Elf On The Shelf Charcuterie Board + Elf On The Shelf Ideas
by Amanda Keefer
We love celebrating the holidays with a festive Charcuterie Board! Celebrate with us with these Elf On The Shelf Ideas and an incredible Elf On The Shelf Charcuterie Board.
Are you new to Elf on the Shelf? Are you looking for fun tricks that your Elf on the Shelf can do? Or are you looking for some fun ways to celebrate Elf on the Shelf with a fun holiday charcuterie board? Maybe you’re inspired by the recent Food Network Elf on the Shelf Sweet Showdown, like we are. Either way, we got you covered!
Elf on the Shelf is a popular Christmas tradition in which a small elf is placed in a home to act as a scout for Santa Claus. The Elf reports back to Santa each night to let him know if the children in the home are being naughty or nice. This tradition has been around for many years and is enjoyed by children and adults alike.
So when Playground Magazine asked me to make a holiday charcuterie board for an upcoming article, I knew it was the perfect time to have some mischievous fun and showcase this holiday elf!
How Did Elf on the Shelf Get Started? What’s the History of Elf on the Shelf?
The Elf on the Shelf tradition was popularized in 2005 when Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell published a book entitled “The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition,” which featured a small Scout Elf inside a special box. Bell said in an interview with The News with Shepard Smith that, like the game of hide-and-seek, Elf on the Shelf is just a fun tradition.
The elf would keep an eye on kiddos during the day, report to Santa at night, and overnight before children wake up, the elf flies to the North Pole and lands on a new site in our home. They move about the house, they engage with families, and they hopefully encourage joy and bring merriment throughout the season.
According to Carol, Scout Elves do not talk to humans. In fact, they only speak to the residents of the North Pole. Additionally, families adopt Scout Elves instead of buying them. More than 14.5 million Scout Elves were adopted worldwide by 2005. Finally, Scout Elves are magical beings that come from the North Pole, like Santa, so they are immune to human illnesses.
When Does the Elf on the Shelf Arrive in the Home?
It’s that time of year again! The elf on the shelf will soon be making his annual appearance in homes across America. But when does he typically arrive?
For those who are new to the Elf on the Shelf tradition, the elf arrives sometime in December and watches over the children in the home to see if they are behaving. He then reports back to Santa each night. On Christmas Eve, the elf flies back to the North Pole.
So when does this magical little elf make his appearance? It depends on when you start your Christmas countdown. Some families like to start as early as Thanksgiving, while others wait until December 1st. But most elves seem to arrive sometime between December 1-10.
Why We Love Elf on the Shelf
When the kids are asleep and all is quiet, Elf on the Shelf moves around the house doing different things. He might be in the fridge eating cookies or he might be playing with the cat. No matter where he is, he’s almost always up to something mischievous.
Parents love to place their Elf on the Shelf in strategic places around the house so that their children can find him in the morning. Well, most of the time we do, I will openly admit that sometimes it’s hard thinking of something new and creative to do with our elf. That’s why I am sharing a few ideas below to help you too!
This holiday tradition is one that your family will cherish for years to come. So keep your eyes peeled and be on your best behavior…the elf is watching! What are you waiting for? Get your own Elf on the Shelf today!
Best Tricks Played by the Elf on the Shelf
The Elf on the Shelf has been up to some mischievous tricks this holiday season! Here are some of the best tricks played by this sneaky little elf:
1. Elf on the Shelf snuck into the Christmas tree and decorated it with all sorts of candy canes and gingerbread cookies.
2. Your Elf on the Shelf wrapped up the presents under the tree in toilet paper.
3. The family Elf on the Shelf put shaving cream on the mirrors in the bathroom.
4. Elf on the Shelf made a mess with flour all over the kitchen counter.
5. Your family elf put googly eyes on all of the family photos.
6. Elf attached wrapping paper to the pet’s tail…Or got wrapped up in paper himself.
7. The Elf on the Shelf made a snowman out of Cheerios and then made a mess with the cereal.
9. Elf on the Shelf hid all the saucepans in the kids’ room.
10. They can play with the all the toys…how about riding a toy train!
11. How about playing some games with the other toys in the house…Twister is a good one.
12. Hanging from the ceiling fan – it’s fun!
13. Have you elf show up on a snack board like we did! Our elf on the shelf was hungry!
14. Of course, you can simply move your elf around the house in a new spot every night too, think of cabinets, refrigerators, dresser drawers, on the Christmas tree, under the bed, on the mantle…just to name a few!
Just remember if you are super creative this year, the kiddos will expect it next year too.
Why We Love This Elf on the Shelf Holiday Snack Board
This holiday snack board pleases everyone in the family with sweet and savory goodness and a lot of fun. Snack boards are a hit over the holidays and especially when the family Elf on the Shelf joins in on the fun. Our family loves snack boards so we were super excited when our Elf on the Shelf (Sparkles is our elf…don’t forget to name yours!) decided to join our feast.
Careful not to touch Sparkles as that’s a BIG Elf on the Shelf no, no. The family loves to see what crazy things the elf is up to so when he showed up with a holiday snack board we were able to enjoy a snack board with our elf… staying careful not to touch our elf during the snacking.
Key ingredients for Elf On The Shelf Charcuterie Board
Black Olives
Cucumber
Pomegranate Arils
Guacamole
Cherry Tomatoes
Ranch
Carrot
Mini Marshmallows
Green Grapes
Banana
Strawberries
Pita bread
Cranberries
Starfruit
Mini candy canes
Mini salami
Kiwi
Celery
Peanut Butter
Pretzels
Candy eyes
Seasonal sweet treats (cookies and snowmen)
Wheat thins
Brie
Rosemary
Yep, I know, that looks like a lot, but we have a lot of holiday amazingness on this board! Feel free to do what works for you!
Elf On The Shelf Charcuterie Board Key Components
Reindeer Celery
Cut celery in 2 inch pieces, add peanut butter, candy eyeballs, pomegranate arils for the nose and then break pretzels in half to make antlers. You can also make these Red-Nose Reindeer Apple Snacks.
Kiwi Tree
Slice green kiwi in circle and place on board in the shape of a tree. Add a sliced star fruit to the top. We got this idea from our Kiwi Christmas Tree Platter, it’s so festive and perfect for gatherings!
Pita Christmas Trees
Cut pita rounds into triangles or use pre-cut triangle pitas. Brush with guacamole and then decorate with pomegranate arils.
Cucumber Stars
Use star cookie cutter so cut stars out of center of cucumber. Add pomegranate arils to the center. Use the stars that were cut out to surround ranch dip. Super simple, yet super cute! We made these for the first time on our Holiday Watermelon Snack Board and everyone loved them…so they had to be on our Elf on the Shelf Snack Board too!
Starfruit
Slice starfruit and place on board. Easy peasy 😉
Crackers and Salami
Layer crackers and salami. Everyone needs a bit of protein and this is a great way to fill in some of those empty spots on the board.
Snowman Dip
Use premade ranch dip and add black olives for eyes and small piece of carrot for nose.
Grinch Fruit Kabobs
Simply cut the greens off your strawberries, slice banana and then put a small marshmallow on the toothpick, then the strawberry, then a banana slice, then a green grape. Viola! You have the Grinch wearing a Santa hat.
Flair
Scatter rosemary, cranberries and pomegranate arils around the board to make it extra festive.
Simple Substitutions for your Elf On The Shelf Snack Board
The great thing about this board is that you can substitute just about everything on the board for a favorite holiday snack! Be sure to focus in on holiday colors when selecting your board components.
How to make an Elf on the Shelf Charcuterie Board
Once you have all your components made, have some fun arranging them on your favorite board! You don’t need a special charcuterie board, any cutting board will do! It’s all about what’s on the board, not the board itself. So, go ahead and have some fun! I do like to arrange mine in sections of each ingredient, but you don’t have to. The most important part is to have some fun…and DO NOT TOUCH ELF!
Do you have an Elf on the Shelf? What is their name and what kind of mischief do they get into over the holidays?
Need another holiday appetizer ideas? You gotta check out our Guacamole Grinch!
Commonly Asked Questions About Our Elf On The Shelf Charcuterie Board + Elf On The Shelf Ideas
Q: What are some Elf on the Shelf tricks and ideas?
A: Ideas include wrapping gifts in toilet paper, putting googly eyes on photos, making cereal snowmen, hiding pans, and decorating the tree.
Q: When does the Elf on the Shelf arrive in homes?
A: Most Elf on the Shelf scouts arrive sometime between December 1-10.
Q: What are key ingredients for an Elf on the Shelf charcuterie board?
A: Ingredients include olives, pomegranate, guacamole, carrots, marshmallows, pitas, cucumber, starfruit, salami, cranberries, and rosemary.
Q: How do you make reindeer celery for an Elf charcuterie board?
A: Use peanut butter, candy eyes, and pretzels to make reindeer on celery sticks.
Q: What are Grinch kabobs for a charcuterie board?
A: Skewer strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, and grapes to look like the Grinch.
Q: How do you make pita Christmas trees for a charcuterie board?
A: Cut pita into triangles, brush with guacamole, and decorate with pomegranate arils.
Q: What do you use to make snowman dip?
A: Make snowmen out of ranch dip, olives, and carrot pieces.
Q: How do you arrange an Elf on the Shelf charcuterie board?
A: Arrange ingredients in sections or themes and scatter cranberries and rosemary.
