Basketball Mini-Hoop

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Living Room Difficulty ●●●○○ Messiness ●○○○○ Ages 3–10

How it's done

Your elf is taking to the court tonight by hanging a hoop made from a paper cup on a chair back or a wall. You can secure a small ball or a crumpled piece of foil near the rim to make it look like the elf is in mid-dunk. This setup is perfect for kids aged three to ten who love sports. It takes about fifteen minutes to assemble and leaves zero cleanup behind for you in the morning. This basketball setup is Inspired by What Moms Love.

You'll need

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Pets in the house?

Should be fine around pets as long as you place it out of reach.

Why this works

Living-room scenes are the most photogenic. The Christmas tree, the couch, the mantel all frame the elf beautifully for the family photo you'll actually take (and maybe post). This mid-difficulty scene trades a little more setup time for a bigger 'wow' moment when your kids walk in.

Variations

  • Bigger-kid twist: For an older crowd that sees through simple scenes, step up to Canvas Self Portrait Art , same room, cleverer setup.

If it doesn't go to plan

If the elf ends up too well-hidden and the kids can't find it, nudge them with a vague hint ("Looks like our elf went somewhere cozy"), the discovery is the point.

Inspired by What Moms Love . Visit the original post for more photos and the full backstory.

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