It’s officially December, and that means Christmas is only 24 days away.
And while most of us spent this morning scoffing our first piece of advent calendar chocolate, there’s more than one way to begin counting the days until Father Christmas makes his annual trip around the world.
The Elf on the Shelf phenomenon has captured the hearts of families worldwide, and the rules are simple: one or two elves watch over your family and report back to Santa each night with an update on who is being naughty and who is being nice.
After each trip, the elves return to different hiding spot to continue their watch with just one catch – kids can’t touch them, or their magic goes away.
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Although the premise is simple, it can pose a real headache for parents who need to find 24 different hiding spots for Santa’s little helpers.
But that’s why we’re here to give you some helpful pointers on where to hide your Elf on the Shelf this festive season.
In between some toilet rolls
Many people spent 2020 hoarding toilet paper, so if you’ve still got some loo rolls leftover, why not spare a few to hide an elf?
Check out this example below, which doubles as a quick and easy snowman decoration once the elf has moved on.
Inside a stocking
What better place to hide an elf than inside a stocking?
This classic hiding spot is ideal if you hang up your stockings on the stairs like in this example – your kids will never see it coming!
Between the blinds
Elf on the Shelf is all about getting creative, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend any money on extra decorations.
In fact, this example below is simple yet effective – just stuff your elf in between your blinds and watch your kids cackle at the poor bloke’s predicament.
Amongst the Christmas tree decorations
Another classic hiding place is among the branches of your Christmas tree.
If you’ve opted for traditional red and gold decorations this year, your elf will blend right in with the other decorations adorning your tree.
In the chocolate box
This one might be a little bit cruel, but it’s the perfect way to get your kids to keep their hands off the choccies for one day this Christmas.
Remember, kids aren’t supposed to touch the elf – so if you bury him in the Heroes tin, they’ll have no choice but to steer clear of the Dairy Milk until the elf moves.
Hanging from the light fixtures
Check out this daredevil!
We don’t recommend trying this if you’re not a toy elf, but dangling Santa’s little helper from your lighting fixtures is as good a place as any to hide him – just make sure he doesn’t touch the bulbs.
Where have you put your Elf on the Shelf? Let us know in the comments below.
