3. Just plop them down somewhere in your house and announce their arrival. Honestly, introducing your Elf on the Shelf can really be as simple as setting up the elf somewhere in your home.

Elf With A Marker One of the more popular Elf on the Shelf ideas this year has been parents writing on their kids’ faces with markers and setting it up to look the elf was responsible. This one ...

New Jersey mom Mary Grego says the best part of her creative Elf on the Shelf displays is watching her two kids smile and seeing their "eyes glisten" Georgia Slater is a staff editor on the ...

Christy Heins, of North Aurora, Illinois, shared her exit strategy for getting out of the Elf on the Shelf routine in a hilarious Facebook post on Dec. 3 Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE.