Kids are going to love making this Elf Christmas Countdown Calendar. You can personalise this by having kids use their own photo as the elf’s face, or you can use the cartoon elves for a quick and easy option.
This is a fun Christmas papercraft with an educational STEM element. It would also make a cute DIY gift for somebody special.
There are LOTS of ways to count down to Christmas and all of them are fun. This one, however, is extra fun because kids get to be one of Santa’s helpers by making themselves the elf in the picture.
The template includes options for different skin tones (so the elf’s ears and hands match the photo), plus colour-your-own and cartoon elves incase you don’t want to bother with the photo part.
It’s easy to cut out and glue together with the age recommendation of 7+.
Are you ready to make one? Here’s how …
How to Make an Elf Christmas Countdown Calendar
You will need
- Card stock in white plus a colour for the base (I’ve gone with red and green)
- Markers if colouring your own
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Optional photo printed to white card stock – use a head shot printed at approximately 6x6cm (2.3”). You can fit nine per page if working with a group of kids
- The Elf Christmas Countdown Calendar Template, available from our printables store and TPT store
How to
Print the base to a sheet of coloured card stock and the cubes to white. Print the elf graphic of your choice to white card stock.
Cut the base out, fold the tabs and glue together to make the stand.
Cut the two cubes out, fold the tabs and glue together to make the countdown element.
Colour the elf graphic if you’re going with the colour-your-own option.
If using the full colour photo option, choose the ears and hands that best matches your own in your printed head shot. Cut the shapes out and glue the head, hat, and hands in place. Glue the elf ears over the top of your own ears.
Glue the elf to the top of the stand so it sits just above where the cubes sit.
Let the Christmas countdown begin …
The number combinations you can get from the two cubes go up to 32 before not being able to make a number, so if you want to count longer than that you’ll need to make an extra dice (the one with the 5 on it). Use the number 6 as a 9 by turning it upside down.
More Ideas for Advent
- Make a 3D paper tree with ornaments to colour and glue on each day
- Here’s a fun light-up paper cup calendar
- Print our Christmas Drawing prompt calendar and inspire the kids to get creative
