It’s that time of the year again- Time for the Elf on The Shelf to come watch over The Complicated House to make sure all the little kiddies are on their best behavior.

To say my son is excited is an understatement at best.

 We started the Elf On The Shelf tradition with our son 2 years ago when he was 3 1/2. At the time it wasn’t as popular as it is now.

Now its every where you look.

Everyone has an elf.

And when more people have elves, more people get creative… and when more people get creative with their elves… well, it makes you step up your game.

Which is why I posted this calling for Elf On The Shelf Ideas last year.

To date. This is my most popular post.

I know. You are shocked with all of the top-quality content on this blog. But it’s true. Even with all of the deep political issues I address, tackling issues that affect the future of our children, still … Elf On the Shelf remains my most popular post…. even in mid-May.

I received some great ideas from my readers last year that we used with our Elf (cleverly named “Elf THE shelf” by my then 3 yr old). So I thought I would compose a list of some of the ideas shared as well as some that I came up with myself… because sometimes it can be challenging thinking of fun new ways to hide your elf…25+ times.

15 Fun Ways To Hide Your Elf On the Shelf

1- Flying Gift Giving Elf: Hang your Elf from a fan in your house. Print out Elf On The Shelf Printable Gift Tags and scatter them about on the floor for your child to color and tag his/her own gifts.

2- Chef Elf: Place your Elf by your spice rack with wooden spoon in hand and “floured- up” bowl. Next to the bowl leave a ziplock bag labeled “Reindeer Food”. You can find the recipe for Reindeer Food here. Your children can use this to sprinkle outside your home on Christmas eve.

3- Underwear Bandit Elf: Place your Elf in your Christmas Tree and scatter your child’s underwear and socks on the tree and on the floor. (My son got a kick out of this one)

4- Just Back From the North Pole Elf : Seat your Elf on a window ledge and sprinkle him (and around him) with bits of “Coconut” to give the effect of snow brought back from the north pole. Optional gift add-on: You can purchase this “instant snow” kit for fun.

5- Couch Potato Elf: Place your Elf in your living room with a remote control near him and little bits of popcorn & glitter in a paper cupcake liner. If your local station is showing a Christmas Cartoon that night you can print out a picture of that movie and leave it nearby or leave out your child’s favorite Christmas DVD.

6- Just “Elfing Around” Elf: Hang your elf from a curtain rod. Using a roll of toilet paper toilet paper the room leaving one end in the Elf’s hands. (Another favorite Elf trick my son loved)

7- Picasso Elf: Sit the Elf on a shelf with a marker in his hands. Using dry-erase markers, draw funny faces on family pictures you have displayed in your home, make them hang lopsided, turn some around or upside down. Optional gift add-on: Leave your child a package of window markers to decorate the windows in your house. Crayola has a great line of window markers that usually retail for around $6.

8- Sweet Elf: Hang candy canes on your light fixtures and place the elf near one (maybe hanging from one?) with a candy cane in his arms too.

9- Kissable Elf: Hand your Elf in a doorway with your mistletoe. Leave Hershey Kisses scattered on the floor.

10- Game Time Elf: Take out your child’s favorite board game and place the Elf sitting with 2 or 3 of your child’s other favorite toys as if they were playing the game at night. (Think Toy Story with Andy’s Toys)

11- Bookworm Elf: Leave your elf under your tree or on a table with a favorite Christmas book opened. You could surround him by other stuffed animals and toys to make it look like he was reading to the other toys.

12- Marshmallow-fellow Elf: Make your elf appear to be roasting marshmallows by seating your elf next to your stove or in the kitchen next to a small tea light candle. Take a small stick from outside place a mini marshmallow on the end of it and place the stick in your elfs arms. Scatter some marshmellows around the Elf. Optional gift add on: Leave the makings of S’mores, packages of hot cocoa or a gingerbread house next to your elf as a small gift for your child.

13- Stocking Stuffer Elf: Place your Elf in your child’s stocking with some Christmas coloring pages peeking out family members stockings.

14- Shoe Sleding Elf: Hide your elf in your child’s shoe holding on to the shoe laces like Santa holds the reins on his sleigh. Place the shoe by an outside door, window or chimney.

15- Big Brother Elf: Get a felt Elf hat and write your child’s name on it in glitter. You can find a felt elf hat at Oriental Trading or at your local dollar store (this is where we found ours). Place your Elf hanging from your coat rack with the hat hanging up on a hook too. If you don’t have a coat rack, you can leave out coat or sweat shirt near your door with your Elf peeking out of one sleeve and the hat peeking out of the other.

Want more ideas? Check out our app- available now for iPhone in the iTunes App store.