It’s 2022 and just like that we’re in a brand new season for Elf on the Shelf. Whether you are looking for clever and easy Elf ideas for your kids or fun Elf on the Shelf Arrival ideas, these tutorials for “caught on cam”, easy stop-motion videos will help you bring the magic to life in a way the little ones in your life will never forget!

What is Elf on the Shelf?

Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition launched by a mother-daughter duo. The concept is to welcome one of Santa’s helpers in the home starting on December 1st. The magical elf goes up to the North Pole each night to report back to Santa on the kids’ behavior and if the naughty and nice list needs to be updated. Each night when Elf on the Shelf comes back, he/she is in a new spot.

There are two rules with Elf on the Shelf. The kids cannot touche Elf on the Shelf or it will lose its magic. If they DO touch it, they need to write a letter to Santa, apologize and add some cinnamon beside the elf before bed. The second rule is that Elf is completely still while the kids are awake - so he/she will not speak or move until they are sleeping.

There is a love/hate relationship with parents and Elf on the Shelf. Doing this for 24 days is a commitment! Parents have been getting creative with it over the years and putting Elf on the Shelf in hilarious and naughty situations. They are also finding creative ways to injure elf so that they don’t have to move it for a couple of days. Crafty parents, lol!

How to Make Elf Move

Want to make the elf on the shelf experience even more magical this year? This is a fun way for parents to get a good laugh and leave your kids speechless. Here is how to catch Elf on the shelf moving in your own home.

Download the free stop motion video app, Life Lapse
Start a new project by clicking the big blue “+” sign
Place your phone somewhere still like leaning it against a mug (see how in the video above). The key to stop motion is that you don’t move your phone while shooting and the only thing that is moving is Elf on the Shelf.
Take a photo of Elf in one position
Move Elf on the Shelf slightly and then take another photo. The key to this is that you only move elf on the shelf a little bit each time, so when you go to play the video back, it actually looks like a real movement.
Move Elf on the Shelf again and take another photo
Repeat steps 4 & 5 until Elf is in your desired location.
Play the video and increase the speed to about 90% towards the right side of the slider.

5 ideas on how to Catch Elf on the Shelf Moving

Not sure how to recreate these videos in your own home/need some ideas to gets started or pull inspiration from? We are constantly adding to our collection of over 20 tutorials/scenarios like the ones below walking you through exactly how to make Elf on the Shelf move. Check it out here.

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