Each year we welcome our Elf on the Shelf, Elroy, at our home’s Annual North Pole Breakfast. The day before we go on a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree and decorate it. The boys have come to expect that in the morning Elroy will arrive. He will be sitting in the newly decorated tree surveying the festive scene he’s set for breakfast.
Elroy Elf arrived at our house in 2012, when our oldest was just 2 1/2 years old. The breakfast was a fun way to usher in the idea of Elroy, along with the book. When the boys wake up the morning of the breakfast, they notice the decorated table and then head to the tree to find Elroy. We read the special note Elroy wrote to them as well as the book (both serve as part of the tablescape). There is added magic in having a personalized note written from your Elf.
Tablescape
The inspiration for the place setting was the snowman salad plates. They are melamine making them easy to store which is important because all items need to be tucked away the night after the party. Elroy leaves no trace. Once I decided on the salad plates, I started building out the rest of the dishware and decorations.
- Lime green cloth place mats (similar here)
- Snowman salad plate (similar here)
- Snowflake embossed dinner plate (I have both red and bright blue)
- Snowman vinyl tablecloth (similar here)
- Lime green stocking with coordinating paper napkin
- Tree ornament
- Snowman drinking cups
I layered the place mat over the vinyl table cloth and then centered the dinner plate on the place mat and topped with the salad plate. I stuffed a mini stocking with silverware and a paper napkin. Each year, Elroy brings the boys an ornament for the Christmas tree in their rooms. I use a Sharpie to write Merry Christmas from Elroy on the back of the ornament as well as the year.
Centerpiece
The table’s centerpiece was a serving tray with the arrival note from Elroy on an easel. I propped the Elf on the Shelf book in the background and dangled a string of battery operated lights around the tray. I used a red cake stand to display a fun food items and a snowman sign. The snowman sign was stick in a clear vase wrapped with decorative paper. I stuffed tissue paper in the vase and topped with small red pom pom balls. I tapes the snowman sign to a cake pop stick and balances in the vase. The snowman sign and vase were made using a printable from Amanda’s Parties To Go.
Above the table I hung snowflakes of various sizes and colors using colored string. On the backs of the chairs I tied lime organza bows. The food for the party varies from year to year. I’ve made candy caned stacks of powdered donuts, chimney pudding cups, snowmen on a stick and donut Santa hats. All those treats serve as appetizers and a distraction while daddy makes the main course; Santa Cakes. The Santa Cakes are made with a basic pancake face, chocolate chip eyes, an M&M nose, a strawberry hat and loads of whip cream. The boys love the pancakes and look forward to our Santa breakfast each year. The breakfast has become one of our favorite family traditions.
For more holiday ideas, see my posts on Elf on the Shelf ideas as well as a Christmas themed movie party.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle