If there’s someone who gets less credit than they deserve during the Christmas season it’s Santa’s elves! All that tireless year-round work making toys while Santa is the one all the boys and girls want to see.

We’re changing that up today with this special elf paper bag craft for kids! There’s not a Santa in sight here. Just let the kids make a fun and festive Christmas elf.

Read on below to see how to make this simple paper bag craft with your kids or students. Also, check out all of our elf crafts for kids for even more Christmas ideas.

Brown Paper Bag Elf Craft

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One of my favorite things about making paper bag crafts is how few supplies you need and how cheap they are to make! All you need is some paper, glue and in this case, some pom poms.

We like to use colored card stock because it’s more vibrant and sturdy than construction paper. But if all you have is construction paper, don’t let that stop you. It’ll look just fine with that as well!

Supplies

• Brown paper bag
• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Green pom poms
• Elf puppet template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you)

Directions

Download the free printable elf template, print out the pieces, and cut them out.

Glue the elf’s face to the top flap of the paper bag.

Glue the hair to the top of the elf’s head.

Take the pink nose and glue it between the eyes.

Glue the ears to the back of the paper bag, on either side of the flap.

Measure out the bottom space of your paper bag (ours was 5″x7.75″) and cut out a rectangle from the red card stock. Glue this onto the paper bag.

Glue the elf collar just below the paper bag flap.

Finish off the elf outfit by gluing three green pom poms in a column on the red rectangle.

Assemble the elf’s hat by gluing the green hat bottom to the bottom of the hat.

Glue the bell to the tip of the elf’s hat.

Position the completed elf’s hat on the top of the paper bag.

That’s all there is to this festive Christmas craft!

Adapting For Young Children

If you want to do this elf puppet craft with little kids, like toddlers and young preschoolers, we have a few suggestions.

First, have all the pieces cut out ahead of time and ready for gluing on. Since your little ones’ attention span isn’t as long you want to be sure you have everything set to get started right away.

You can also simply the craft by leaving off the hair, the hat trim, and the shirt trimming. It won’t have all the details, but it’ll still look cute and complete.

Instead of using the green pom poms let the kids draw on the buttons with markers and you’ve got yourself an even simpler craft to make with the little kiddos!

Christmas Ideas For Kids

It’s that time of year again! The Christmas season is upon us, and that means it’s time to start thinking about how to keep the kids entertained. We’re sharing our favorite ways to do just that!

From Christmas crafts to books, learning ideas and more the options are endless. So whatever you do this Christmas season, make sure to include the kids and watch as they light up with excitement!

Children’s Christmas Books

While Santa Claus, elves, and reindeer may be the stars of Christmas, parents play an important role in the holiday season as well. One of the best ways to get kids into the Christmas spirit is by reading them festive stories.

By taking some time out of your busy schedules to curl up with your children and read Christmas stories, you can create cherished memories that will last a lifetime. In addition, reading aloud helps to develop kids’ language skills and encourages them to use their imaginations.

So this holiday season, take some time to cuddle up with your little ones and enjoy a Christmas story or two. It’s sure to bring some extra warmth and cheer to your home.

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!

Christmas Craft Ideas For Kids

Elves may get all the credit for crafting, but Christmas crafts are a great way for kids to get into the holiday spirit! Not only is crafting a fun and festive activity, but it also helps kids to develop important skills like fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and creative thinking. Try making some of these cute ideas:

Elf On The Shelf Gingerbread Man Disguise – The holidays are a time for family, friends, and gingerbread men. But sometimes those gingerbread men can be hard to keep from being eaten during the Christmas season! One way to make sure your gingerbread man stays safe is to disguise him as an elf on the shelf. With this simple craft, you can turn your gingerbread man into an elf in no time.

Santa Handprint Craft – One of our favorite projects is this Santa craft. It’s simple to make and only requires a few supplies that you probably already have around the house. Plus, there’s no messy paint involved! Just follow the instructions below and you’ll have a cute Santa keepsake in no time.

Toilet Paper Roll Grinch Craft – This recycled craft is not only easy and inexpensive, but it’s also sure to get a laugh. Just grab some toilet paper rolls, paper, pom poms, and glue! It’s the perfect activity for a rainy day – or any day!

Reindeer Headband Craft – These reindeer headbands are the perfect way to get your little ones into the holiday spirit! And the best part is that they’re super easy to make. Just print out our free template, follow the directions, and your kids are good to go! They’ll have so much fun running around pretending to be Rudolph and his friends.

Christmas Activities For Kids

The Grinch is a classic Christmas story that kids love. And what’s not to love? That’s why we’ve put together a set of Grinch worksheets that are perfect for helping kids practice their scissor skills, letter recognition, and handwriting. These worksheets are sure to get your kids into the holiday spirit while also giving them a chance to work on important skills.

With Christmas just around the corner, what better way to get your little ones into the spirit of the season than with some festive Santa do a dot printables? Not only are they great fun for kids, but they’re also educational too! Simply print out the sheets and let your little ones get creative, dotting away to their heart’s content.

These free gingerbread man color by number printables are perfect! Just print them out and let your kids have fun finding all the right colors to fill in the gingerbread men. They’ll love seeing their finished creations come to life. And you’ll love having a few minutes of peace while they’re occupied!

Christmas Fun

• Grab this custom Santa sack to stuff your kids’ presents in for Christmas!
• This felt Christmas tree will keep the kids busy rearranging their tree instead of yours!
• Get one of these personalized gingerbread man ornaments for each of your kids.

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 Puppet Template