Mischievous hiding spots, twinkling holiday lights, and pure Christmas magic come together in these 21 Elf on the Shelf coloring pages, free for you to download and print. This delightful collection celebrates the beloved holiday tradition, capturing the anticipation and joy of waiting for Santa’s little scout to return each morning!
These pages bring the magic of this festive tradition right to your fingertips, from images of playful scout elves hiding in the Christmas tree to scenes of them writing letters to Santa, getting into silly kitchen mischief, and more!
To begin coloring, just click on any image or link below to view the free PDF. Once open, feel free to download and print to your heart's content.
All pages are designed for US Letter paper but scale flawlessly to A4. Happy coloring!
10 Craft Ideas to do With Elf On The Shelf Coloring Pages
Once those finished coloring pages start piling up, don't throw them away—these easy, affordable crafts use cheap everyday supplies to turn your child's colorful masterpieces into magical holiday keepsakes.
1. Peek-a-Boo Chimney Slider
Cut out your colored Elf and glue him to a sturdy popsicle stick. Next, paint an empty toilet paper roll red and draw black lines on it to look like a brick chimney. Cut a small slit in the bottom of the roll so your kids can slide the popsicle stick up and down, making their Elf magically pop out of the chimney to spy on the room.
2. “Scout Elf in Training” Crown
Measure and cut a thick strip of red construction paper to fit around your child's head, stapling the ends together to make a headband. Carefully cut out the colored Elf's face and iconic pointed hat from the coloring sheet and glue it to the front of the band. Add fluffy white cotton balls along the crown's trim and the tip of the Elf's hat for a fun, wearable 3D accessory.
3. Santa's Naughty-or-Nice Report Holder
Glue your completed coloring page onto a thick sheet of cardboard and trim around the Elf's shape. Use hot glue to attach an empty, green-painted toilet paper tube vertically next to the Elf's hand to act as a scroll holder. Kids can slide handwritten notes, wishes, or daily “good behavior” reports into the tube for their Elf to take back to the North Pole each night.
4. Flying Balloon Elf Gondola
Cut out the full-body colored Elf, glue him to cardstock for stability, and place him inside a small paper cup decorated with holiday stickers. Tie four pieces of yarn from the cup to a helium balloon or a paper lantern hanging from the ceiling. This creates a whimsical 3D decoration that makes it look like your paper Elf is floating right back to Santa's workshop.
5. North Pole Countdown Chain
Glue your cut-out colored Elf to the top of a large piece of poster board. Below him, link together 24 alternating red and green construction paper strips to form a long paper chain. Hang it on the wall and let your kids tear off one link each day of December as the Elf “counts down” his departure on Christmas Eve.
6. “Where's the Elf?” Classroom Map
Perfect for a group activity, have each child color and cut out their own paper Elf. Draw a simple layout of your classroom or home on a large poster board and place sticky hook-and-loop dots (Velcro) on various spots. Kids can take turns hiding their paper Elves on different parts of the map each morning for a fun, interactive search game.
7. Magic North Pole Door Ornament
Build a miniature door by gluing five craft sticks together side-by-side, painting them bright red, and adding a gold bead for a doorknob. Cut out a small head-and-shoulders portrait of your colored Elf and glue him so he is “peeking” through a small window cut into the door. Loop a piece of twine to the back to hang this secret portal on your Christmas tree.
8. “Catch the Scout Elf” Ring Toss
Mount your colored Elf figure onto thick cardboard, cut it out, and glue it upright onto the center of a sturdy paper plate. Have your kids twist pipe cleaners into circular rings. Now they can play an indoor ring-toss game, trying to gently “catch” the elusive Elf before he flies away to report to Santa.
9. Christmas dinner Cutlery Pocket
Cut out the upper body of your colored Elf and paste it onto a pocket shape cut from green felt or construction paper. Glue only the sides and bottom of the pocket to a red cardstock backing, leaving the top open. Slip a fork, spoon, and festive napkin inside so your paper Elf holds the utensils at your child's Christmas Eve dinner setting.
10. North Pole Blizzard Jar
Seal your cut-out paper Elf by wrapping him completely in clear packing tape to make him waterproof, then trim the edges. Glue the bottom of the waterproofed Elf to the inside of a clean mason jar lid using water-resistant glue. Fill the jar with water, a drop of glycerin, and white glitter, then screw the lid on tight to watch your Elf stand inside a swirling winter snowstorm.