Elf Coloring Page

This elf coloring page shows a busy Christmas elf at work in a toy shop, with a paintbrush in one hand and a paint palette in the other. He is painting a rocking horse on a wooden table. Look for the pointy ears, the freckles, the zigzag collar, the striped stockings and the curly shoes. His long hat flops to one side and ends in a round bell. Shelves behind him hold a teddy bear, letter blocks, a toy boat, a drum and a little train. It suits ages 5 to 11 and takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

The fun is in the details. Every toy on the shelf is its own small job, so kids can stop and come back later.

How hard is this page

We would call it medium. A five year old can fill the hat, the tunic and the big wooden table without much help. The stockings and the toys ask for more care, because those spaces are narrow. If your child gets tired, color every other stripe and leave the rest white. It still looks right, and nobody will mind.

Kids of seven and up usually enjoy planning a pattern for this one. Give them a few minutes to pick colors before they start, and the page will look much more finished.

Elf coloring page color ideas

Green and red are the usual team for elves. A green hat with a red band looks festive, and red stripes on white stockings match it nicely. Yellow is a good pick for the bell on his hat and for the belt buckle, since it pops against green.

Skip the rules. Elves are not fussy. A purple elf with silver shoes is fun, and so is a blue elf from a snowy land that only your child knows about. The hair fringe under the hat can be orange, brown, black or even pink. The rocking horse is a good place to go bold. Try a white body with yellow diamonds and a red saddle.

A soft tan works well for the plank walls and keeps the focus on the elf. Use a darker brown for the floorboards and the table, so the toys stand out.

Getting the stripes neat

• Sharpen your colored pencil before you start on the stockings. A blunt tip will cross the lines.
• Turn the paper sideways for the stripes, as a straight side to side stroke is easier for most kids.
• Color the toys on the shelves first, then fill the plank wall around them.
• Outline the pointy ears lightly before you fill them, so the tips stay sharp.

A little elf history

Elves are much older than Christmas. They come from old German and Norse tales, where they were magic beings who could help or trick people. Long ago, they were not the small, cute workers we picture now.

The 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" calls Santa a right jolly old elf. By 1873, a December cover of a US magazine showed Santa surrounded by toys and little elves, and the idea of workshop helpers stuck. Wikipedia has a short page on the Christmas elf.

The Brothers Grimm helped, too. In their 1812 tale of the shoemaker, little elves finish his work in the night, just before Christmas. That is one reason we picture elves as quiet, quick helpers.

Play ideas once it is colored

Give your elf a name. Silly is best. Try Tinsel Toes or Captain Cookie, though your child will likely invent a better one. Write the name in big letters at the top of the page, then ask which toy he will paint next.

That question makes a good short story prompt for a classroom. Students can draw the new toy on the back of the sheet and share it with a partner.

Practice patterns with younger kids. The stripes on each stocking take turns, one band and then a gap. Ask your child to fill them with two new colors on a second copy, then add a third color and ask what comes next.

Make a door sign. Tape it to a bedroom door and add a note that says elves at work. It is a cute way to mark the days before Christmas.

More friends for your elf

Every elf needs a boss, so print our Santa Claus coloring page next. Our gingerbread man page has another big, friendly face, and you can see them all on our Christmas coloring pages. An elf coloring page like this one also fits nicely in a small holiday coloring book, so staple a few together for the car.

Questions