40 Of The Funniest Elf On The Shelf Epic Fails

Elf on the Shelf can be adorable, chaotic, and a little bit stressful, especially when parents are trying to keep the holiday magic alive night after night. What starts as a cute Christmas tradition can quickly turn into a daily scramble for a new hiding spot, a clever setup, or a last-minute fix when the elf ends up in the wrong place.

That is exactly why these Elf on the Shelf fails are so funny.

Scroll on for 40 of the funniest Elf on the Shelf epic fails, and a few reminders of what not to do with your own holiday helper.

1. Unfortunate Cheeto placement

"I SPRINTED downstairs and threw the Elf on the counter and stuck his hand in a nearby Cheetos bag (of course there is always something left open on the counter 🙄). Then I quickly thought I should drop a few Cheetos nearby because he’s probably a messy eater. I literally tossed them and ran away so Maddox wouldn’t see or hear me. ⁣⁣

I had no idea I gave poor Chestnut a orange Cheeto weeny... until I heard giggles from the kids and found Maddox taking a picture to show his friends. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Is it Christmas yet?! Time to go back to the North Pole, Chestnut!⁣⁣"

carriehoppenjans

2. "Thought it was a good idea at the time" is a very common phrase before something goes wrong

"Woke up in a panic at 530a to do the elf 🤦🏻‍♀️ this idea looked okay at that time. Brandon woke up to find Berry an well Brandon said that’s the creepiest thing his elf has done and he doesn’t like it 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣🤣"

mom_of_3_great_kiddos

But while some adults take the fun and creative ideas for where to put their Elf at face value, some are not so hot about the practice. Emma Shingleton, a former teacher pointed out that “while your children may 'behave' while Santa's elf is keeping an eye on them, this behaviour isn't guaranteed to continue after the elf leaves for the year.”

Rather than expecting children to “behave” for the entirety of December, Shingleton suggested a friendlier and easier alternative: a helpful elf instead of a naughty elf. One who would help support children in making good decisions.

"Explain to your children that Santa's elf has been sent to homes to help them in the run-up to Christmas. They love to see children spreading kindness and joy, and then make the journey back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa all the lovely things children have been up to," Shingleton advised.

All in all, it just comes down to your choice of what you want to do with your family. While some parents think that Elf on the Shelf is annoying, time-consuming, and training our children for Big Brother Surveillance, others are able to enjoy the tradition as innocent fun.

3. It looks like some sort of alien egg

"Its my daughters birthday, Elf was hiding in a balloon. Which deflated over night and now looks like he is waiting to be born.

The questions from mister 8 this morning are... colourful."

dzintrasullivan tenor

5. Dog Shaming meets Elf on the Shelf

"I Bit The Head Off The Kids Christmas Elf"

tamcam10

6. Today I learned that you can't keep cotton candy out for long periods of time

"Did anyone else know that cotton candy evaporates over night?? 😳😳."

swinter2780

7. Do these not come with a flammable warning?

"Throwback to that time we set our creepy elf on fire last year. OOOPS 😂😂😂 don’t let your elves sit on light fixtures, y’all 😬l"

lilyslittlecupboard

8. Turns out the gingerbread house wasn't up to code

"They were supposed to be sitting around nibbling on the gingerbread house!! Warning: After a couple days those houses aren't that sturdy!! Think we have an Elf down, somebody call the paramedics!!"

insta_armydelk

9. It's surprising how often this happens

"It wasn’t long into my outing where I received “the call”... “Babe I feel horrible (insert long awkward pause) I cooked the elves.” To whomever this may help in this elf season BAKE COOKIES NOT ELVES! "

Chelsea Hightower

10. Uh, but... surely this couldn't have been the intended result??

"Getting him into a ballon isn’t as easy as it looks 😂🤦🏼‍♀️"

skyeleaa

11. Guard cat on duty!

"Intruder Alert!"

mochi_momo_oc

12. Oh. Oh, no.

"Yesterday she joined the kids at school with a cute little note that says she wanted to "hang out" with them while they were in class.

During the day, while sitting at the table this was just a super fun way they included her in their learning.

But as I grabbed the mail last night I happened to look in our window on the way back and noticed that when she's backlit, it didn't quite look as cute as intended. 😂"

c_r_ali

13. A somber song for this elf

"Poor Ken! Tried to spread a little Christmas cheer at the piano and look what happened."

janetfreisner

14. Maybe spin a story about elf wars?

"When your husband thinks sitting on a wall sconce was a good idea.. RIP Chippy"

thawthorne11

15. Old dogs will only tolerate so much

"We got a puppy and Jane was pissed for like a month .... I guess this is her way of saying no more new friends 😂 🤦🏼‍♀️.... RIP Rifle"

msummers23

16. What do animals know about Elf on the Shelf that we don't?

"So clearly the dog feels the same way about Elf on the Shelf as I do! He jumped onto the table, went to town with poor Mr Elf and then left it behind James' curtains and I have spent all afternoon trying to find the damn thing 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️"

annikaskye89

17. Even make-believe elves need their rest

"I Was Bound To Miss One Night"

oliviacsnyder

And if you want a totally different kind of awkward, these awkward school photos prove everyone had a cringe phase.

18. Don't worry Barry, it happens to a lot of men.

"Balding Barry... Our Elf’s Hat Came Off So We Decided To Super Glue It To No Avail. Hey, Let’s Use Nail Polish Remover To Get The Glue Off....laughing Hysterically Ever Since!!!"

RoscoeDC giphy

20. Is... is this a threat?

"Today’s elfscapades seem to have gone a little wrong! She thought someone was dead! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️☠️"

elfgilbert

21. Can we all just agree no more ovens for these Elves?

"This Is Doing The Rounds On Fb And Insta.. Poor Elf"

a.mums.world

22. Cats don't give a crap about your Elf on the Shelf activities

"Did a cute angel thing for the elf. The cat thought it was litter and did a giant shit on my kitchen side. I’m fucking fuming. My poor kids....what the hell?. We go to find the elf and he’s had a giant shit?"

Katie Wright

23. Hopefully Finn is a dog

"Finn attacked Rudolf, our Elf! He was laying on the counter making snow angels 👼 and now he’s head first on the floor! Rudolf now has flour stuck to him from being licked to death by Finn.🤦🏼‍♀️😂"

bloughnane

24. Listen, we parents are doing our best, and that rarely includes having fresh bananas

"Baby boy wakes up and searches for his elf. He finds her and says she drew on the bananas. I asked what she drew and he says "nothing, she just scribbled on them" 🤣 ugh fail!!"

mruniquegomez

25. Possessed elf!

"ELF ON THE SHELF FAIL! So we decided for “BUDDY” to have some lil zipline action, but used fish wire instead of a noticeable string, SO YEA! Angelito said he seen Buddy FLOATING he is scared of him now hahahaha"

Karen G. Quiroga

26. Never leave a flame unattended!

"I thought it would be cute for our Elf to roast marshmallows. Thought I was in the clear but NOPE... the marshmallows started on fire. I didnt even realize it until "LO" was just about on fire."

Teresa Tangen

27. A fashionable fix

"Thomas our elf, thought it was a bright idea to hide in the light fixture. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ Thomas is now wearing a scarf for the remainder of his stay 😂"

melbrookins14

28. Those Barbie's are a little overdressed for fishing

"Buddy the Elf Fail

I see the scene of them fishing....

Maggie- ummm, daddy? Barbies boobies are falling out??

Me (in my head)- and buddy is defiantly looking down!!

Happy Friday!"

Justin Carver

29. Poor Maxi, suffering a mild fate of Elves past

"When daddy puts Maxi (Rowen named him) too close to the light bulb you tell the kids he got frost bite on his way back from the North Pole."

kellyjyust

30. Just a little Dirty Dancing

"Daughter Ran Into My Room Screaming “What Is The Elf Doing To My Doll?” Well I Thought They Were Dancing"

randomkcv

31. Seriously, how many Elves face a fiery death each year?

"Well I guess I should have checked to make sure that there wasn't a fucking elf in the fireplace before turning it on."

whatswrongchamp

32. Another Elf lost to the oven

"I seriously forgot I put the freaking elf in the freaking oven "

Brittany Mease

For those who do participate, it really can be a lot of fun for everyone involved, children and their adults. Especially when something goes awry and you end up with a melty elf and only a couple of hours to figure out an explanation for your ever-curious children.

Help take the edge off a friend who may be struggling with their Elf on the Shelf endeavors and share this with them! A good laugh will definitely help.

33. Always prepare for tape failure

"First picture is what i thought my kids would wake up to. i didn't prepare for the off chance the tape didn't hold. So my children woke up to an elf that drowned in last nights spaghetti pot. We rescued her and now she's wrapped up in our dish drainer trying to get warm. 😂"

brandi_cerone

34. It appears that no animals like these elves

"#beardeddragon don't like intruders even if there #santaslittlehelper"

elisejanelle

35. What was really in that La Croix?

"What we executed and how we found Elfie this morning!"

nicole.d.powell

36. That can be one way to get out of Elf on the Shelf!

"Well....I thought it would be funny. My kids... not so much 😂😂. Both had tears and told the elf they didn’t like her anymore"

sgomuwka

37. Nail polish + acetone = ruined paint

"Thanks to Ezra we are in the market for Coco's identical twin. If she visits anyone's home and it's time for her to find another family, we would love to rehome her ... and call her Coco... and pretend she is the actual Coco who just had reconstructive surgery 🤷‍♀️"

danielleee_victoria

38. Note to self: Keep Elf from toilets, light fixtures and open fire.

"Bailey grabbed Elf from his new spot, and disappeared- she was then heard groaning and frustrated in the bathroom.. Michael ran in to find the elf in the loo.

Bailey also needed to poop.. 🤣😆 it was a speedy recovery process so she could use the toilet."

sowhatimamum

39. Color choices are more important than you'd initially think

"Snow angels in sugar!!"

pixiee83

40. Note to self: Snow spray is NOT safe for wood floors

"Elf On The Shelf Display Goes Horribly Wrong And Stains The Kitchen Floor"

Lyndsey Sahota

41. Really, he's just doing them a favor

"Elf on the shelf was no match for Booker the Boston!"

the_sloaneharlowburkett

42. Reminiscent of Joe Pesci in Home Alone

"We had a tragic circumstance with our Elf on the Shelf, Elfer, lastnight. Full thickness burn to the head with charring. The kids are devastated. He flew away to the Elf Hospital lastnight. We are hoping he pulls through. PSA if your Elf perches atop your chandelier Moms and Dads don't forget and turn on your light 🙄. Don't be a dummy. Better yet you tell your Elf not to ever go near a heat source! "

nostalchick_rn giphy

We adults know that Santa Claus is just make-believe, but there are fond memories of the magic we felt growing up when we thought he was real. And though it’s generally frowned upon to lie to our children, that doesn’t seem to apply to a lot of families during the holiday season.

So, then why is it considered okay to teach our children about a magical man in a red suit that delivers presents via a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer? Author Melinda Wenner Moyer chimed in on this balance of lying to our children, suggesting that the story of Santa and his elf scout may actually benefit our children and their cognitive development.

"Fantastical stories foster a type of imaginative play that sparks creativity, social understanding and even-strange as it may sound-scientific reasoning.

"What Kris Kringle does do is feed the imagination. Kids picture him managing his elves at the North Pole, soaring through the sky or squeezing through chimneys," Moyer continued. She shares that participating in pretend play and taking on the role of Rudolph or Mrs. Claus in games "may cultivate a set of skills known as 'theory of mind,' which helps kids ...[truncated]

For more family fallout, read about the Redditor debating sharing a secret cookie recipe after cousins insulted them.