Free Printable Elf on the Shelf Ideas – Part 1

Add a sprinkle of magic to your holiday season with free printable Elf on the Shelf notes! These delightful notes, filled with fun messages from your elf, can remind children to be good or share playful holiday instructions. You can easily create a special keepsake that enhances the joy of the Elf on the Shelf tradition, making the countdown to Christmas even more enchanting for your little ones! Download and print at home this customizable and festive designs.

Elf on the Shelf Tradition

The "Elf on the Shelf" tradition originated from a 2005 children's book written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, which introduced a whimsical narrative about a scout elf sent by Santa Claus to monitor children's behavior during the Christmas season. 

This book, paired with a corresponding elf doll, quickly became a beloved holiday staple, encouraging families to create playful daily scenarios with the elf, who supposedly moves around the house each night. The tradition has since expanded into a major cultural phenomenon, inspiring countless creative ideas and widespread participation on social media. 

We welcomed our elf into our family when our oldest was just shy of turning 5. Although we were initially uncertain whether she would enjoy the elf at that age and debated the cost of the ELF ON THE SHELF BUNDLE, we decided to give it a try, knowing her younger siblings would have a few more years to relish the tradition. She named him Max, and she has adored him completely since then. 

This year marks her fourth year enjoying Max's holiday shenanigans, and she has never questioned his authority in delivering messages to Santa or his magical abilities. While I know the day will come (rather sooner than later) when she starts to doubt his magic, for now, we’re fully embracing the enchanting spirit of our elf and eagerly awaiting his arrival on December 1st, committed to this delightful holiday tradition!

 

1. Santa is on his way! I've got a little sticky situation to sort out!
Place a variety of stickers on any object or surface you find appropriate. I placed some on the kids' laptop, using stickers with funny sayings or motivational quotes.

 

The Elf gets a bit too playful and decides to experiment with some non-sticky slime! In a mischievous twist, he gently squishes a colorful blob of slime onto his own legs. As the kids wake up to find their elf in a hilarious predicament, they can’t help but giggle at the delightful chaos. Just a reminder: even non-sticky slime still makes for a potentially messy moments! Use this idea at your own discretion. If that’s too much, experimenting with stickers is always a clean and fun alternative!

 

2. Guess what! I made some new friends!

These friends can be anything; I have seen elves make friends out of oranges, bananas, and cardboard boxes. In our case, our elf made friends out of milk jars in the fridge!

 

3.  I'm all ears, so please remember to speak kindly to your siblings.

What can I say? Kindness always wins! As we go about our day, we remember our elf's big ears and how he can listen even when we are not around.

 

4. I'm off today on a special errand for Santa, but I'll be keeping my eyes on you!

If you're unsure where to place your elf, don't worry—just hide it for a day or two! You can use a picture of eyes (even some fun googly eyes from Halloween) instead. Just grab this quick note, pop it in your kid's bedroom or living room, and hopefully enjoy some wonderful kid behavior
 

 

5. Rolling into a season of joy - towel style!

 

6. Santa asked me to tell you this. 

 

7. Oops, wrong turn! I need a map to find my way back to the North Pole!

Let me tell you, this rainforest diorama was a fun school project we did a long time ago for my oldest daughter. It sat in her room for a while until the elf took a wrong turn and ended up in the rainforest. Do you have any school science or art projects that you can incorporate into the elf's antics? Take a look around and use them.
 

 Free printable notes from the elf have been added. I hope these ideas spark your creativity!


 

FORMATS

 

You will receive the image in these formats:

1. JPEG: High-resolution file ideal for a wide range of online and digital designs, including web banners and greeting cards. 

2. Print-ready PDF

 

LICENSE

 

This FREE file is for personal use only. The license allows you to view, download, edit, and create unlimited digital and physical designs using the provided files.

YOU CAN: 

 

1. Create any number of physical projects for your personal use, as gifts for friends and family, or as part of school assignments.

2. Create any number of digital projects for your personal use. Attribution is not required but appreciated if a link to this page is shared.  

3. Share a link to my webpage with others.

YOU CANNOT: 

 

1. Create the products and online designs intended for sale.

2. Sell, re-license or use this file in advertising.

3. Upload the files to print on demand sites, such as Printful, Printify, Zazzle, Redbubble, Fine Art America, etc.

4. Upload the file to your website or social media platforms for your visitors to download.

Please don't distribute these files directly to others. Instead, kindly share a link to this webpage so that they can download the files themselves.

Ownership and all rights to the provided free file "Elf on the Shelf Notes by DBWL-Part 1" now and in the future, remain exclusively with the content creator and owner of DesignBeginsWithL.com.

 

DOWNLOAD HERE 

 

NOTE: The link will take you to Dropbox where you can choose a direct download or save the file to your own Dropbox account. Use your computer to download a file. Some mobile devices won't let you download a zipped file. 

 

If you're interested in the book and a scout elf, feel free to check it out here: 

The Elf on the Shelf: Blue-Eyed Boy Scout Elf with Storybook, Keepsake Box, and Adoption Certificate

 

Please note that the links are affiliate links, so if you decide to click on them and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission from the website, but it won’t cost you anything extra. Your support for this blog is greatly appreciated—thank you! 

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