It is almost Christmas, and if you have a little one in the house it is time to get your Elf on the Shelf ready!

This easy elf on the shelf paper plate craft is a great way to get the kids excited about the return of their elf.

Whether this is the first time you’re bringing an elf into the home or it’s your family’s tradition, we know they’ll love this simple activity.

It’s a great opportunity to let the kids’ creativity take over, plus it also helps kids with scissor practice and following directions!

Download the free template and do this fun project as a family. Also, be sure to check out all of our fun elf on the shelf crafts for more holiday ideas!

Elf on the Shelf Craft Idea

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Supplies

• Paper plates
• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Paintbrush
• Paint
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Tape (optional)
• Markers
• Elf template (click the “click here to get this freebie” image at the end to open the form)

Directions

Start by downloading the elf template and printing it out. Once you have the template printed, gather the materials needed for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this elf to life!

First, guide your child to paint the paper plate into 1-2 thin coats of skin colored paint. Let it dry completely before moving on.

Take the hair and glue it to the top of the paper plate.

Next, help your child to position the eyes in the middle of the head and glue them in place. Use a black marker to draw on the eyelashes and the eyebrows.

Place the nose in the middle of the elf’s face, just below the eyes, and glue it in place.

Glue the cheeks below the eyes on both sides of the face. If you’re making a girl elf, glue the lips below the nose. Take the black marker and draw a smile between the cheeks.

Position the ears on each side of the paper plate, right near the bottom of the hair, and glue them in place.

Flip the paper plate over and tape the elf’s collar to the bottom of the paper plate. You can also use glue, but we find it’s much harder for it to stay in place with glue.

Create the elf’s hat by gluing the white fluff to the bottom of the hat.

Finally, encourage your child to glue the hat to the elf’s hair.

Now your child has an elf on the shelf they’ll proudly display! We think kids will also love these Christmas crafts!

Related: No Prep Elf On The Shelf Ideas

Christmas Unit For Kids

Keep the fun and learning going by creating a Christmas unit study around this cute elf on the shelf! We’ve got so many fun ideas to explore, and your children will love diving into all the Christmas-themed activities.

Read on below for some fun DIYs and activities to enjoy with your little elves this holiday season!

Kids’ Books About Christmas

We recommend beginning any new theme with books! Reading to your kids is the perfect way to help them develop a love of reading and improve their vocabulary.

Below are some of the top Christmas books to read to your kids!

Dasher: This wonderfully illustrated Christmas book for kids gives you the back story on one of Santa’s favorite reindeer, Dasher! Girls will especially love to read this since Dasher is a girl.

Construction Site On Christmas Night: Fans of the fun characters of the construction site books have to add this Christmas-themed story to their collection. See how the trucks get ready for Christmas!

How To Catch An Elf: Kids everywhere love the silliness of this Christmas story. The rhymes and the illustrations will draw the kids in as well. This is a Christmas book kids will want to read every year!

Kids’ Christmas Crafts

Creating something new is an activity we always encourage. Besides being fun, it can give kids the opportunity to refine their fine motor and scissors skills, learn to follow directions, and be a creative outlet. Below are some of our favorite Christmas DIYs:

Simple Elf On The Shelf Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Reindeer Craftivity – Who doesn’t love Rudolph and his shiny red nose? This reindeer craftivity is a great way for kids to get into the holiday spirit. Not only will they get to make a cute reindeer, but they’ll also get to write about what they would do if they were one of Santa’s reindeer.

Will they fly around the world delivering presents? Or will they stay up at the North Pole and help Santa with his workshop? Either way, it’s sure to be a fun and educational activity for everyone involved.

Grinch Tissue Paper Craft – This Grinch project for kids is the perfect activity for a Christmas party! It’s easy to make, and it’s so much fun to see the final product. The best part about this activity is that it doesn’t require any special materials – all you need is some tissue paper, glue, and a few other household items.

Popsicle Stick Santa Craft – These jolly little Santa Clauses are so much fun to make, and they make great Christmas decorations! To turn them into magnets, just add a magnet to the back. Or, if you want to hang them on the tree, just add a loop of string. Kids can also give these to friends and family as gifts – they’re the perfect way to say Merry Christmas!

Grinch Gingerbread Man Craft – This Christmas, have some fun with your gingerbread man before he gets eaten! With a few simple supplies, you can transform your gingerbread man into a grumpy old Grinch. Once your kids are finished, your Grinchy gingerbread man will be all set to steal Christmas!

Christmas Activities For Kids

Want a quick and easy Christmas activity that’s perfect for kids? These Christmas pattern block mats are the answer! This is an easy, no-prep activity. The mats can be used to help with fine motor skills or learning shapes in addition to being fun.

This free printable roll a reindeer game is a fun way to teach kids the importance of taking turns. It’s for preschoolers and kindergarten children this Christmas season! Just print, grab your pom-poms and dice, and you’re set!

These Christmas do a dot printables are perfect for young kids of all ages! They help kids work on fine motor skills, number recognition, and letter learning in the process. This fun activity is a great way to keep kids entertained and learning during the holiday season. 

Elf On The Shelf Gingerbread Man Disguise

It’s all about the Grinch this year! These free printable Grinch worksheets will help your kids recognize the letter G and give them some practice with their scissor skills. They’ll also get to work on handwriting, which they can do by tracing over uppercase and lowercase letters G.

Share With Us

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

Elf on the Shelf Craft Template