Easy DIY Gnome Ornament
These easy DIY gnome ornaments are cute Scandinavian Christmas decorations you can add to your home this year!
When I found out how simple it was to make a gnome ornament, I knew I had to make a few (or a dozen, really!) to add to my home this year! Gnomes are a hot trend for the holidays right now. And when you can make them with just felt, yarn and hot glue, why wouldn’t you add these to your tree?
This DIY tutorial is very similar to my DIY gnome wine bottle topper. And I love that! The materials are almost the same, so you could make both the wine bottle topper and these ornaments with the same craft supplies!
As Seen in Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Crafts 2022 Magazine!
My ornaments are featured on Page 91 of this popular DIY magazine!
These gnome Christmas ornaments are oversized. As you can see in the instructions photos, they are bigger than the palm of a hand! So you can use them in a variety of other ways, such as door knob hangers, present toppers, hanging from the center of a wreath on the front door, etc.
You might also like my easy DIY Grinch Gnome, too!
How To Make a Gnome Ornament (No-Sew)
Supplies
- Free Printable Gnome Hat Pattern – click this link to download it!
- Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn, Wheat
- Felt Sheets (I used maroon, forest green and grey)
- Fabric Scissors
- Twine, 3mm
- Wood ball, solid unfinished, ¾” diameter
- 2 small wood circle slices, ¼” diameter (or use 2 buttons)
- Hot glue gun with clear glue sticks
- DecoArt Extreme Sheen in 24K Gold
- Fine tip paintbrush
Directions
Take one end of the yarn and begin wrapping it loosely around the palm of your hand, approximately 50 times.
Cut the end of the yarn after wrapping around your hand.
Now, cut a 5” long strand and secure that around the wrapped yarn, removing your hand. Tie the strand into a tight knot around the yarn that was wrapped around your hand.
Cut the yarn loops to form pom-pom. Put pom-pom aside for the time being.
Paint the surface of the wood circles in gold paint. Let dry.
Print out the gnome hat pattern (the link to download is in the supplies list). Place the pattern on top of the felt sheet and cut along the solid line.
Wrap the felt into a cone-shaped gnome hat using a wooden dowel (or pencil) to help wrap the felt around leaving a small opening at the cone tip.
Glue the overlapping edges of the felt cone-shaped hat to hold in place.
Cut a piece of twine 20” long and fold in half.
Tie the cut ends of the twine around the pom-pom, weaving the twine under the pom pom knot to secure first.
Pull the looped end of the twine up through the hole at the top of the hat.
Pull on the twine gently to pull the gnome beard into the hat.
Glue one wood ball to the bottom edge of the hat. Glue two painted wood circles onto the front of the hat as shown (or use buttons if you’d like).
Trim any really long and uneven yarn ends. Be sure to keep the yarn in the center the beard the longest to really look like a gnome beard!
More Scandinavian Christmas DIY Projects:
Love these ornaments and I can see them on a wreath or doorknob. And, they’re so easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us.
Thanks, Barbara! Yes, I see them on door knobs, too. That’s where I love to hang oversized ornaments that might be too heavy for my tree. I think they’re cute! I appreciate it!
hi, I like this Gnome ornament, but i can’t seem to find the piecefor the felt that you need for the felt hat. Don’t know the size?? where can i find it??
Hi Sheila! The link to download the pattern file is in the supplies list for the project. Enjoy!
It is possible to download the instructions for making the gnomes?
Do you know how many yards it takes to create one ornament? I will make these with 12 kids so I want to buy enough yarn. Also, the printable hat link just brings you back to this page. Can you please send it? Thanks!
Hi Anne! I don’t have the specifics of yardage. I tested the link, too, and it goes directly to the pattern page for me.
Very cute gnomes. Wonderfully clear instructions on how to make them.
Thank you for sharing your craft.
Thank you, Deirdre!
Every time I go to get the gnome hat pattern it takes me to a page to buy the gnome. I would like to get the pattern to the gnome ornament and gnome wine bottle topper.
I love your website.
Thank you!
Hi Cindi, There is no gnome ornament to buy. That link to buy must be from another type of website. I have emailed you directly!
Question I clicked on the link to buy the felt and the squares are 4×4. But when I print out the pattern it is 5×10. Can anyone tell me which size for the gnome hat should be. Thanks
Cheryl, Sorry for the confusion. The link was changed. This is the supplier that I use for my felt. It’s Benzie Designs. https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6220&awinaffid=312609&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fshop%2FBenzieDesign
What size is the hat pattern? What size sheet of felt? Your link above goes to a 4×4 sheet, but it looks larger?
Kendy, the felt should be a standard felt size, about 8 1/2 X 11 inches. I didn’t realize the link went to the 4 x 4 sizes.
These are adorable. Do you think the hats could be made with a cotton knit instead of the felt?
Leslie, you could try with cotton, however it won’t stand up like felt does. You need a stiffer fabric if you want the hat to stand up right. You could add interfacing to the fabric to give it some stiffness if you want to use cotton.
What size felt pieces should I be buying? The link to amazon brings me to 4×4 pieces but that seems too small. Thanks!
Hi Katie! The felt that I use is from Benzie Designs. I’ve updated the link, as I think the link must have been changed. Here is their shop with beautiful colors: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6220&awinaffid=312609&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fshop%2FBenzieDesign
These are adorable! Do you know how many yards of yarn are needed for each gnome? I am hoping to make them with my Girl Scouts and want to make sure I get enough.
Hi Gerry, I don’t know for sure how many yards are used for each gnome.
I made these with 18 women at a Christmas craft breakfast. Everyone loved it, some got very creative with braiding some of the beard! Plan to make some valentine gnomes now! Thanks for a fun craft!
Awesome to hear, Sandra! Thanks for sharing. I hope you have fun making Valentines gnomes, too!
@Sandra, how many skeins of yarn did you buy for 18 women to wrap around their hands abt 50 times? I need abt the same. Thank you!
I made some at Christmas and then I got carried away and just finished 28 off them for Valentine’s Day! Thanks! Wish I could add a picture!
Ha ha! Love hearing that! Glad you enjoyed! You can send me a picture via email at singlegirlsdiyinfo@gmail.com if you’d like!
thanks you for this patterns. I love the ornaments, specially the gnomes!
You’re welcome, Marina! Glad you enjoy them.
when I try to download the pattern for the gnome hat, it takes me to a place to check-out and buy the pattern. Can You help me please.
Hi Ginger, Yes, it can sound confusing when checking out on the platform. The pattern is indeed free, but the language used by the hosting platform might make you think you have to pay (which you don’t). I’ve sent you the pattern to your email.
How do I save and print the instructions? Thanks
Hi Mona! Click on the link in the supply list and you can download the pattern for free.
Do you glue the beard to the bottom of the hat or glue the string at the top to hold it in place?
Louise, I didn’t. If you pull the string up tight through the hole in the hat, the beard will be held in place. You can, of course, glue it if you would prefer.
Your felt & yarn gnomes turned out so cute, what a fantastic idea! I wanted to drop a quick message to let you know that I’ve featured your tutorial on Crafts on Display, hope you enjoy it!
Very cute! They look easy to make. And they have an upscale look. There are endless ways to embellish the hat!
Agree! You could add so many different embellishments!