him a small chalkboard and let him count down the days until Christmas, if you really like this idea.

Honestly, I wouldn't bring him out unless your DD asks about his absence. It's really not necessary. A sticker chart would be better.

 

[libinatorsmom]

Oh shes already asking about him- and I am on major budget this year - I mean major

 

[Patience]

We have an Elf named Steve but he does not leave gifts. My little one likes getting up in the morning to hunt for Steve who is always in a different location. Steve reports back to the North Pole every night regarding our daughter's behavior. We brought him out last year right after Thanksgiving but I was getting tired of looking for hiding places for him by Christmas so, this year, he's not arriving from the North Pole until at least December 1.

Do most of your elves leave gifts? I have never heard of that before now.

 

[mom2princesss]

I've never heard of the Elf leaving gifts. Our elf is in a different location every morning and my girls have fun looking for him. Each night he goes back to the north pole and reports to Santa on their behavior. It is really cute to watch the girls because as soon as one of them starts getting sassy or starts to pitch a fit the other will run and remind her that elfie is watching LOL!

If your elf has to bring gifts I would make sure it is nothing more then dollar store items. Little candies, treats, stickers, ect.

 

[kayrosek]

Our Elf only brings the occasional gift mostly he is a mischief maker. He bakes cookies and leaves flour scattered around, swings from the chandelier and also DS's fan in his bedroom, he reads to the stuffed animals, leaves notes for the kids on daddy's computer, and helps decorate the house for Christmas with interesting results. He strung Christmas lights above our living room window and was swinging on the when we found them, wrapped tinsel around our Bannister and got caught in it, buried himself in a bowl of silk poinsettia. When he does bring gifts they are usually hints (like he'll bring sprinkles if he wants the kids to make him a treat or he'll pull out the pancake mix make snow angels in some of it on the table and leave chocolate chips for chocolate chip pancakes.) He has also been know to leave decorations when he thought our house wasn't decorated enough and to hang candy canes in odd places all over the house.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Ours doesn't leave gifts either, he just does silly things like making snowmen out of marshmallows and playing board games with the stuffed animals.

I don't know what kind of gifts you had in mind, here's some small things you could do:

A printed list of Christmas jokes/riddles

A "pass" to a set amount of time on a Christmas website

A dollar store mug with a packet of hot chocolate mix

Candy and/or pack of gum

Coloring book/crayons

Package of microwave popcorn and an invite to watch a Christmas show/movie that's on TV that night or a Redbox rental.

See if the gumball machines where you shop have any good prizes, one year I put a bunch of mini Ben10 figures in my DS's stocking and he loved them, fifty cents each.

Print something off the computer to make a bookmark, laminate with contact paper and put a pretty ribbon on it (of course this is only cheap if you already have the supplies).

A "treat", something you don't usually buy at the grocery store that she loves, maybe a sugary cereal or something.

If you get the offers to join the Disney Movie Club in the mail they usually come with Disney stickers.

Bubble bath

 

[MineMail]

he's not arriving from the North Pole until at least December 1.

Sensible - don't rush the season. I think he'd been needed at the North Pole and couldn't get away until then, at the earliest.

A friend gave us a small elf Hallmark ornament years ago. The elf hangs from a hook on a swing and has a backpack full of tree light bulbs. In his hands is a wrench-like tool that's just the right size to fit a tree light bulb. We pretend that he checks the tree lights every night while we're asleep and if one is out, he stays with it so we know he changed the bulb. It's cute and fun, but no spying or bribes.

 

[ehough]

Ours doesn't really leave gifts but he does get up to "elf hijinks" every night! He returns from the North Pole and then gets bored while everyone is sleeping. Here's what he did last year.

- drew a Christmas tree on our sliding glass door (required me to buy window markers, you could also use dry erase if you have them already!)
- was found dangling from a ceiling fan
- played with the kids' toys (I took pics of him playing with the toys- him inside the ball popper, him riding a train, etc and then printed them out on computer paper)
- went potty (green food coloring + marshmallow "poop")
- made hot chocolate
- played cards with friends
- got sent to time out
- enjoyed a bath in marshmallows
- made spaghetti like Buddy does in Elf- spaghetti with syrup
- was found enjoying the cold in the fridge
- built a Christmas tree out of cans
- decorated the Christmas tree in DD's underwear
- went fishing in hot chocolate (toothpick + string)
- was found outside in the cold
- was found in daddy's car, shopping bag of Christmas bows next to him
- had story time with his friends
- introduced the kids to "Elf Yourself", a free site
- made snow angels in flour
- built snowmen out of marshmallows
- brought the kids Christmas coloring books (from the dollar bins)
- cuddled up with a bowl of popcorn and his friends to watch "Elf"
- TP'ed the tree
- wrapped the bathroom door closed
- started a band with his friends
- drew a Christmas tree on the bathroom mirror with toothpaste
- decorated the house with candy canes alllll over

Whew. Hope that helps. The only things I bought specifically for the elf were the window markers (and again, you could improvise and use what you have, even lipstick) and the dollar coloring books. We used the candy canes in their stockings, so even those weren't bought just for him. I cannot wait to start again this year!

 

[southern_redhead]

It looks like your DD is 7...I would go small if you want to do gifts. After all, if you give big stuff then that takes the "bang" out of Christmas morning I would consider:

Christmas coloring book/crayons
Inexpensive Christmas DVD
Mug and Cocoa packets (stole from PP, this is a GREAT idea!)
Christmas stickers
An ornament for your tree
Bottles of red and green nailpolish

Maybe throw in 1 or 2 "bigger" things, like a GC to the movies or bowling alley (a family activity that you'd want to do anyway.)

I wouldn't have him bring something daily, I would mix it up with "activities". The ones described were cute (hanging out in the fridge, swinging from a ceiling fan, board games with stuffed toys....)

 

[QVCshopper]

I'm so excited for the elf to arrive. I never celebrated Xmas as a kid and it's great fun for both parents and kids. Mine isn't about spying or bribes, he just comes to have fun.

This year, I'm going to be super organized. I'm going to make a calendar of what he's going to do each night and have everything ready. He's going to leave some gifts like pjs, advent calendars, etc. and I'm debating using him as a way to space out my kids Xmas gifts throughout the month to make it more magical. So, that means less stuff on the big day (probably a good thing), but still planned and budgeted for. Honestly, between us, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., they get a crazy amount on one day. And that's with me limiting the gifts some...

He also is going to do silly things with no gifts, leaving maybe 4-5 gifts total. Like, I picked up a Mickey Xmas book for a quarter, so one night he will read that to all of the Mickeys in our house. Advent calendars are $1 at Trader Joes.

 

[LaDonna]

I wanna do an Elf this year, my lil man is 4 so I think he'll have fun with it.....so where do I start, is there a story floating around I can print and read to him?

 

[Spart02]

My kids adore Elmer, our Christmas Elf! I think I'll hit the Dollar Tree soon for some little things. I agree with the person who said they were going to be super organized this year and have it all planned out ahead of time. That is going to be my goal this year!

I think it's going to be hard to come up with new ideas, so I hope people will keep posting their lists! I have done most of the ideas that were mentioned above. So I'm going to have to get REALLY creative this year!

 

[ENSOCK]

I wanna do an Elf this year, my lil man is 4 so I think he'll have fun with it.....so where do I start, is there a story floating around I can print and read to him?

I saw him at Barnes and noble with a book attached. You might try there.

What about getting her some bows or ribbons for her hair and have him get tangled in them? nail polish and stickers or whatever she likes. I wish my boys were still little enough that I could do the elf!

 

[ehough]

My kids adore Elmer, our Christmas Elf! I think I'll hit the Dollar Tree soon for some little things. I agree with the person who said they were going to be super organized this year and have it all planned out ahead of time. That is going to be my goal this year!

I think it's going to be hard to come up with new ideas, so I hope people will keep posting their lists! I have done most of the ideas that were mentioned above. So I'm going to have to get REALLY creative this year!

I have some more ideas if you're interested. I know how hard it is to come up with them! What I posted above is what I did last year. Some more ideas:

- the elf hides in DD's backpack, wanting to go to school
- the elf goes ziplining (using a candy cane on a line of string!)
- the elf plays spin the bottle
- the elf goes for a ride in a hot air balloon (just a couple balloons tied to a makeshift basket, could be a cup or a can)
- the elf plays a board game
- the elf takes a nap (on a Barbie bed or any small bed)
- the elf takes Barbie on a date
- the elf draws mustaches on the family pictures (with a dry erase marker!)
- the elf conducts Elf Classes (set him up in front of a blackboard with books and a listening audience)
- the elf has a tea party
- the elf got into the candy stash

 

[of2dbeach]

I sadly have never heard of the Elf thing. Sounds like alot of fun but my youngest is going to be 9 this week :*(
Not sure if she would catch on or ot but seems like something big sister might let to get in the act on too. Wont do alot of presents just put him in random places at diffrent times. Now I just have to find an elf ? Years ago we used to have an Elf that was soft but posable.I wonder if I still have him is that what ya'll use ?

 

[rnorwo1]

Ours comes out on Dec 1... He's usually in the middle of the living room with their advent calendars and a personal letter to each kid with his expectations/wishes for each of them. That's the only gIft he brings... My kids LOVE searching for him, so for us the daily gifts are unnecessary. If you feel like you have to do gifts bc you did them in the past but you would like to change that, maybe have the elf leave her a letter explaining what's going to happen this year, with some sort of cute story or something. Most kids remember the experience more than the gift anyway. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a blast!

 

[MNFootballMommy]

This year, our elf is bringing the pieces of the advent calendar daily. I found a Nutcracker advent calendar that is the story written out in little books...so instead of bringing the entire calendar, she will bring one book/piece each day. Not only will it be a great fill-in for those "what the heck do I do with the elf" times and help with DD's reading skills, but it will also prevent DD6 from peeking ahead in the advent calendar--it's just so tempting sometimes!

A quick search on eBay for Nutcracker Advent calendar brings it up--it is only about $13, inc. shipping.

 

[mjkacmom]

The elf leaves gifts? Our elf moves every day, and makes sure everyone is behaving. Why did you come up with the crazy notion to leave gifts? Heck, I stopped taking out the Advent calendar years ago (that my mom bought - gee, thanks).

 

[KristinU]

Our elf also doesn't really leave gifts, just mischief most of the time. Maybe a DVD or a coloring book during the entire season, but not every day.

In past years I've made up a calendar from ideas here on the DIS and shared it with whoever wanted it. I'll do it again when I get a chance and share again if anyone wants it. Editing to add that I figured out how to save and share documents publicly on Google docs and posted the 2009 and 2010 on this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2819089

Our elf doesn't arrive until after Thanksgiving, when our town has a tree-lighting...usually the first weekend in December if memory serves me correctly!

Oh, and our elf DOES leave DS a gift on Christmas eve when he leaves. The first year it was a sleigh bell like in Polar Express and last year it was a framed photo collage of his visit (I had taken pics of him doing his various stuff and just did the collage at Walgreen's photo a day or so before Christmas - frame from the dollar store.)