During the holiday season I portray Santa and I do some simple magic tricks to enhance the experience for the kids. Next year I’m considering adding an event where families can schedule a visit and Santa where the children can get an Elf on a Shelf from Santa. I’m looking for plans to build a box that I can magically produce one.

Any tips or links to plans I could buy would be appreciated

Thanks Santa Bob

How many elves are you wanting it to hold? Or are you planning to load them with a sleight whenever you go to open it?

One elf at a time. Typically I schedule my visits so I have 10 minutes between families so I would have plenty of time to reload the box

I’m thinking I would like to be able to show the box empty and then produce it

Here's some youtube instruction for building one I found, may not be exactly what you are looking for but hope it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raiFzWTyEKU

That trick would work by PhantomStranger and you could decorate it with a bow and Xmas paper on the outside. The inside could be red and white stripes, like a candy cane. The angles are good for completely surrounded. You could make it any size you need and could be in your Santa bag.

You could do this with a drawer box. Easy to make and may as well decorate it to look like a wrapped present or such. Late to this conversation I know, but just in case you didn't get to it or if others want to use the idea.

The "MagicBox" sold by Practical Magic in the UK might be the right solution for you. It's a drawer box made of cardboard that you customize (for example, make it look like a shoe box, toy box, etc.)

https://practical-magic.com/products/magicbox

- Donald

Personally, I would make a little stand that holds it standing upright and use a crystal silk cylinder instead of a box. Would make for a much more visual appearance. I used to do this at comic book day shows with super hero action figures as a "teleportation chamber". Those stand up on their own. For the elf on shelf a stand would be needed. Just a simple round base with a dowel rod and clip would probably work great.