Setting up the elf door is basically dollhouse play for grown-ups. Sticking the door to the wall takes a minute. But add a mailbox, a lantern and a tiny doormat, and suddenly it's the first place your kids run to every morning.
The good news: you don't have to build everything on day one. In fact, an elf home that grows piece by piece is far more exciting.
Choosing the best spot for your elf door
There's no perfect place, but a few questions help.
Good spots
- A hallway or living room baseboard: The classic. Easy to see, and kids pass by every day.
- Next to a child's bedroom: Great if the elf is mainly there for one kid.
- Under the stairs or in a nook: Feels mysterious and keeps the decorations safe.
- On a sideboard or shelf: If you have a crawling baby or pets, higher is usually better.
Spots to avoid
- In the middle of a walkway: Things get kicked over, and it's a trip hazard.
- Right next to a radiator or heating vent: Paper curls, tape lets go.
- By the front door: Drafts, shoes, grocery bags – too much traffic for an elf.
- Inside the kids' room: It works, but setting up pranks at night without waking anyone is tough.
The question that matters most in the long run: can you reach it in the evening without waking anybody up?
Elf door accessories: your checklist
These are the things that turn a door into a home. Lots of them are available as printable paper crafts – color, cut, fold, done.
The basics
- Mailbox for letters from your kids: Mailbox
- Doormat made from felt or a fabric scrap
- Name sign above the door – included in the Arrival set
- Lantern by the entrance: Lantern (put an LED tea light behind it and it really glows)
- Tiny Christmas tree: Christmas Tree
Furniture, inside and out
- Bed for sleepy elf days: Bed
- Table and chairs for elf breakfast and visitors: Table and Chairs
- Bench outside the door: Bench
- Wardrobe for spare hats and socks: Wardrobe
- Garden fence to frame the whole scene: Garden Fence
For special days
- Suitcase for arrival and departure: Suitcase
- Signpost pointing to the North Pole: Signpost
- Snowman for a wintry touch: Snowman
Every template is collected in our Elf Papercraft Props. Want a whole themed world – post office, bakery, bedtime? Browse the Printable Elf Sets.
From around the house
You probably have plenty already:
- Bottle caps as plates or trays
- A matchbox as a bed or dresser
- A thimble as a mug
- Cotton balls as snow
- Toothpicks and thread for a mini clothesline
- A bit of moss or a pine sprig from your last walk
Don't build it all at once
The most common mistake: on December 1st, there's already a full-blown elf mansion. Then there's nothing left to discover.
Start with just the door, a doormat and maybe a suitcase. Add one new piece every two or three days. Kids notice instantly that something has changed – and those little discoveries are often just as popular as pranks. Our 24-Day Elf Plan has ideas to pace it out.
Safety around the elf door
A few points really matter:
- No real candles. Not "just for a minute," and not inside the lantern. Paper, cotton and pine burn fast. LED tea lights or a battery-powered mini light string are the safe choice.
- Small parts and under-3s. Beads, buttons, marbles, mini dishes: anything that fits in a mouth stays out of reach of toddlers. Use larger paper furniture or build the scene up high.
- Batteries. Button batteries in LED lights are dangerous for small children. Look for battery compartments with a screw.
- Cords. Don't run plug-in lights across the hallway.
- Pets. Cats adore elf decorations. If yours likes swatting things off shelves, plan accordingly.
- Food. Candy and cookies as props don't last and attract ants or dogs. Put them out only briefly.
When kids want to help decorate
Many kids want to give the elf something: a drawing, a scrap of blanket, a letter. Let them. An elf home the whole family builds together quickly becomes everyone's favorite corner.
Stationery for kids' letters is at Reply Letters from Kids. And when the elf writes back, the reply lands in the mailbox, of course.
FAQ
When should the elf door be set up?
Ideally the night before December 1st, together with the elf's arrival. Ideas are in 15 Elf Arrival Ideas.
How many accessories do I need?
Fewer than you think. Five or six pieces spread over December are plenty. Something new appearing now and then matters more than quantity.
What do we do with the door after Christmas?
Many families leave it up until early January and pack it away with the rest of the decorations. Paper furniture stores flat in an envelope.
What if we don't have a good spot for a door?
Then the elf moves in somewhere else – a windowsill or a bookshelf. More in An Elf Without a Door.