Editor’s note: This story may contain spoilers for prying little eyes!
For better or worse, parents around the world are welcoming Elf on the Shelf into their homes this month. But one California mom is hoping to make the lives of adults everywhere just a little bit easier.
Mom of two Melody Peralta of Riverside, California is on her second year of hiding Santa's little spy for kids, Izzy, 4, and Max, 2, but she's already discovered a hack worth sharing.
The 35-year-old content creator made their elf, Snowflake, posable.
"It’s great to have an elf that bends, because you can do a lot more fun and interesting things with it, such as hang it upside down from garlands, or have it sit on the edge of shelves or fireplace mantels," Peralta tells TODAY.com.
In an Instagram reel that has racked up more than 100,000 views, Peralta explains the simple trick.
"First, grab a large paper clip and unwind it. Find a hole in the seam (of the elf) and poke it all the way up the arm and wind it. Cut off the excess with wire cutters. Do the same thing with the legs and you have your very own, posable Elf on the Shelf," she says.
Fellow parents were quick to weigh in with other tips.
"I need to use paper clips! I tried floral wire previously and it doesn’t work too well," one user wrote.
Another chimed in, "Also… glue a bit of Velcro to the hands so the can stick together."
Peralta is taking notes.
"I’m working on sharing a new hack this year to add Velcro or magnets to your elf’s hands so they can easily ‘climb’ things or hang on to things for even more elf fun," she says.
Though she's relatively new to Santa's sneaky spy, Peralta tells TODAY.com she already has some favorite setups.
"My favorite elf scene I’ve done is where my elf made an entire ‘gingerbread house’ out of graham crackers and icing," she says of Snowflake, their elf. "She left my kids a little gingerbread house craft to do that day. I’ve also done one where our elf was hanging by her legs from a tinsel tight rope in our kitchen."
Stuck on how to get started this year? We've got you covered with the best Elf on the Shelf ideas, from easy to elaborate.
