DIY Elf on the Shelf Goodbye Letter

I had been trying to prepare and remind Grant that his elf is going to be going "bye-bye" on Christmas Eve.  I have explained that Santa comes and leaves his gifts and takes his special elf back to the North Pole until next year.  He was excited hearing his elf would come back next Christmas season but not too fond of him leaving in the first place.

I put together a goodbye letter from Eli our Elf for Santa to leave for Grant.  He hasn't been one for listening to letters so far but then again he's only 3 and has an attention span of zero most days.  I put the letter with the empty milk and cookies mug and napkin.

I went back and forth on whether to make the letter from the elf or from Santa and opted to make ours from Santa this year since I knew I wouldn't have to create a letterhead or images for it like I would for one from the elf.

I used this Santa letterhead I downloaded and saved to my computer.  Here is the letter I typed up:

Dear Grant,

Your elf, Eli, has been reporting back to me at the North Pole each night since I left him in a special package under your tree. He has been telling me how good you have been. I hope you have had fun finding him each morning, I know he has had fun watching you and finding new places to hide.

Now that it is Christmas, Eli must come back to the North Pole and help me prepare for next year. Remember, your elf will come back to your house next year to watch over you once again, so do not be sad he has to leave now.

Be good and keep listening to your Mama and Daddy.

Merry Christmas, Grant.

Love,
Santa

It is now 2 days past Christmas and I'm still having to explain at least once a day why Eli the Elf had to leave us.  He wasn't as upset as I thought he might be, there were no tears just a sad face that almost made me want to get his little elf out of my computer case and forget the whole thing.  I think Grant actually did listen to the letter from Santa which I was surprised by since every other letter or note I've written he kind of ignores due to the excitement going on around him.  Of course I think his sadness of Eli leaving was alleviated a little by the gifts Santa left.

I'm excited for the elf to come back next year and maybe we can do the no touching rule and have him be a little more active and maybe even a little naughty from time to time.

DIY Elf on the Shelf: The simplicity and joys

Our little elf has brought quite a bit of joy to my little guy.  Who would have thought kids would so look forward to finding a little toy ornament throughout the house.  Every morning when Grant wakes up he immediately starts looking for his elf.  Somehow he misunderstood Santa's letter and thinks that every time he goes to sleep for a nap or at bedtime his elf flies around, rather than just at night when everyone's asleep.  I tried to explain this a few times until I finally decided it wasn't a big deal for me to find places for the elf to sit twice a day. 

My intent was for this elf to leave little messages for Grant and the occasional few pieces of candy.  However I find that Grant really isn't interested in the notes so I gave up on them.  My husband was so sweet and bought a Christmas hot chocolate set (my son loves sharing hot chocolate with me and asks at least every day, sometimes twice a day) and set it under the tree with a note from Eli the elf.  Grant was so elated when he woke up and saw something under the tree, his first words were, "Mama I open it?".  He has just started drinking his hot chocolate out of mugs instead of his sippy cup so he immediately "needed" hot chocolate in his new snowman mug.  He talked about this for days afterward and told everyone he could about his elf bringing him a new hot chocolate mug.

The next day Eli the elf left him 3 Smarties candies and the only problem I encountered with this was after he finished the 3 he wanted more and wouldn't hardly accept my telling him there were no more, and he would have to be extra good and maybe Eli would bring them again another day.

It has amazed me over the last couple weeks how excited Grant gets over his Elf and the simplicity of it all.  I'm definitely not an over achieving mama when it comes to our elf, and we don't follow the same rules as other houses.  Grant gets his elf down from wherever he finds it every day and would be thoroughly upset if we told him he couldn't have him.  He takes him to bed with him every night and won't go to sleep without him.  Where he found the elf that day is the first thing he tells his dad in the morning and after his nap.  It's cute watching his face as he looks around and then finds where Eli is sitting, and it's a challenge at times finding different places for Eli to sit in our small apartment but I know how thrilled Grant will be when he wakes up and that makes it all worth it.

I'm so glad we started this tradition this year and I'm hoping maybe next year we will be able to follow the no touching rule, especially with a new baby crawling around, and maybe our elf will be a little more active since Grant will be 4 and understand things better.

You can go here to find the Elf Arrival letter I used.

Here to see the book I made to go with Grant's Elf.

And here to see it all put together.

DIY Elf on Shelf Update

Every time I read a blog post about someone who has made something for their kids I always wonder how it went over.  Usually when we post things it's right when the new item is presented and of course kids love new things so most of the time it goes well but what about a week or so later? Do the kids still play with that doll you lovingly made? Or wear the shirt you stayed up all night sewing?

When I thought of starting the Elf on the Shelf tradition I had visions of Grant racing down the stairs to find his elf and trying to be on his best behavior because the elf would be watching.  I envisioned reading him the book I spent so much time creating and him being amazed by the magic of it all. 

Fast forward and we are over a week in and I will say Grant still has fun coming downstairs to find his elf, Eli.  He immediately starts looking around and tells Derrick all about where he found him that day.  One thing I could not get him to understand was the reasons for not touching Eli.  He could not grasp the idea that the elf had Christmas magic and if you touched him he would lose it.  This being said the first day when he woke up to find Eli on top of the armoire he immediately said, "I need him".  When I explained once again that we could not touch him he proceeded to cry and just kept repeating, "but I need him, I need my elf".  Of course I couldn't tell him no because after all this is supposed to be something fun for him, so every day when he wakes up and finds him he is allowed to carry him around and play with him.

I have also had to explain numerous times why his elf is not alive.  The first day he woke up and found Eli he was super excited to get him down and after his crying episode I could tell he was a little disappointed when he touched him and the elf was still a doll.  He immediately said, "why he not alive, mama?"  I have had to explain quite a few times why the elf is only alive when he's asleep and why he doesn't get to see him come alive.

Grant is only 3 and I think the typical Elf on the Shelf idea would work better for ages 4 and up.  I think Grant would have been able to understand more if he was a little older.  Maybe next year we will attempt to do the elf on the shelf we don't touch due to his Christmas magic.  As for this year, Grant will just have fun finding him every morning and playing with him until Santa comes to get him Christmas Eve.

DIY Elf on the Shelf Arrival Letter

I thought I'd share the arrival letter I made to go with Grant's Elf on the Shelf I put together.  I realize anyone who wanted to start this tradition this year probably already has everything put together but there's nothing wrong with getting ideas for next year if your little ones still need a year or so before they get their elf. 
When I was searching the internet for all the little things to go with the elf I bought online, the thing that took me the longest was figuring out the wording for the book and arrival letter.  I thought I would save someone else the trouble and give some ideas by sharing mine.

First I downloaded and saved the Santa letterhead to make it look more official (as if a 3 year old would know the difference anyway right?), you can find it here.

Here is what Grant's letter said:

Dear Grant,

I am leaving you a very special early gift this year. Inside this box is one of my elves. I am leaving him to watch over you and report back to me whether you have been naughty or nice. I want you to give this elf a very special name and after you give him a name he will receive his Christmas magic. This magic will make him come alive at night when you are sleeping. He will fly to the North Pole while you sleep and tell me all about your day and your behavior. In the morning he will fly back to your house and find a new place to sit and watch over you. I know you are a good boy and know how to listen to your Mommy and Daddy, so I expect to get good reports back.

There are a couple things I want to let you know about this elf.

-You can not touch him. If you touch him he will lose his Christmas magic and will not be able to fly back to the North Pole.

- He can not talk to you. You can talk to him but he can not talk to you because his job is to listen and watch and report back to Santa.

My special elf will be staying with you until Christmas Eve. I will pick him up when I leave your gifts under your tree and he will return to you again next year before Christmas. Please take good care of him and be on your best behavior.

Then I used a fancy font to sign Santa's name and put "P.S. please read the book I have sent with your elf to learn more about him"

Grant was so excited about opening the box with the elf I don't even know how much of the letter he heard but I thought it was a cute addition and a nice little keepsake.  

 

DIY Elf on the Shelf Book

Since I didn't buy the store made version of Elf on the Shelf I made my own book to go along with the elf I purchased online.  I made a really simple version and printed it on white cardstock, used images I copied and pasted from the internet, and bound it by tying ribbon through the hole punches.

 

I used some of the wording I found from other blogs online and made up the rest myself so I thought I would share what my story actually said, just in case you're trying to come up with a story for your little Elf.

 

Page 1:

You have been chosen to receive your very own special elf. This elf is a scout elf. He will have special Christmas magic and is being sent to help Santa watch over you so he will know if you have been naughty or nice.

Page 2:

 

First you must give this little elf a name. He deserves a very special name because he will be your elf every Christmas season. He may look like a regular doll but the Christmas magic he will have will bring him to life.

Page 3:

 

Once you give him a name he will receive his Christmas magic. This is very special magic. Every night when you are sleeping he will fly back to the North Pole to tell Santa how you have behaved, good or bad, and about all of your adventures.

 

Page 4:

 

Then each morning he will fly back to your house and find a new place to sit and watch all the fun. This is how Santa keeps track of which girls and boys need to be on the naughty or nice list.

 

Page 5:

 

There are some rules that need to be followed with your special elf. First, and this is very important, an elf can not be touched. Christmas magic is very fragile and if an elf is touched he will lose his Christmas magic and won’t be able to fly back to the North Pole.

 

Page 6:

 

Second, an elf can not move or speak while anyone in the house is awake. You can talk to him and he will hear everything you say but he can not speak to you. His job is to watch and listen so he can report back to Santa.

 

Page 7:

 

This special elf will be yours each and every Christmas. He will come to stay with you after Thanksgiving, flying back each night to report to Santa until Christmas Eve. On that special night, while you are sleeping, Santa will come to your house to leave your gifts and bring your elf back to the North Pole until next year.

Page 8:

 

Only very special girls and boys receive a scout elf so take care of him and have fun finding him every morning when he returns from the North Pole.

 

I used Microsoft Works Word document to create Grant's book.  I put the pages on landscape and made them into 2 columns with a line to separate them to use less paper and make a smaller book.  After I printed the pages out I just cut on the center line, put the pages in order, punched 2 holes in the side, and tied ribbon through them.

 

See, no need to pay $29.99 for that store version when you can do it yourself.



 

 



DIY: Elf on the Shelf

Like everyone else who enters a Target I have been bombarded with the super cute Elf on the Shelf boxes.  Now while I think those little Elves are too adorable there is no way I want to pay $29.99 for one, and I also questioned how much I wanted to add one more thing to my plate. 

If you google Elf on the Shelf, you will come across dozens of blogs devoted to this little guy and all his "antics".  Which is one thing I don't understand.  Originally I thought the whole point of the Elf was to tell your kids he is watching them and will report their bad behavior to Santa.  Then when I clicked on a couple of blogs devoted to all the things the Elf does, such as marshmallow fights, I thought "doesn't that defeat the purpose of the Elf.  Not to mention, I sure as heck don't want to clean up messes I created for the sake of this magic Elf. 

I, for one, have no interest in creating loads of extra work for myself during an already busy holiday season.  So I decided if I was going to do this Elf tradition I wanted to keep it simple, no messes, tricks, gifts, and I wanted to do it less expensive than $29.99.

I did what I always do, I googled "elf on shelf" and searched for homemade versions.  None of them really struck my fancy so I decided to look for other bendable Elf ornaments.  I found this website. They were a fairly reasonable price at $7.99 and since I had already shopped around the stores near me finding nothing, this was my last hope.  I figured around $15 (after shipping and handling) was still better than $30.  Plus I thought it might be better if everything was a little different from the store bought and homemade.  Cuz I'm just cool like that, or cheap like that, whichever way you want to take it.  I ordered mine late on a Friday night and it arrived Monday morning, so they were really quick about it, which I loved since I didn't decide to do the Elf on the Shelf until kinda last minute.

I found this blog that had made a Shutterfly book instead of having the book that comes with the store bought Elf on the Shelf.  I considered doing this, then realized I didn't have the time and after shipping costs I would end up spending more with the book and elf  than if I had bought the official version.  So instead I used some of the wording from this book, and improvised the rest creating a unique and one of a kind book for Grant and his elf. 

I found pcitures online for the pages.  I wasn't completely satisfied with them but I did my best and convinced myself Grant wouldn't care.  I printed them onto white cardstock.  I have tons of this and it can be found in 100 page packages at Walmart for around $5.88.  After punching holes in the side I ran some ribbon through to hold the pages together.

I searched all over the web for ideas on adoption certificates, arrival letters, goodbye letters, and everything in between.  I decided to once again make my own in Microsoft Works Word document.
I made an adoption certificate:

And an arrival letter from Santa:

I found the Santa letterhead here and downloaded a Santa Sleigh font from dafont.com.

Since I wanted to forgo the "antics" that some elves do, and I didn't want the Elf to be associated with bringing gifts, I thought our elf would bring some little notes to Grant and occasionally a piece of his favorite candy, Smarties, for very good behavior.  The biggest thing I didn't want to happen with the elf was for it to be associated with bringing lots of gifts or other treasures.  The Christmas season is already so geared toward receiving gifts, I didn't want this to be as well.  Kids enjoy simplicity and that's what I'm going for with mine.

I went back and forth on how the Elf should arrive.  I thought about putting him in a postage box and placing him on the doorstep, telling Grant he had been sent by Santa.  Then I decided to put him in a box, wrap him up, and place him under the tree before any other gifts were put under it.  Inside the box is the elf on red felt, an adoption certificate for after he is named (rolled up and tied with ribbon, placed beside the elf in the box), and a book explaining the Elf and his special magic.

 On the outside of the box, was a tag with Grant's name and a letter from Santa rolled up and attached with ribbon.

I was weary of how the elf would go over, if Grant would actually understand how it all works.  I couldn't get him to stop touching the elf, even after he was named and I told him he would lose his Christmas magic.  I don't think a 3 year old understands that concept, at least mine doesn't.  We decided to name him Eli the elf.  When I asked Grant what he wanted his name to be he said Santa Claus so I had to persuade him that there already was a Santa and our elf needed his own name. 

I actually could have left out the book I made all together because he was so interested in holding and flinging the elf around he had no interest in me reading to him.  However maybe later when the elf starts moving he will want to know more about him.  I'm hoping once we start moving the elf at night and he sends little notes maybe Grant will start to understand why the elf is here.  I guess time will tell on that but I'll keep you informed.  I'm excited to start this tradition and see how it goes.