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Elf On The Shelf Hacks: 5 Helpful Tips All Parents Can Use

How to name your elf, make him bendy and more.

The Elf on the Shelf has become a big holiday tradition. But whether you've been hosting the little scout for years or are only just introducing him to your family this Christmas, we have five helpful hacks all parents can use.

One of the best parts about starting the Elf on the Shelf tradition is choosing a name for your scout. If you need a little help coming up with a creative moniker, the Elf on the Shelf website offers a fun name generator. You can either use the first letter of your first and last name to create a unique moniker, or simply choose any two letters in the lists below.

For more elf name inspiration, click here to see some of the best names our readers chose.

To put your elf in creative positions around the house, rather than simply sitting, you need to make him bendy. To do this, follow the tutorial from She Knows to insert floral wire into your elf's arms and legs.

If you're looking for a simpler no-sew method, you can always follow Rocking My 365 Project's hack instead, which uses glue dots to help the elf grasp objects.

You could use magnets or velcro, too, to make the elf bend, hang and climb, just like on blog Life So Lovely.

Sometimes you honestly just forget to move the elf. When this happens, have no fear! You can easily keep the magic of the tradition alive by using a simple explanation from blog Living Locurto.

They include: bad weather, the elf didn't want to report the child's bad behaviour, and it's too warm in the house (elves are used to the cold climate of the North Pole) and the elf lost his or her magic.

For more explanations and fixes, visit Living Locurto.

A photo posted by Global Baby (@globalbabynz) on

The official Elf on the Shelf website offers easy hacks for when kids accidentally touch their elf. If this happens, the site recommends children do one of three things: write a letter to Santa to apologize, sing Christmas carols (which elves love), or sprinkle a little cinnamon beside the elf before bed.

"Cinnamon is like vitamins for scout elves, and it helps them get back to the North Pole," the site reads. "It will help them get back to the North Pole where the elf doctors can check them out!"

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