I was inspired to create these adorable holiday gnomes after researching “gnomes” for my toddler’s Halloween costume. It was the best costume ever! He was so cute and so are these little gnomes!
Here’s what you need:
- Rice and or dried beans (I use them both)
- A regular long sock
- String or yarn
- Rubber bands
- Faux fur
- Razor knife
- A decorative sock for the body
- Felt or another decorative sock
- Skin colored material (I used the top of support hose. There, my secret is out)
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and sticks
- I also use a needle and thread but you could make it work with hot glue alone
- Optional: Hat decorations: embroidery, buttons, Pom-poms, bells, etc.
First things first:
Step #1
Fill the long sock with rice or a combo of rice and beans to a height of about six inches. Tie off the top tightly with string or yarn. You can cut the excess sock off to leave an inch of material above where you tied it off.
Step #2
Next, form the nose by simply pushing your fingers into the sock where you want the nose and pull outwards. Tip: form it bigger than you want because some of it will get away from you. I tied yarn around it tightly but you could use a rubber band.
Step #3
Cut a small circle of the hosiery or skin colored material and secure it with a rubber band. You can then adjust as needed. When it was set the way I wanted, I tied it off with yard and got rid of the band.
Step #4
Fit the decorative sock over the body of the gnome. Cut a line from the top to just above the bottom of the nose and secure it with hot glue. Tie up the top with yarn.
Step #5
Now he needs a beard. Cut the beard into a triangle at whatever width and length you want. Tip: I use a razor knife and cut the nine-fur side of the piece. This insures that you keep the long hair intact.
Step #6
Then cut out a notch where the beard will fit under his nose and hot glue it to the body. He’s almost gnome! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) You can trim off the extra on top if you need to.
Step #7
His hat. I do two different kinds (aka experiments). I’ve seen some people just use a sock but to me it looks like a sock on their head. See the picture here. This is how I cut the sock then I stitched up the seam by hand. Did I mention I’m no seamstress? But since you turn it inside out to stitch, then turn it back again you can’t even tell. Yes, the sock one needs a Pom-Pom on the end. I’ll get one later.
The second hat is made of red felt. Measure your gnomes head circumference (width) then add a half inch to allow for the seam. Then determine the height you want and cut the felt in a triangle shape but with a rounded bottom to those measurements.
I stitched mine on the seam but you could hot glue if you like. On this one I did a blanket stitch on the bottom (first time ever) and then a made little snowflakes all with embroidery thread. Oh, I’m also not an embroiderer. Is that a word? Anyway this was my first attempt.
I think they are so stinking cute. I hope you like them!
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