Coat Pocket Camper: Tiny Winter Hideout
Published on September 15, 2025
The coat rack grew a camper. Your elf is tucked in a jacket pocket with a tissue sleeping bag, looking like they claimed the warmest real estate in the house. If you already have a posable holiday elf, skip to the recipe. If you don't, start with the setup kit.
Use a coat that is not going out the door in the next ten minutes, and keep small camping bits out of toddler reach.
You Will Need This:
- • Your holiday elf
- • A hanging coat with a roomy pocket
- • A tissue or washcloth “sleeping bag”
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Pick the puffy coat
Choose the kid’s winter coat or a hanging parka with a wide pocket. Finding a roommate in your own jacket is the squeal.
Step 2: Make a tissue bed
Fold a tissue into the pocket as a sleeping bag. It takes ten seconds and looks like they packed for a blizzard.
Step 3: Tuck them in
Sit the elf so just the hat and eyes show over the pocket edge. A full hide is cute; a peek is what kids notice from the hallway.
Step 4: Leave a tiny marshmallow
If you have a mini marshmallow, set it on the pocket like campfire food; otherwise a cotton ball works. Then remember to remove food before anyone wears the coat.
Pro Tips:
- • Do this on the coat they grab for school so the reveal is built in.
- • A sticky note on the zipper that says “Occupied” is very funny.
- • Skip pockets full of real chapstick and crumbs; dump them first.
- • If the coat is leaving the house, move the elf to a hook after the photo.
