Self Care Day | Elf on the Shelf Ideas 2022
Guess what time of year it is? Elf on the Shelf time! We love the days leading up to Christmas just as much as the day of, as you can get so creative when it comes to Elf on the Shelf ideas to keep even the most doubtful of children amused!
This year, more than ever before, is the time to go above and beyond with your elf on the shelf ideas: we all need a little escape from reality this season. Here at Life Lapse, we will be sharing video tutorials for how to animate your Elf on the Shelf and other Elf on the Shelf ideas to bring your little guy (or girl) to life.
Interested in more Elf on the Shelf ideas? Check out our Elf website, catchelfmove.com. For more video tutorials, take a peek at our YouTube channel.
Before we get started, here’s a little reminder of what Elf does, for new parents and parents who are maybe just a little bit sleep-deprived 😉
Elf on the Shelf Rules
Give your Elf or Elf-ette a name. Our cheeky little girl elf is named Buddy!
Elf can arrive whenever you want. We usually opt for December 1st, but you can choose any day or time you would like! 25 days of elf mischief is personally good for us.
During daylight hours, your Elf shouldn’t move! They can only move at night when the kids are sleeping.
The Elf watches over the kids during the daytime. It can see everything they do (or don’t do) and reports back to Santa. 🎅
No one can touch the elf, or else it loses its Christmas magic.
The Elf is gone after Christmas! Part of the Christmas magic is that the elusive Elf’s presence only comes once a year.
For this tutorial on how to animate your Elf on the Shelf to have its own spa day, continue reading below.
What you’ll need:
iPhone or Android with the Life Lapse stop motion app
Your Elf on the Shelf
Tripod or DIY tripod
Elf props: we have shoes, a purse, and some self care/spa products.
Step 1: Set up your elf and lock in your exposure and white balance. Make sure your phone is secured in place: it needs to remain in position in order to create a smooth sequence of photos.
Step 2: Start moving your elf little by little, making sure to take photos in between every movement. Here, we slowly made our elf tap its heels together. Use the ghost feature in our app to slowly adjust elf’s movement.
Step 3: Once your elf has finished tapping its shoes, dress it up in his spa gear: we wrapped the elf’s head with a towel, gave it a journal, and lit some candles.
Step 4: Make sure to line the elf up with the previous frame, using the ghost feature.
Step 5: Take a few photos of the new set up, so that the flickering of the candle is seen.
Step 6: Launch the editor and adjust brightness, speed, and add a filter.
Step 7: Save and share! Make sure to tag us @lifelapse_app or our hashtag #lifelapse. For more elf on the shelf ideas or to share your own, tag #elfontheshelfvideo to share that holiday spirit!
