Have you got children? Or even if you don’t, you’ve definitely seen this pesky sprite everywhere. The Elf on the Shelf; back each Christmas by popular demand. And with this demand requires parents around the globe to exercise their imagination and come up with scenes of mischievous antics this cheeky chap has gotten up to in their house overnight. Even if it means compromising beloved household feature like their stunning wood flooring.
Now we know what you’re thinking; ‘What is a flooring store doing talking about a Christmas Elf?’.
Well, over the years we’ve noticed the amount of funny Elf on the Shelf ideas that incorporate liquids, sprinkles, toys, chocolate and more, and we can’t help but consider the clean up and protection of your flooring amongst all this fun.
In this blog we’ll go through some of our favourite and funny Elf on the Shelf ideas for you to try out. And not only that, we’ll give you some elf-confidence in temporarily protecting your floor in the process. Now let the fun commence…
Why is Elf on the Shelf Bad?
First things first, so you know what you’re letting yourself into with one of Santa’s so-called helpers, you should know what makes him so naughty!
Buddy’s job is to arrive on December 1st and watch over your children’s behaviour on behalf of Santa Claus. Only Buddy has some behavioural quirks himself, and likes to get up to shenanigans whilst the children are fast asleep.
Shenanigans you have to set up, and eventually clean up. And we’re here to help you with all of this.
If you’re feeling extra creative, and definitely extra brave, recent years have seen the introduction of a girl Elf on the Shelf. Buddy’s trusty side-kick, Sparkles. Twice the mess and twice the trouble. You’ll definitely have your hands full.
Flooring Funny Business
Now there’s no use crying over spilt milk. But there is if you’re 7 and that spilt milk resembles the shell of a snowman, now melted on your floor by no other than Buddy the Elf.
And if you’re a parent, making sure you have the right type of flooring to proceed with this idea without damaging it, is key to making sure you’re not crying over spilt milk either. So let’s take a look at how you can execute this one whilst considering the protection of your floor.
This fun scene sees Buddy bringing the heat, and is an easy one to replicate with household items.
All you need for this set up is:
- Hair dryer
- Milk
- Cereal
- Orange fabric
First, spill a little milk onto the floor. Then using the cereal and orange fabric, create the facial features and buttons of the melted snowman. Sit Buddy nearby aiming a hair dryer toward the puddle. And you’ve got your melted snowman scene.
Image from: https://pinkpeonyhome.com/
Whilst this cheeky chap gets up to no good, he’s certainly not considering your stunning wood flooring underneath! So here’s a few tips for protecting your floor to keep in mind when setting up these tricks.
When using liquids, try to set your scene up just before the kids will see it.
If you have a solid wood floor, this is not resistant to water or other liquids, and may cause damage when left for long periods of time. When it comes to protecting your laminate, engineered wood, or EvoCore Flooring, whilst these have a better tolerance to water, spillages should still be cleaned up as soon as possible.
Hopefully, you’ll get a helping hand from one of the kids, because Buddy certainly won’t stick around for this clean up!
Elf on the Shelf – Chocolate Chaos
This next favourite of ours won’t be so favourable with the little ones, as Buddy the Elf finds his way into the Christmas chocolates.
For this idea all you’ll need is a packet or box of chocolates and possibly a floor cleaning kit.
Open the packet and position Buddy inside. Then spill some of the contents onto the floor leaving his trail of trouble behind. For added effect, add a little bit of chocolate around Buddy’s mouth. This will further confirm he’s the culprit and add to the mischief.
Image taken from www.mabelandmoxie.com
One thing to bear in mind is if you have an underfloor heating system under your beautiful laminate, engineered wood or EvoCore flooring, this may melt your chocolate props! Whilst this adds some authenticity to the act, this also adds to the clean up operation.
To avoid this, ensure your underfloor heating system is not in use between setting up your scene and your little ones discovering their chocolate collection is a little lighter.
If you happen to forget to switch off your underfloor heating system, don’t worry it happens! A microfibre mop with a spray of floor cleaner should do the trick. Mop that chocolate puddle away, and return your flooring to its pristine appearance.
He’s Snow Angel
For this next one, a trip to the baking cupboard will provide Buddy with the ingredients he needs to cook up this snow storm!
Image taken from Instagram’s @keepingitkirby – Featured Flooring: Loft Midnight Grey Laminate
A popular idea that comes with a lot of mess; The snow angel.
To complete this look you can go with a quirky set up and use sprinkles, or with the traditional snowy effect and use flour or icing sugar making sure to avoid baking soda!
Whilst baking soda would give the desired snowy effect, it can damage the protective finish of your flooring making it vulnerable to damage in the future.
Once your youngsters have witnessed what Buddy has been up to overnight, a quick sweep up or hoover, will alleviate this mess.
If you opted for sprinkles for Buddy to wave his arms and legs around in, ensure to be cautious when running the hoover over them, debris can get caught in the wheels resulting in accidental scratches. We’d recommend using added attachments if your hoover has them – because protecting your floor and keeping it in it’s stunning condition is snow laughing matter.
Worry Free Elf on the Shelf Flooring Ideas
Though some of our favourite Elf on the Shelf flooring ideas need to be executed with a little caution for your charming wood flooring, we’ve also come across some ideas that you can carry out without consideration.
Elf-Isolation
Relevant to the times, this idea might give you a little bit of freedom from Buddy’s bad behaviour for a night or two. We call this one ‘elf-isolation’.
Image taken from countryliving.com
Since Buddy has travelled from the North Pole, he will need to quarantine upon his arrival for everyone’s elf and safety.
Create a segmented area on your floor, this can be made with paper, card, or even a box to sit Buddy in. Create a letter from Buddy explaining why he’s self isolating and save yourself the mess for a night or two.
Snowball Fight
Another idea that will have your mind at ease when considering your flooring, but have the rest of the toys in your house provoked, is Buddy’s snowball fight.
Don’t worry. This one doesn’t include real snow!
Image taken from www.barnowlprimitives.com
Cotton wool or paper are perfect for rolling into the shape of little snowballs. Create as many snowballs as you like and set them up near Buddy, with a note requesting a snowball fight.
If you want to get really creative, now would be a great time to bring in his sidekick, the girl Elf on the Shelf. You can then set up a snowball fight between the two of them.
Or better yet! Gather some of the other toys in the house and set them a few feet apart from Buddy arming them with snowballs too.
This will set the scene of a good old fashioned snowball fight between your Elf on the Shelf and your child’s good old faithful friends. This should require no protection for your flooring. Though you may want to create a wall to shield the toys, we heard Buddy has a great throw!
Treat your’elf
Image taken from elfontheshelf.com
This final idea is both a trick and a treat! With as many plastic cups as you can find, lay them out upside down with a treat for your children underneath one of them.
Sit Buddy somewhere nearby with a note insisting they find the treat. Then watch as your children race to find their surprise from this naughty elf.
You have 25 days to fill with funny Elf on the Shelf ideas so we hope we’ve managed to inspire some naughty antics, and given you a tip or two on protecting your wood flooring in the mix.
If you need any more tips on protecting your wood flooring, get in touch with one of our specialists now.
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