The most magical time of the year is almost here, and we can’t help but feel the excitement in the air. Christmas brings with it a sense of wonder and joy, especially for little ones. To keep them engaged and spread some holiday cheer, we have a cute craft to make with them!

Kids will create their very own elf photo craft with a special twist: their picture becomes the elf’s face! This personalized touch makes this project a cherished holiday keepsake.

Create a little holiday magic with more elf activities for kids. Be sure to check them out to see all the fun you can have with Santa’s helpers!

Make A Paper Elf

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To get started with this fun craft, you’ll need a few simple supplies that you likely already have at home. We’ll also provide a free template to make the process super easy. And of course, don’t forget to have a recent photo of your little one ready to bring their elf to life!  

Supplies

• Photo of your child
• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Snowflake stickers or markers (optional)
• Elf template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to get the template)

Directions

Download the elf template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.

Begin by gluing the hair to your child’s picture using glue.

Attach the child’s picture to the front and bottom of the hat using glue.

Place the collar at the top of the body and glue it down.

Glue the child’s head onto the body.

Attach the hands to the arms with glue.

Position the arms on both sides of the body and glue them to the back.

Attach the elf photo to the colored paper.

Finish up by decorating the background with stickers or gel markers.

Now your kids can display their cute Photo Elf craft. Be sure to check out our Christmas craft for more fun!

Christmas Themed Ideas

The holiday season offers a perfect opportunity to combine creativity with learning, and we’ve got a treasure trove of Christmas themed ideas for kids that you won’t want to miss. From delightful crafts to engaging educational activities, there’s something for every child’s interest and skill level. Read on below for a selection of ideas that will keep your kids both learning and having fun throughout the holiday season.

Christmas Children’s Books

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 Crafts for Children

Paper Plate Grinch Craft – Transform an ordinary paper plate into a mischievous Grinch with paint, paper, glue, and a dash of creativity. Bring the Grinch to life with a craft that kids of all ages will love!

Gingerbread Man Paper Bag Puppet Craft – Kids can create their own gingerbread man with this fun craft! With a simple paper bag and a few supplies, your little ones will be able to tell sweet tales in no time with their new puppet!

Santa Paper Plate Craft – This interactive craft will be such a hit with the kids. They’ll transform an everyday paper plate into the backdrop of a peek-a-boo Santa craft! Kids will love getting to play with this project once they’re all done!

Recycled Christmas Tree Craft – Make Christmas extra special with a fun craft that recycles items you already have! It’s an affordable way to have fun and get creative.

Kids will love painting their trees made out of cardboard and then adorning them with ornaments made from buttons or pom poms!

Christmas Activities for Kids

Extend the magic of story time and dive into our How to Catch Santa worksheets for lots of fun and learning. These companion worksheets complement the holiday book with some fun, hands-on learning. Included are 4 worksheets and flashcards featuring illustrations from the book.

They’re a great way to boost your child’s fine motor skills, learn to solve patterns, enrich their vocabulary, and recognize the letter C while having a jolly good time.

Add a dash of festive learning to the holiday season with these Christmas do a dot printables! Kids can use their dot markers and choose from a variety of Christmas themed pictures to color in, review ABCs, learn counting basics, and recognize patterns with holiday objects.

They’re great for preschool through kindergarten aged children. Print them all out and let kids do as many as they want throughout the holiday season!

Reindeer fun and festive learning awaits with our free printable reindeer worksheets. These activities are perfect to use at home or the classroom, and add a touch of holiday joy to your child’s education.

They’ll enhance letter recognition, practice handwriting, and sharpen their scissor skills with these pages that include an ‘R is for Reindeer’ handwriting page, letter R maze, and a ‘label a reindeer’ page.

Get ready to embark on a jolly adventure with Pete the Cat and continue the magic of the holiday book with these Pete the Cat Saves Christmas printables! Designed especially for preschoolers, this pack is full of colorful and engaging activities.

You’ll find fun and festive activities like color by numbers, dot to dots, and line tracing. Whether they’re used in the classroom or at home, these activities will make the holidays merry and bright, so join Pete the Cat as he saves Christmas!

Share With Us

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

For a chance to have your child’s craft 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!

More Winter Fun

Elf Photo Craft Template