Elf Moving Eyes Craft with a Free Printable Template

This little elf looks like he is keeping an eye on the Christmas cookies! Our moving-eyes elf craft features a green cap, pointed ears, rosy cheeks, and pupils that shift side to side when kids move a hidden slider behind his face.

Use the free template to trace the pieces, then add a cardboard backing and a loose white slider to create the moving-eye effect. This interactive Christmas craft lets kids play with it once assembly is finished.

This idea works for a December homeschool activity, a classroom art session, or an afternoon at home. If you’re looking for new seasonal inspiration and craft ideas, browse our Christmas crafts and printables for kids.

Fun and simple elf moving eyes craft with pointed ears, a green hat, and a red collar.

Table of Contents

How Do the Moving Eyes Work in This Christmas Craft for Kids?

The pupils are marked on a loose white sheet placed between the face and a cardboard backing. Two openings reveal them. A kid can reach through a hole in the back and shift the slider with a finger to make the elf look around.

Leave the white slider unglued. Only the outer edges of the face attach to the backing, away from its path.

This project suits elementary-age children with adult help for cutting and assembly. Preschoolers can decorate the larger pieces and enjoy the finished character while an adult prepares the moving mechanism.

Paper elf with moving eyes, pointed ears, a green hat, and a red collar.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure policy here.

Crayola Construction Paper Bulk Pack (480 Sheets) – 10 Assorted Colors, 9×12, Classroom Arts & Crafts Supplies for Kids, Art Paper for School Projects Paper Crafts for Kids: 25 Cut-Out Activities for Kids Ages 4-8 8 Rolls Colored Masking Tape Rainbow Colors Painters Tape Colorful Craft Art Paper Tape for Kids Labeling Arts Crafts DIY Decorative Coding Decoration Teaching Supplies, 0.6 Inch x 16 Yard, 8 Colors ARTISTRO 24 Acrylic Paint Markers for Rock, Fabric, Wood, Glass, Craft, Decoration – Dual-Tip Paint Pens – Stocking Stuffers, Christmas Gift Idea for Teens, Grandkids, Kids – Art Supplies 900 PCS Pom Poms, Multicolor Bulk Pom Poms Arts and Crafts, Soft and Fluffy Craft Pom Poms, Assorted Sizes Pompoms, for Arts and Craft Making Decorations Elmer’s Disappearing Purple School Glue Sticks, Washable, 6 Grams, 12 Count – Poster, Vision Board, Back to School, #1 Teacher Brand

Supplies for This Moving Eyes Elf Craft

Free printable template
Green, red, pink, and brown construction paper
White cardstock for the face and outer ears, or skin-tone card
Smooth white paper for the moving eye slider
Thin cardboard, such as a clean cereal box panel
Peach paint or another skin-tone color
Paintbrush
Pencil
Black pen
Scissors
Glue stick
Colored pencils for optional detail

Use skin-tone cardstock to skip painting. You can also change the cap colors, choose a different hair shade, or add patterns to the collar.

Supplies for the paper elf with moving eyes.

What Is Included in the Printable Elf Template?

The two-page template includes:

A face with two marked eye openings
A hat and round topper
A pointed band
A collar
Outer ears and smaller inner ears
Two cheeks and a round nose

Trim the white slider and cardboard backing separately to fit the face. The brown fringe shown in the photo is also made separately from a scrap.

How to Make a Paper Elf with Moving Eyes

1. Print, Trace, and Prepare the Pieces

Print both template pages at the same scale. Cut out the patterns and trace them onto your chosen colors.

Use green for the cap; red for the band, round topper, and collar; pink for the inner ears and cheeks; and a skin-tone shade for the nose. Trace the face and outer ears onto white cardstock if you plan to paint them, or use skin-tone cardstock.

Trim the pieces. Have an adult help you cut out the two eye openings in the face.

2. Color the Face and Outer Ears

Paint the face and two outer ear pieces peach or your chosen skin tone. Use a thin coat and let everything dry completely before assembly.

Skip this step when using skin-tone cardstock. If the colored pieces curl slightly, gently flatten them before continuing.

Painted elf face with two eye openings beside the outer ear pieces.

3. Make the Cardboard Backing and White Slider

Use the face shape as a size guide to make a backing that will hide behind it. Add an oval finger-access opening in the lower section. An adult should handle this step.

Make a rounded white slider slightly smaller than the face. It needs to cover both eye openings while leaving a narrow border for attaching the front to the cardboard.

Place the slider on the backing and lay the face over it without adhesive. Check that it covers both eyes as you shift it a little from side to side. You should be able to touch the back of the slider through the finger opening.

Cardboard elf backing with a finger hole beside a white paper eye insert.

4. Assemble the Moving Eye Layer

Place the pieces in this order:

Cardboard backing on the bottom
Loose white slider in the middle
Face on top

Rounded cardboard backing with a large center opening.

Apply a narrow strip of adhesive only along the outer attachment edges where the face meets the backing, outside the sliding area. Keep the insert completely free.

Attach the face without pressing the pieces tightly together. Let the adhesive set, then gently test the slider through the opening in the back. It should move a short distance in either direction.

Painted elf face with eye holes beside a glue stick.

5. Outline the Pieces and Add the Ears

Use a black marker to outline the face and eye openings. Outline the cap, collar, nose, cheeks, and ear pieces if you want the bold edges to pop like the sample.

Colored elf craft pieces outlined with a black marker.

Attach each pink inner ear to a larger outer ear. Secure the assembled ears to the sides of the head, keeping adhesive away from the moving slider.

Add the round nose between and below the eyes, then attach a pink cheek on each side of the face.

Elf face assembled with ears, cheeks, and nose.

6. Add the Cap, Hair, and Collar

Attach the pointed red band along the bottom of the green cap and add the red circle to the tip. Place it at the top of the head and secure the red collar below the face.

Elf face with green hat and red collar attached.

Cut a small brown fringe with a wavy lower edge from a brown cardstock scrap. Fit it along the forehead beneath the band, then secure it without covering the eye openings.

You can test the fringe placement before attaching the cap if that makes the pieces easier to arrange.

Elf craft with brown hair added under the hat.

7. Mark the Pupils and Finishing Details

Center the white slider behind the eye openings. Hold it still and draw one black dot through each opening. Position the pupils so both eyes look in the same direction.

Let the ink set. Add eyebrows and a smile to the character’s face. Use a white colored pencil to add tiny highlights on the cap or collar, if desired.

Finished elf face with drawn eyes and markers beside it.

8. Make the Character Look Around

Once everything is set, hold the finished piece gently by the edges. Place a finger through the opening in the cardboard backing and move the slider slightly left and right.

Small movements work best. If there is enough clearance, try a slight upward or downward motion, too. This is where the craft meets play and becomes a fun way for kids to explore expressions.

1. Completed elf moving eyes craft with eyes looking sideways.

Moving Eyes Elf Craft Tutorial and Sliding Tips

Test the moving eye mechanism before adding the cap, ears, and collar. It is easier to make adjustments while the edges are still accessible.

Elf moving eyes craft christmas craft for kids with free template

If the white slider will not move:
Check for adhesive touching it. Gently loosen the piece without tearing the face, or replace it if damaged.

If the slider catches on the edges:
Trim it slightly or round the corners. Keep it large enough to cover both eye openings as it moves.

If the pieces feel too tight:
Avoid pressing the face firmly against the slider. Add small cardstock spacers along the outer attachment edges if you need more room.

If the pupils disappear:
Move the slider a shorter distance. A small shift is enough to change the expression.

If the cardboard bends during play:
Use a sturdier, thin rectangular piece of card. Hold the project by the edges instead of squeezing the face.

Fun Elf Art and Activity Ideas for Kids

Play a direction game. Ask each kid to make the character look left, right, up, or down. Take turns giving directions and copying one another’s eye movements.

Tell a short Christmas story. Give the character a name and a job in Santa’s workshop. Ask children what caught the elf’s attention, then let a kid move the eyes while making up a scene about a hidden present, Christmas cookies, or a nearby reindeer.

Create a December kids craft station. For a class or homeschool co-op, prepare the cardboard openings and eye spaces ahead of time. Set out the colored pieces in small trays and demonstrate the three-part setup before each kid begins assembling.

Pair it with another printable. Our Elf on the Shelf secret message decoder adds a printable puzzle to a holiday-themed afternoon. You can also leave the supplies beside your family’s visiting helper as an invitation to create together.

Keep the back of the finished project accessible for play. If you display it on a wall, take it down when a kid wants to operate the eyes.

Get the Free Moving Eyes Elf Template

Print the two-page template to start this fun paper project. The patterns include the face, cap pieces, ears, nose, cheeks, and collar. Use the step-by-step directions above to add the cardboard backing, loose eye slider, and brown fringe.

More Elf Crafts for Kids

Make a small collection of Christmas elves using different craft materials:

Elf handprint craft: Turn a handprint into an elf-themed holiday project.
Elf popsicle stick ornament: Make an elf decoration to hang on the Christmas tree.
Cardboard cone Christmas elf: Create a standing elf for a tabletop holiday display.
Elf on the Shelf Arrival Letters

How do you make an elf’s eyes move?

Mark pupils on a loose white slider behind two openings in the face. An opening in the cardboard backing lets you shift it with a finger, moving the pupils side to side.

Does the printable include the face?

Yes. The second template page includes the face and two marked eye openings. The first page includes the cap pieces, ears, nose, cheeks, and collar. Prepare the cardboard backing, eye slider, and brown hair fringe separately.

Can Preschoolers Make This Christmas Craft?

Preschoolers can help decorate and assemble the larger pieces. An adult should prepare the small openings and help build the sliding mechanism. For another easy project with a plate base, try our elf paper plate craft.

Can I make the project without painting?

Yes. Trace the face and outer ears onto skin-tone cardstock. This makes the project easier and removes the painting step and drying time.

Do I need googly eyes or paper fasteners?

No. This version uses pupils marked on a sliding piece. You don’t need googly eyes, split pins, or brads to create the moving-eye effect.

Why are the eyes stuck?

The slider may have adhesive, be too large, or fit too tightly between the face and backing. Keep adhesive outside the sliding area, trim the piece if necessary, and leave enough space for movement.