Holidays
18 Naughty Elf On The Shelf Ideas
You can’t help but laugh.
by Kinsey Gidick
Updated:
Originally Published:
Christmas is just a little over a month away and you know what that means: Time for Elf on the Shelf to make an appearance. A Christmas tradition since 2005, Elf (or Elfie as some kids call him/her) is the work of mother-daughter writing duo Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell and is all about an Elf who comes to check on kids on Santa’s behalf in the lead up to Christmas. Each morning kids find Elfie around the house in various frozen poses. And while these can be silly or simple, say Elfie swinging from the kitchen light fixture or hiding in the cookie jar, some parents choose to go next level with their Elf on the Shelf’s hijinks. Naughty elf on the shelf ideas range from putting elves in just slightly mischievous scenarios (like drawing on a family member’s photo), to situations that are definitely not kid-friendly and probably better suited to prank a roommate or spouse.
Depending on how extra (or in some cases crass) you care to go, the trouble your Elf on the Shelf can get into is only limited to our imagination. Proud Elf orchestrators the internet over have posted their scary, silly, and sometimes unsettling scenes for everyone to enjoy. Want your prank-loving elf to exhibit his or her sense of humor? Try covering the entire toilet in wrapping paper. Prefer to go even more over the top? Have Elfie shave Dad’s head. No joke, these are actual concepts some people came up with. Take a look at these naughty Elf on the Shelf ideas.
1
A Halloween candy bandit
Looks like you have a little bit of competition for your kid’s Halloween candy overflow. Have the elf get caught red handed stealing some sweets from your kid’s trick-or-treating bag. Make sure they’re holding one unwrapped item (for less clean-up, stay away from chocolate), and leave a few empty wrappers around the elf as “evidence” that they were the ones dipping in the candy stash, not you.
2
Elfie vandalizes photos
On the more PG end of bad Elf on the Shelf hijinks, you can have Elfie take part in some mischievous graffiti in your house by drawing on a framed photo of someone. Plus, you can make Elfie’s artwork as light-hearted, goofy, or inappropriate as you want. All you’ll need to carry out this bad Elf behavior is a family photo, picture frame with glass, and a dry erase marker (this last one is key, unless you want to actually ruin a picture frame with permanent marker). Who knows what they’ll draw.
3
Special Elf apple juice
When it comes to naughty Elf ideas, bathroom humor is an immediate go-to. For this one, fill some cups up with pee-colored drinks, such as apple juice or lemonade, and face Elfie toward the mysterious liquids as if they are peeing into the glass. To make it even clearer, consider putting up a cheeky sign like the one AdventElf. Once people are sufficiently grossed out, maybe even offer up some taste tests — here’s to hoping it’s juice...
4
A toilet paper party
Another easy Elf idea, turn to the hijinks of teens for ideas. In this case, that means relying on the good old pastime of TPing. Throw a roll all over a room and put Elf at the bottom clutching the roll. You can do this in your child’s actual bedroom to make them super surprised that the sneaky little imp was able to do this without waking them up. Or take it to a communal space where all the kids can find it at once.
5
A game of spin the bottle
Elves like to play party games from time to time, too! Take things back to middle school with this silly set-up. To execute this Elf on the Shelf shenanigan, set up your festive figures with a few of their friends — such as Bratz, Barbie, and Ken dolls — sitting in a circle with a bottle in the middle. To make the game a bit more kid-friendly, you can always use a soda bottle instead of a wine or beer bottle.
6
Little Elfie drummer boy
Who knew Elf was a rockstar? Turns out that all he needs is a couple over turned pots and pans and some tiny drum sticks and he’s ready to go full Ringo Starr on your household. If you’re feeling even more extra, give him some backup vocals from a couple of Barbie dolls or add in some action figures on guitar and bass. Bonus points to all the parents who write Elfie’s band’s name on the bass drum.
7
Naughty chef Elf
Uh oh. Looks like Elf decided to do a little baking. But boy, that’s not the way most people make Hershey kiss cookies. If poop jokes are allowed in your house, expect this scenario to elicit all kinds of giggles from your kids. Basically Elfie hovers over a cookie as if, well, read between the lines. Is it gross? Sure. Is it funny? Ask a 6-year-old. But beware, they’ll probably also want to eat the cookies for breakfast too.
8
An extra special package
This next naughty Elf on the Shelf antic only works if you have more than one toilet in your house. Lord knows no parent needs to deal with an accident at 6 a.m. in the morning. That said, if you have a back up potty, your kid will be blown away to find that Elfie has wrapped the entire toilet in wrapping paper overnight. In this case, Elfie left a message for its kiddo. Grab a small grease board to make your own note.
9
A sticky Elf scenario
Don’t want to mess with wrapping paper? Grab a couple packs of sticky notes then and go wild. Here, elves took a pack of sticky notes and put them on everything in one family’s play room. We’re talking floor to ceiling sticky note action. In fact, they even wrote a message in notes: “Hi.” For any child that’s on the fence about whether Elf is real, this mega redecorating trick will probably convince them.
10
On a toilet paper roll
Here’s an easy Elf on the Shelf scene you can throw together late at night after your child has fallen asleep. Grab a toilet roll. Put Elf in it. Then fashion it on the stairs as if Elf was caught mid roll. If your child has an upstairs bedroom, waking up to this will have them squealing before the sun comes up. And likely wishing they were small enough to fit inside a TP roll too.
11
A trip to the dark side
As any Star Wars fan will tell you, you don’t want to mess with the Dark Side. Darth Vader does not play. As illustrated here in this hilarious naughty Elf on the Shelf scene in which he’s taken hold of dear Elf and has him levitating in a corner. Will Luke and Leia arrive to save him? You can make that tomorrow’s Elf situation a rescue mission if you want to keep the intergalactic theme going.
12
Elf joins Squid Game
Gotta love a family that incorporates pop culture into Elf on the Shelf’s visit. For one little girl’s birthday, Elf showed up in a Squid Game costume. You know, the super popular show all about contestants who compete in children’s games in order to survive. Perfect kid fodder. It’s the cupcake body suit that really takes this scene to the next level, no?
13
An Elf-endorsed haircut
Really ready to make a statement with Elf this year? Brace yourself. You have to really, really want it. OK, here it is. Have Elf give you or your partner a haircut in the night and have your child find the character holding the hair clippers. Cue: All the screams! What you do with your new hairstyle after the initial reaction is over is up to you, but you’ll kids will have a story to tell their classmates for years.
14
An Elfie rager
Hey, even elves need to let loose now and again. How or what that looks like is up to you. But take some bad Elf on the Shelf inspo from this Twitter user who awoke to find Elf had thrown down the night before: they found “Santa was Here” graffiti on the wall, cups strewn about, and party hats akimbo. Wanna make this more PG? Trade the wine stains for chocolate milk stains. What kid hasn’t returned from an epic birthday party looking just like this. They’ll relate.
15
Nacho Libre Elf
Does your family love wrestling or WWE? Put Elf in the ring to show his skills. You can fashion his own Nacho Libre look with a little bit of fabric for a face mask and cape. Then build a DIY ring out of straws or sticks. Grab one of your children’s action figures to face off again Elf and wait for the sounds of shock and surprise the next day when they uncover the newest title champion.
16
Merry ‘Prankmas’ Elf-style
Thanksgiving is just weeks away and if your Elf has already been released onto your house, why not let him get in on the feast? For this idea, you might need a stunt turkey in order to not let any good birds go to waste. Here, Elfie is caught inside the fowl with the stuffing! You could use a fake turkey to make this happen or even put him inside a cold bird before the big event. Just keep hygiene in mind and clean him up as necessary.
17
Xerox buns
Bun copies! Oh no, Elfie, no. Looks like this bad little elf decided to have some fun with the Xerox machine. But don’t let the boss find those. We don’t know what Santa’s HR policy is, but one imagines it doesn’t include making inappropriate copies of one’s bottom on the clock. This little elf better prepare for a stern talking to and possible leave without pay. For an office laugh, try this naughty elf scene.
Ready to get a little naughty with this year’s Elf antics? Take a cue from these creative people to pack your elvish scenes with a punch.
This article was originally published on
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Regarding the article you mentioned, "18 Naughty Elf On The Shelf Ideas," it seems to be a lighthearted and humorous piece about creative and mischievous ideas for Elf on the Shelf, a Christmas tradition. The article suggests different scenarios and pranks that parents can set up with their Elf on the Shelf to surprise and entertain their children during the holiday season.
Now, let's dive into the concepts used in the article and provide information related to each one.
Elf on the Shelf
Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition that originated in 2005. It involves a small elf doll that is placed in different locations around the house by parents to create the illusion that the elf is watching over the children and reporting back to Santa Claus. The elf is typically moved to a new location every night, and children wake up each morning to find the elf in a different spot. The tradition is meant to encourage good behavior in children during the holiday season, as they believe the elf is watching and reporting to Santa [[1]].
Naughty Elf on the Shelf Ideas
The article suggests various mischievous and humorous ideas for Elf on the Shelf pranks. These ideas range from slightly mischievous scenarios to more elaborate and playful pranks. Some examples mentioned in the article include:
- Halloween candy bandit: The elf is caught stealing Halloween candy from the child's trick-or-treating bag, leaving empty wrappers as evidence [[1]].
- Elfie vandalizes photos: The elf draws on a framed photo with a dry erase marker, creating a mischievous graffiti effect [[2]].
- Special Elf apple juice: The elf is positioned near cups filled with pee-colored drinks, giving the illusion that the elf is peeing into the glass [[3]].
- A toilet paper party: The elf is placed at the bottom of a room covered in toilet paper, mimicking a classic prank known as "TPing" [[4]].
- A game of spin the bottle: The elf is set up with other dolls in a circle, playing a silly game of spin the bottle [[5]].
- Little Elfie drummer boy: The elf is positioned with overturned pots and pans, pretending to be a rockstar drummer [[6]].
- Naughty chef Elf: The elf is depicted hovering over a cookie in a suggestive manner, creating a humorous and slightly gross scenario [[7]].
- An extra special package: The elf wraps an entire toilet in wrapping paper, leaving a message for the child [[8]].
- A sticky Elf scenario: The elf covers a playroom with sticky notes, creating a fun and surprising redecorating trick [[9]].
- On a toilet paper roll: The elf is placed inside a toilet paper roll on the stairs, creating a playful and surprising scene for the child to discover [[10]].
- A trip to the dark side: The elf is positioned levitating in a corner, with a humorous reference to the Dark Side from Star Wars [[11]].
- Elf joins Squid Game: The elf is dressed in a costume inspired by the popular show Squid Game, adding a pop culture twist to the tradition [[12]].
- An Elf-endorsed haircut: The elf is depicted holding hair clippers, suggesting that it gave someone in the household a haircut during the night [[13]].
- An Elfie rager: The elf is shown to have thrown a party, with cups, hats, and graffiti on the wall, creating a playful and messy scene [[14]].
- Nacho Libre Elf: The elf is dressed as a wrestler, with a face mask and cape, engaging in a wrestling match with a child's action figure [[15]].
- Merry 'Prankmas' Elf-style: The elf is positioned inside a turkey with stuffing, adding a humorous twist to the Thanksgiving feast [[16]].
- Xerox buns: The elf is shown making copies of its bottom on a Xerox machine, creating a funny and slightly inappropriate office prank [[17]].
These ideas are meant to inspire creativity and add a playful element to the Elf on the Shelf tradition. Parents can choose to adapt and modify these ideas based on their preferences and the age appropriateness for their children.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts used in the article. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
