Written 15th August 2026 | Subscribe to our Christmas newsletter
If you love the magic of having an elf visit your home at Christmas, but don’t love lying in bed at 10pm suddenly remembering you haven’t moved it, this little jar could make December a whole lot easier.
The Jar of Elf Antics from The Paper Bender is filled with more than 50 individually folded origami stars – and hidden inside every star is a different idea for your elf.
Instead of desperately searching for inspiration each night, simply pick a star, unravel it and discover tonight’s elf idea.
A Jar Full of Christmas Mischief
The concept is brilliantly simple.
Inside the glass jar are 50+ handmade red and green paper stars. Each one can be carefully unfolded to reveal an elf activity, prank or scene for grown-ups to create that evening.
Ideas include things such as:
- The elf wrapping the Christmas tree in toilet roll overnight
- The elf relaxing in a bowl of marshmallows like a hot tub
- The elf making snow angels in spilled cereal
- The elf drawing silly faces on bananas
- Paper snowflakes appearing everywhere after a busy night
Some are mischievous, some are silly and others are wonderfully simple – which is particularly welcome when you've remembered the elf five minutes before going to bed!
Pick a Star. Get an Idea. Create the Magic. ✨
One of the nicest things about the Jar of Elf Antics is that the children don't need to know where the ideas are coming from.
Keep the jar somewhere away from little eyes and each evening the grown-ups can choose a star.
Unfold it, see what tonight's suggestion is and set up the scene ready for the children to discover the following morning.
It turns choosing what to do with the elf into part of the Christmas fun rather than another December job to remember.
And with more than 50 suggestions inside, there's far more than you need for a single December – so you can pick another star if tonight's idea doesn't suit you
Perfect for Parents Who Run Out of Elf Ideas
Anyone who has done the Christmas elf tradition before will know how it starts.
December 1st: elaborate setup.
December 5th: still going strong.
December 14th: What on earth are we going to do with this elf tonight?
By Christmas week, simply remembering to move it can feel like an achievement.
That's exactly where the Jar of Elf Antics comes in. Rather than scrolling through dozens of ideas every evening, you've got a jar of inspiration sitting there ready to go.
There’s also something much more fun about physically choosing and unfolding a mystery star than simply reading another list on your phone.
A Lovely Early Christmas Gift 🎁
The Jar of Elf Antics would also make a brilliant little present for a family that has an elf arriving this Christmas.
Each jar comes with a cork lid, rustic twine and an illustrated The Paper Bender – Jar of Elf Antics tag, so it's ready to give as a gift.
It would be especially good as:
🎄 A November gift for parents
⭐ An elf arrival present
🎁 A Secret Santa gift for a fellow parent
✨ A little treat for families starting the tradition for the first time
Or, of course, you can just buy one for yourself and make December evenings considerably easier!
50+ Stars. 50+ Ideas. A Lot Less Thinking at Bedtime.
Christmas traditions are supposed to be fun.
The Jar of Elf Antics doesn't take away the creativity or magic of setting up your elf – it simply gives you the inspiration to get started.
Pick a star. Unfold tonight's idea. Set up the mischief.
Then head to bed knowing that tomorrow morning's Christmas magic is sorted. 🎄⭐
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