Smiling elf in a bell hat tying a ribbon bow on a present with stars, snowflakes, and pine branches.

Smiling Elf Tying a Gift Bow

A cheerful elf in a striped shirt tightens a big bow on a square gift beside a spool of curling ribbon.

Free to print for personal and classroom use. This coloring page is part of the Elf collection, made for ages 5–7 and drawn in a Bold & Easy style. A good pick for Christmas.

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🎨 How to color it

Give the elf’s hat bright red with a gold bell, the striped shirt candy-cane red and white, the gift box sky blue, and the ribbon sunny yellow. Use chunky crayons or markers for the large hat, shirt stripes, and box panels, then help with the small stars and snowflakes if little hands want them colored. Try making the bow two yellows—light on the loops and darker on the knot—so it looks soft and puffy.

The story behind this coloring page

Ludo’s Ribbon-Riddle Trail — Under the tall ribbon cupboard, Ludo patted a square parcel and whispered, “Find the bow by following the curl.” It was his new game: tug one ribbon end, take three tiny steps, and see what secret shape it made. Read the full story →

Under the tall ribbon cupboard, Ludo patted a square parcel and whispered, “Find the bow by following the curl.” It was his new game: tug one ribbon end, take three tiny steps, and see what secret shape it made. The loose end slipped off the table with a silky shhh, so Ludo stepped after it between paper rolls that smelled like peppermint ink.

The ribbon led past a silver star clip, around a soft dust bunny, and under a shelf where the floor felt cold through his socks. He gave up his last cookie crumb to a clockwork mouse blocking the trail. “Fair trade,” Ludo said.

At the cupboard’s shadowy back, the ribbon had looped itself around a quiet little bell. Ludo carried both back, tied the bow snug, and heard the faintest hum. Next time you spot the big bow, can you imagine that silky shhh under the tall ribbon cupboard?