A Month of {Fantastic} Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Printables

Our Elf on the Shelf is a treasured part of our Christmas celebrations.  "Elfie" has been visiting us for many years, and my boys love the excitement he adds to our home during the holidays. Today, I am sharing an entire month of easy and fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas.  I have also included links to more information and many free printables.

Before the elf arrives - Santa sends a letter letting the kids know that the Elf is coming soon.

And.... plan for the month ahead by printing a calendar of these Elf on the Shelf activities.  You can download and print one (for free)... here.


December 1 - Elf on the Shelf brings a "Welcome Breakfast". (Click on the link for the free printables.)

Or, he can just arrive in a cereal box!

December 2 - The Elf on the Shelf wraps books and movies for a countdown to Christmas.

December 3 - Elf on the Shelf gets his own key.

**Elf on the Shelf can also bring other magical items like: a magic elf glove or magic elf dust.**

December 4 - Elf on the Shelf draws a self portrait or builds an Igloo.

December 5 - Elf on the Shelf brings donuts.

December 6 - Elf on the Shelf hides in the light fixture (far away from the bulb that could burn him/her) or he covers all the family photos with pictures of himself.

December 7 - Elf on the shelf brings a candy cane scavenger hunt.

December 8 - Elf on the Shelf hides in a Christmas wreath or Elf on the Shelf makes a sugary shopping list.

December 9 - Elf on the Shelf brings a gingerbread house for the kids to build and decorate.

December 10 - Elf on the Shelf brings hot chocolate from the North Pole.

December 11 - Elf on the Shelf takes a nap in a tissue box or in the butter compartment of the fridge.

December 12 - Elf on the Shelf brings "Elf Kisses" or he could build his own Elf on the Shelf Kissing Booth.

December 13 - Elf on the Shelf plays with blocks or Star Wars toys.

December 14 - Elf on the Shelf brings "North Pole Treats".

Or he could host his own Elf on the Shelf bake sale for charity.

December 15 - Elf on the Shelf builds a chair out of LEGO.

December 16 - Elf on the Shelf brings supplies to decorate "sugar cone trees".

December 17 - Elf on the Shelf brings a letter from Santa, or he lets you know that Santa has sent you a special video message.

December 18 - Elf on the Shelf takes a marshmallow bath or plays in a bubble gum ball pit.

December 19 - Elf on the Shelf makes snowman donuts from mini donuts, mini chocolate chips and candy corn.

Or he makes a "sweet" spaghetti breakfast.

December 20 - Elf on the Shelf hides in the Christmas tree.

December 21 - Elf on the Shelf hangs from the cupboard doors.

December 22 - Elf on the Shelf brings a Christmas movie.

December 23 - Elf on the Shelf builds a snowman out of marshmallows or toilet paper, and brings a tiny note answering questions the kids have been asking about him.

December 24 - Elf on the Shelf brings magic "Elf Seeds". (This one is my favourites!)

He can also bring seeds for a candy cane garden. You can get the free printable tags for the seeds here.

December 25 - Elf on the Shelf leaves a good bye note and a special movie.

Or he can write a goodbye message with spray snow.

I hope you try some of these ideas with your little ones, and you if you have some other fun ideas, I'd love to hear about them.  Feel free to share some of your Elf on the Shelf adventures in the comments below.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you are looking for some more Elf on the Shelf inspiration, you can check out my Pinterest board here.)

Pool Noodle Witch Legs

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love DIY crafts using supplies from the dollar store, and Halloween is the perfect time time for dollar store inspired projects. Yesterday, I made these pool noodle witch legs, and I am super-happy with how they turned out.

Aren't they cute?  To make your own set of pool noodle witch legs:

1)  Cut a pool noodle in half and pull a dollar store sock onto each noodle.
2)  Glue a witch's shoe to the foot end of each sock. (I found these ones at the dollar store.)
3)  Put some floral foam in the bottom of a "dollar store caldron", and then stick two wooden skewers or dowels into the foam.
4)  Stick the open end of the pool noodles over the dowels.
5)  Use tissue paper to hide the foam.
6)  Add a dollar store sign (if desired).

I love how simple this DIY Halloween decor project was... and it looks adorable in my hallway.  What do you think of my pool noodle witch legs?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find OVER 50 MORE easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Eyeball Cake

I wanted to make my boys a fun Halloween cake.  So today, I baked my own version of one I saw at The Joy of Boys (which you can find here).  I think my boys are going to love this simple eyeball cake, don't you?

To make the eyeball cake:

1)  I started with a cake mix that I prepared according the directions on the box.  Then, I bake the cake for 70 minutes (at 350 degrees) in a greased, oven-safe glass mixing bowl.  (I would check it after 45 minutes, and then increase the cooking time by increments of 10 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean.)

2)  I let the cake cool, and then I frosted it with pre-made white icing.

3)  I added a little blue food coloring to some of the white icing, and used it to make the colored part of the eyeball.

4)  I used a tube of black decorating gel to make the pupil of the eyeball.

5)  I finished by adding some "veins and blood" with red decorating gel.

Didn't it turn out cute?  It was easy to make, and I think it is a perfect Halloween dessert for my three little boys.  Do you have a little one that would enjoy this adorable eyeball cake?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Peter Pan Costume

My oldest son decided that he wanted to be Peter Pan this year for Halloween, so today, I am sharing the tutorial for his DIY Peter Pan Costume.

Didn't it turn out cute?  I started by making a Peter Pan tunic out of a green t-shirt from the dollar store.  I used tape to mark where I wanted to cut, and then I cut zig zags from the sleeves and bottom of the shirt.  Then, I cut a slit for the collar and pinned it down.

I also cut zig zags out of the bottom of a pair of green shorts I found on the clearance rack at Walmart.  

I couldn't find green tights for under the shorts, so I bought a white pair from the dollar store, and I dyed them with food coloring and green kool aid.  I boiled them on top of the stove, stirred them around, removed them from the heat, rinsed them with cold water, and hung them to dry.

Then, I made a simple hat from green felt, and I added a red feather with hot glue.  {I hand-stitched mine, but fabric glue would work well if you want a no-sew version.}

To finish the look, I added a brown belt from the dollar store and a sword from our dress up box.

My 8 year old is very pleased with his Halloween costume, and I like that it was easy and inexpensive to make.  What do you think of our DIY Peter Pan costume?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE no-sew costume ideas here.)

5 Non-Food Halloween Treat Ideas

Halloween always comes with an avalanche of chocolate and candy, so I always love finding fantastic "candy free" treat options for my boys to give to their friends.  Today, I am sharing 5 spooktacular non-food Halloween treat ideas that are easy, inexpensive, and 100% sugar free.

1) Halloween play dough kit - This adorable treat includes a package of orange Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for homemade Halloween play dough.  Click here to download the free printable playdough recipe gift tag.

2) Mazes - This little "maze" game is inexpensive and sure to be a hit with little ones.  You can download the "I think you are an a'MAZING' friend" free printable gift tag here. 

3) Googly eye glasses - These silly glasses are sure to make little ones giggle.  You can download the free "'Eye' am lucky to have a friend like you" bag toppers here.

4) Pictures with pencils or little toys - Add a personal touch by attaching little gifts to photos.  You can find all the "how to" details here.

5) Tic Tac Toe game - This tic tac toe board is definitely more "treat" than "trick".  You can download the tic tac toe boards {for free} here. 

Aren't these great alternatives to Halloween candy?  I bet you have some fabulous ideas too.  I'd love to have you share some of your favorites in the comments.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Candy Free Halloween Treat {play dough}

I love a fun candy free Halloween Treat, and today I am sharing a really simple and adorable idea that would be perfect for a child to share with his/her classmates.  How cute are these "make your own Halloween play dough" kits?

Each inexpensive kit includes a package of Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for play dough.  Fun, right?

You can download the 4X6 copy of my favorite play dough recipe here.  Just right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.  With one hour photo processing, this makes a fantastic last minute class treat.

Do you think your little ones would have fun sharing this candy free Halloween treat?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Printable Halloween Tic Tac Toe {candy free treat}

Candy is an inevitable part of Halloween, but it is always nice to have some candy free options for kids to share with their friends.  This year, I designed an adorable free printable Halloween Tic Tac Toe board.

Isn't it adorable?  You can print the boards for free and use buttons or coins to play the game.

This printable is set up to print like an 8X10 photo (with two game boards per sheet).  To print your own copies, right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print like a regular photo.

I sent a bunch of these cards to Staples (our local office supply store) for printing.  I printed them on cardstock, and they look really great.

These are a fantastic candy free option for class treats or Halloween parties, don't you think? No need to worry about allergies with these fun Halloween Tic Tac Toe boards!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Ninja Costume

This year, for Halloween, my 7 year old son decided that he wanted to be the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago.  So... I researched what "Zane" looked like, and this is the DIY Costume I came up with.

Isn't it cute?  It cost me less than $10 to make, and I love how it turned out.  It was pretty simple to make too.  I did a tiny bit of sewing, but you could easily use fabric glue for a completely "no sew" version.

To make the shirt:

1) Start with a plain long sleeve t-shirt.  I found this one at Walmart (on clearance) for $1.  I bought a few sizes too big so that my son can wear warm clothes under it when he goes trick-or-treating.

2) Cut a "V" shape from felt and secure it to the top of the shirt with fabric glue or stitching.

3) Braid dollar store shoe laces together to create a rope, and use safety pins to secure it to the shirt.

4) Cut a belt from grey felt.

5) Draw a lion face on a piece of yellow craft foam, cut it out, and use hot glue to secure it to the rope.

6) Use a black Sharpie to draw the remaining details on the shirt.

To make the hood (which was inspired by a tutorial I found at Creative Mama on a Dime):

1)  Start with a plain white turtleneck.  I found this one (on clearance) at Walmart for $1.

2)  Pull the turtleneck over the child's head until it is covering his/her ears and nose.

3)  Pull the back of the shirt up over the child's forehead.

4)  Tie the arms around the back of the head.

5)  Adjust the hood until it has the desired look.

Simple, right?  I added a pair of women's leggings (that I found on clearance for $5) and a pair of black gloves from the dollar store.

I am so pleased with this easy and inexpensive DIY Ninja Costume, and my 7 year old loves it too.  Do you have a LEGO Ninjago fan in your house?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Halloween Mason Jar Candles

When it comes to Halloween, my boys are easily spooked.  So, when it comes to Halloween decor, we prefer cute rather than scary.  This year, we made three adorable Halloween mason jar candles.

Today I am sharing the full tutorial for these adorable mason jar candles over at CBC Parents.  Click {here} for all the fun DIY details.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Mummy Door

We love decorating the door in our entryway.  It's a small project that has a big impact.  For Christmas, we turned our door into a snowman,  and for Easter, we transformed it into a bunny.  So... for Halloween we decided to create a Mummy Door!

It's such a simple idea, but I just love how it turned out... and my boys think it is hilarious.

To make a Mummy Door, you'll need white and black card stock, four rolls of white streamers, lots of double sided tape, and painter's tape.  

Cover the door by taking the streamers from one side to the other and securing every time with double sided tape.  Then, when the door is completely covered, reinforce the edges by running painter's tape along all the outside edges of the door.

Finish the door by adding eyes made from white and black card stock.  Make sure to put a little of the eyes under the streamers to add depth.

Isn't it cute?  We love our Mummy Door, and we can't wait for our trick-or-treaters to see it.  Happy Halloween!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Boo Your Neighbours {free printable}

Every year, we "boo" our neighbours, and every year I try to come up with new {adorable} printables to go with our treats.  If you aren't familiar with "booing", here's how it works... you wait until after dark, sneak up to your neighbours' houses, and try and leave treats without getting caught.  "Booing" is a favorite Halloween tradition in our house.

To print a copy of the "booing" printables I designed, right click on the pictures below, save them to your computer, and print them like normal 8X10 photos.  I sent mine to Staples (our local copy store), and printed them for $.39 each.

Aren't they cute?  Our treat packages are ready to go, and my boys can't wait to sneak around and "boo" the neighbours.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)