40 Of The Funniest Elf On The Shelf Epic Fails

From forgetting the elf in the fireplace to setting up the dolls so they look like something from a horror movie, here are some of the most hilarious Elf on the Shelf fails that are too funny not to laugh at.

Kylin

• Published in Christmas
• December 27, 2021

If you haven’t heard of the Elf on the Shelf yet, you may need to get out more. This Christmas tradition was inspired by a children’s book, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, which was published back in 2005. 

Needless to say, their book was wildly successful. It set the tradition of a Christmas elf sent by Santa to watch over children each day, and report back to the North Pole nightly to let Santa know how they behaved, setting up the lore for how Santa knows whether children are naughty or nice.

Since its inception, millions of families have jumped on the Elf on a Shelf bandwagon. Spending nearly a month every year, typically from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, to ignite the spirit and excitement of the upcoming holidays.

This tradition is really exciting for the children involved, finding their elf in new places or in silly predicaments each night. However, it can be challenging for parents, having to come up with creative ideas on top of even remembering to move the dang elf in the first place is harder than you might think.

All parents have the best intentions with their elf creativity, but sometimes our intentions don’t always play out the way we think. Sometimes your cute note in bath paint looks like a threat from a horror movie, or you forget about the poor elf in the oven when you start preheating.

If you haven’t started this tradition yet in your home, but want to, it’s actually quite easy. You purchase the Elf on the Shelf storybook and an elf doll, customize it however you’d like, and then read the book with your kiddos, so everyone understands how the elf works.

Including the most important rule for children to follow: the elf will lose its magic if it is touched by children. So make sure they know not to touch their new Santa helper!

The elf is supposed to come alive after the children fall asleep and create mischief while traveling to and from the North Pole, hence the parents' role of finding new places to set it up each nice. If you want to find out more about the Elf on the Shelf and get an idea of the full story, you can get everything you need on their official website.

With that, we’ve gathered 40 of the funniest Elf on the Shelf failures that parents have shared all over the internet. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and scroll on to enjoy a laugh and maybe make a note of “what not to do” with your elf.

1. Unfortunate Cheeto placement

"I SPRINTED downstairs and threw the Elf on the counter and stuck his hand in a nearby Cheetos bag (of course there is always something left open on the counter 🙄). Then I quickly thought I should drop a few Cheetos nearby because he’s probably a messy eater. I literally tossed them and ran away so Maddox wouldn’t see or hear me. ⁣⁣

I had no idea I gave poor Chestnut a orange Cheeto weeny... until I heard giggles from the kids and found Maddox taking a picture to show his friends. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Is it Christmas yet?! Time to go back to the North Pole, Chestnut!⁣⁣"

2. "Thought it was a good idea at the time" is a very common phrase before something goes wrong

"Woke up in a panic at 530a to do the elf 🤦🏻‍♀️ this idea looked okay at that time. Brandon woke up to find Berry an well Brandon said that’s the creepiest thing his elf has done and he doesn’t like it 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣🤣"

But while some adults take the fun and creative ideas for where to put their Elf at face value, some are not so hot about the practice. Emma Shingleton, a former teacher pointed out that “while your children may 'behave' while Santa's elf is keeping an eye on them, this behaviour isn't guaranteed to continue after the elf leaves for the year.”

Rather than expecting children to “behave” for the entirety of December, Shingleton suggested a friendlier and easier alternative: a helpful elf instead of a naughty elf. One who would help support children in making good decisions.

"Explain to your children that Santa's elf has been sent to homes to help them in the run-up to Christmas. They love to see children spreading kindness and joy, and then make the journey back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa all the lovely things children have been up to," Shingleton advised.

All in all, it just comes down to your choice of what you want to do with your family. While some parents think that Elf on the Shelf is annoying, time-consuming, and training our children for Big Brother Surveillance, others are able to enjoy the tradition as innocent fun.

3. It looks like some sort of alien egg

"Its my daughters birthday, Elf was hiding in a balloon. Which deflated over night and now looks like he is waiting to be born.

The questions from mister 8 this morning are... colourful."

5. Dog Shaming meets Elf on the Shelf

"I Bit The Head Off The Kids Christmas Elf"

6. Today I learned that you can't keep cotton candy out for long periods of time

"Did anyone else know that cotton candy evaporates over night?? 😳😳."

7. Do these not come with a flammable warning?

"Throwback to that time we set our creepy elf on fire last year. OOOPS 😂😂😂 don’t let your elves sit on light fixtures, y’all 😬l"

8. Turns out the gingerbread house wasn't up to code

"They were supposed to be sitting around nibbling on the gingerbread house!! Warning: After a couple days those houses aren't that sturdy!! Think we have an Elf down, somebody call the paramedics!!"

9. It's surprising how often this happens

"It wasn’t long into my outing where I received “the call”... “Babe I feel horrible (insert long awkward pause) I cooked the elves.” To whomever this may help in this elf season BAKE COOKIES NOT ELVES! "

10. Uh, but... surely this couldn't have been the intended result??

"Getting him into a ballon isn’t as easy as it looks 😂🤦🏼‍♀️"

11. Guard cat on duty!

"Intruder Alert!"

12. Oh. Oh, no.

"Yesterday she joined the kids at school with a cute little note that says she wanted to "hang out" with them while they were in class.

During the day, while sitting at the table this was just a super fun way they included her in their learning.

But as I grabbed the mail last night I happened to look in our window on the way back and noticed that when she's backlit, it didn't quite look as cute as intended. 😂"

13. A somber song for this elf

"Poor Ken! Tried to spread a little Christmas cheer at the piano and look what happened."

14. Maybe spin a story about elf wars?

"When your husband thinks sitting on a wall sconce was a good idea.. RIP Chippy"

15. Old dogs will only tolerate so much

"We got a puppy and Jane was pissed for like a month .... I guess this is her way of saying no more new friends 😂 🤦🏼‍♀️.... RIP Rifle"

16. What do animals know about Elf on the Shelf that we don't?

"So clearly the dog feels the same way about Elf on the Shelf as I do! He jumped onto the table, went to town with poor Mr Elf and then left it behind James' curtains and I have spent all afternoon trying to find the damn thing 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️"

17. Even make-believe elves need their rest

"I Was Bound To Miss One Night"

18. Don't worry Barry, it happens to a lot of men.

"Balding Barry... Our Elf’s Hat Came Off So We Decided To Super Glue It To No Avail. Hey, Let’s Use Nail Polish Remover To Get The Glue Off....laughing Hysterically Ever Since!!!"

20. Is... is this a threat?

"Today’s elfscapades seem to have gone a little wrong! She thought someone was dead! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️☠️"

21. Can we all just agree no more ovens for these Elves?

"This Is Doing The Rounds On Fb And Insta.. Poor Elf"

22. Cats don't give a crap about your Elf on the Shelf activities

"Did a cute angel thing for the elf. The cat thought it was litter and did a giant shit on my kitchen side. I’m fucking fuming. My poor kids....what the hell?. We go to find the elf and he’s had a giant shit?"

23. Hopefully Finn is a dog

"Finn attacked Rudolf, our Elf! He was laying on the counter making snow angels 👼 and now he’s head first on the floor! Rudolf now has flour stuck to him from being licked to death by Finn.🤦🏼‍♀️😂"

24. Listen, we parents are doing our best, and that rarely includes having fresh bananas

"Baby boy wakes up and searches for his elf. He finds her and says she drew on the bananas. I asked what she drew and he says "nothing, she just scribbled on them" 🤣 ugh fail!!"

25. Possessed elf!

"ELF ON THE SHELF FAIL! So we decided for “BUDDY” to have some lil zipline action, but used fish wire instead of a noticeable string, SO YEA! Angelito said he seen Buddy FLOATING he is scared of him now hahahaha"

26. Never leave a flame unattended!

"I thought it would be cute for our Elf to roast marshmallows. Thought I was in the clear but NOPE... the marshmallows started on fire. I didnt even realize it until "LO" was just about on fire."

27. A fashionable fix

"Thomas our elf, thought it was a bright idea to hide in the light fixture. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ Thomas is now wearing a scarf for the remainder of his stay 😂"

28. Those Barbie's are a little overdressed for fishing

"Buddy the Elf Fail

I see the scene of them fishing....

Maggie- ummm, daddy? Barbies boobies are falling out??

Me (in my head)- and buddy is defiantly looking down!!

Happy Friday!"

29. Poor Maxi, suffering a mild fate of Elves past

"When daddy puts Maxi (Rowen named him) too close to the light bulb you tell the kids he got frost bite on his way back from the North Pole."

30. Just a little Dirty Dancing

"Daughter Ran Into My Room Screaming “What Is The Elf Doing To My Doll?” Well I Thought They Were Dancing"

31. Seriously, how many Elves face a fiery death each year?

"Well I guess I should have checked to make sure that there wasn't a fucking elf in the fireplace before turning it on."

32. Another Elf lost to the oven

"I seriously forgot I put the freaking elf in the freaking oven "

For those who do participate, it really can be a lot of fun for everyone involved, children and their adults. Especially when something goes awry and you end up with a melty elf and only a couple of hours to figure out an explanation for your ever-curious children.

Help take the edge off a friend who may be struggling with their Elf on the Shelf endeavors and share this with them! A good laugh will definitely help.

33. Always prepare for tape failure

"First picture is what i thought my kids would wake up to. i didn't prepare for the off chance the tape didn't hold. So my children woke up to an elf that drowned in last nights spaghetti pot. We rescued her and now she's wrapped up in our dish drainer trying to get warm. 😂"

34. It appears that no animals like these elves

"#beardeddragon don't like intruders even if there #santaslittlehelper"

35. What was really in that La Croix?

"What we executed and how we found Elfie this morning!"

36. That can be one way to get out of Elf on the Shelf!

"Well....I thought it would be funny. My kids... not so much 😂😂. Both had tears and told the elf they didn’t like her anymore"

37. Nail polish + acetone = ruined paint

"Thanks to Ezra we are in the market for Coco's identical twin. If she visits anyone's home and it's time for her to find another family, we would love to rehome her ... and call her Coco... and pretend she is the actual Coco who just had reconstructive surgery 🤷‍♀️"

38. Note to self: Keep Elf from toilets, light fixtures and open fire.

"Bailey grabbed Elf from his new spot, and disappeared- she was then heard groaning and frustrated in the bathroom.. Michael ran in to find the elf in the loo.

Bailey also needed to poop.. 🤣😆 it was a speedy recovery process so she could use the toilet."

39. Color choices are more important than you'd initially think

"Snow angels in sugar!!"

40. Note to self: Snow spray is NOT safe for wood floors

"Elf On The Shelf Display Goes Horribly Wrong And Stains The Kitchen Floor"

41. Really, he's just doing them a favor

"Elf on the shelf was no match for Booker the Boston!"

42. Reminiscent of Joe Pesci in Home Alone

"We had a tragic circumstance with our Elf on the Shelf, Elfer, lastnight. Full thickness burn to the head with charring. The kids are devastated. He flew away to the Elf Hospital lastnight. We are hoping he pulls through. PSA if your Elf perches atop your chandelier Moms and Dads don't forget and turn on your light 🙄. Don't be a dummy. Better yet you tell your Elf not to ever go near a heat source! "

We adults know that Santa Claus is just make-believe, but there are fond memories of the magic we felt growing up when we thought he was real. And though it’s generally frowned upon to lie to our children, that doesn’t seem to apply to a lot of families during the holiday season.

So, then why is it considered okay to teach our children about a magical man in a red suit that delivers presents via a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer? Author Melinda Wenner Moyer chimed in on this balance of lying to our children, suggesting that the story of Santa and his elf scout may actually benefit our children and their cognitive development.

"Fantastical stories foster a type of imaginative play that sparks creativity, social understanding and even—strange as it may sound—scientific reasoning." According to her, the Santa Claus myth would belong in a “good lie” category, with the assumption that by the time children are old enough to figure out the truth, they’re developmentally able to tell the difference between a good lie and a bad lie, so they probably won't have any hard feelings against their parents. 

"What Kris Kringle does do is feed the imagination. Kids picture him managing his elves at the North Pole, soaring through the sky or squeezing through chimneys," Moyer continued. She shares that participating in pretend play and taking on the role of Rudolph or Mrs. Claus in games "may cultivate a set of skills known as 'theory of mind,' which helps kids predict and understand other people’s behavior."

Kylin