How to Turn Yourself Into a Dancing Elf (Without Pasting Your Face on a Cartoon)
From the 2006 Elf Yourself e-cards to a whole-body AI elf: turn one photo into a 10-second elf dance by the tree or a 5-second workshop dance, which one to pick, photo tips and the price in credits.
To turn yourself into an elf on video, add one photo of yourself to the AI Elf Dance template. A burst of gold sparkles changes your clothes into a red and green elf suit with pointy ears and a hat with a bell, then you hop, kick and spin by a lit Christmas tree and end on a wink. It is 10 seconds, vertical 9:16. A second version puts you, already in costume, in Santa's snowy workshop for 5 seconds. Both need one photo of one adult, ideally from the knees up, and start at 10 credits.
1Upload a photo of you
JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC · under 20 MB0/1 photos
Photos that work best
- Clear, waist up
- Screenshots, stickers
- Head only
- Too dark or blurry
2Pick a template
- 10 s video
- 9:16, like the original
- Original song available
- No watermark
3Version
By making a video, you confirm you own these photos or have permission from everyone in them, and they don't show celebrities or anyone under 18.
Renders in about 5–10 minutes. We email you the link. Automatic refund if the photo is rejected or the render fails.
Elf Yourself started it in 2006
Putting yourself in a dancing elf goes back to Elf Yourself, which OfficeMax launched in December 2006 as a holiday site built by the agencies EVB and Toy. You uploaded photos of faces and they were put on cartoon elves dancing on screen. OfficeMax ran it with JibJab from 2008, and the site still comes back every holiday season (Wikipedia).
The AI version works the other way round. Instead of a cut-out face on a cartoon body, it is a real-looking person with your face, hair and build, in a real elf suit, in a real room. We have no link to Elf Yourself, JibJab or OfficeMax.
Tree or workshop: pick your elf
| By the tree | In the workshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 10 seconds | 5 seconds |
| How it starts | In your own clothes, then a sparkle change | Already an elf |
| Outfit | Red and green tunic with gold buttons, black belt, red and white striped stockings, curled shoes, tall red hat with a bell | Green velvet tunic (a short dress on a woman) with a red collar and scalloped hem, striped tights, red slippers, green hat with a bell |
| Room | A cozy living room, lit tree, presents on the floor | Tall shelves stacked with presents, snow on the floor |
| Moves | Side hops, heel kicks, wide arm swings, a spin, a bell flick and a wink | A two-handed wave, two claps, a back kick, a sway with arms out |
Choose the tree if the transformation is the joke: people watch the first second to see who you were before. Choose the workshop for a short loop that is all elf from the first frame. Both are on the same page, at the same price.
The tree version, from you to elf
- The before shot (first second). You stand by the tree in the clothes from your photo and smile.
- The change. Gold sparkles sweep over you and leave the elf suit, the pointy ears and the hat.
- The dance (to about 8 s). Hops from side to side, heels kicked up, arms swung wide and one happy spin, laughing at the camera.
- The close-up (last two seconds). The camera moves in to the knees; you flick the bell on your hat and wink.
Because your own outfit shows before the change, the photo you pick sets up the joke. An office shirt, a hoodie or your work uniform makes a bigger before-and-after than a red sweater that already looks festive.
Getting a believable elf from one photo
- Knees up or full length. Both dances are filmed full body, so your height and build come from the photo. A tight selfie works, but the body is guessed.
- Your whole head in the frame. The tall hat sits on top, and ears are added at the sides.
- Face toward the camera, in daylight or even light. The wink at the end is a close look at your face.
- No sunglasses, hats or heavy filters. The elf hat replaces whatever you have on.
- One adult only. No children and no celebrities; only photos of adults who agreed to it.
- For a crew of elves, make one video per person and put them side by side in an editor. Same scene, same moves, every face different.
What it costs
It isn't free; you pay in credits, and both elf versions cost the same. Balanced is 10 credits at 480p and 20 at 720p. Premium is 20 credits at 480p, 40 at 720p and 70 at 1080p. You can buy a single video without an account; the order form shows the price before you pay. No watermark, and failed renders are refunded automatically. Download it with a jingle-bell beat with no vocals, or silent to add your own song.
Where your elf goes in December
- The December 1 post that opens your Christmas season.
- The last team meeting before the break, as a slide or in the team chat.
- A Secret Santa hint: your elf "delivers" the clue.
- Your Christmas card to friends who live far away.
Caption ideas: "Promoted to head elf", "North Pole HR approved this", "Out of office: wrapping presents". Tag it #elf and #christmas, and keep the platform's AI label on so nobody asks where you got the costume.
