Christmas is coming! And with it, the joy of making memories with your family.
Our how to make Christmas gnomes tutorial will show you how to make felt gnomes in just a few simple steps, without a sewing machine.
These little gnomes easy enough for kids and adults alike, plus we even have a free gnome pattern that you can print out at home.
We’ll show you how to do each step, so let’s get started.
Can children make a felt Christmas gnome by themselves?
Of course! Children as young as preschoolers can help with this Christmas gnomes craft – just be sure they use child safety scissors.
For younger children who aren’t able to hand sew yet, you can make this a no-sew project and have them simply glue all the pieces together instead.
You can still stuff the middles by carefully applying glue to just the outside edges when placing the body and hat pieces together so that you create a cavity to stuff.
This craft should be doable as-is, by anyone aged 8 and older. But you know your child’s crafting skills best!
What kind of felt should I use?
There are so many different types of felt so you can choose your favorite and the one that is easiest to work with.
Some recommend using 100% wool or acrylic that’s medium weight and soft enough for the needle to pierce through easily.
For children, my favorite felt is this craft felt on Amazon, which is easy too work with and budget friendly.
My free pattern recommends colors to use for each of the cute gnomes, but feel free to personalize these to your liking.
How do I cut out my pieces?
Print the pattern template on card stock paper and then cut out the pieces.
Use these as a template to trace the outlines onto your felt. I like to use disappearing fabric pens. They disappear with heat or after 24 hours – it’s like magic!
Be sure to use sharp scissors that are designated only for fabric usage when cutting out your Christmas felt gnome ornament pattern pieces.
Can I use fabric instead of felt?
Yes, you can use any kind of fabric you have on hand for your cute gnome.
You could even mix and match, like make the hearts from a patterned fabric and keep everything else felt.
Can I change the size of the Gnome patterns?
Yes, you can make this any size you like!
To make your holiday DIY Gnomes bigger or smaller, all you have to do is scale the pattern bigger or smaller before printing. (or you can use a copy machine to scale after printing).
What about other tools and supplies?
To make your how to make Christmas gnomes, here’s what else you’ll need:
- A pair of sharp scissors (I like these Fiskars kids’ safety scissors)
- Craft glue, fabric glue or a hot glue gun
- Needle and coordinating thread
- stuffing (see below for my recommendations)
- Ribbon (if making ornaments)
- Disappearing Ink Fabric Pens
In addition to these supplies, you will need to download and print my free felt Gnome Ornament pattern.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print this file. (Don’t worry, it’s free!)
How do you stuff the felt Gnomes?
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to stuff your little gnome friends.
Just make sure you leave a gap to work with and start by using your fingers to push the stuffing in the space you want stuffed.
Projects that have smaller spaces to fill (like the tip of the curly hat), you will want to use a tool (like a pencil or chopstick) to help push the stuffing where you want it to go.
What can I use for felt ornament stuffing?
Poly-fil is the most commonly used stuffing, but there are lots of alternatives you can use if you don’t have that on hand.
- Cotton balls or pads (pulled apart and fluffed)
- Repurpose an old pillow’s stuffing
- Use cut up fabric scraps
- Shred up some old t-shirts or towels
Tip for beginners
If you find that the pieces are moving round on you while you sew, you can tack them down with a very small amount of craft glue.
Try to place a very small dot right in the center and avoid any areas you plan to actually sew so that it doesn’t interfere with your needle going through.
Easy DIY Christmas Gnomes Tutorial
Christmas is a time of year when we can all get in the festive spirit and have some fun.
One way to enjoy the season is by making your own felt gnomes.
Make these adorable felt gnomes with your family or friends and then use them as holiday decor around your house.
These little guys even make a great gift on their own if you love gnomes, or they can be used to spruce up your Christmas gift wrapping.
Watch the Video Sew-Along
We have a video tutorial on YouTube as well as written instructions if you’d prefer reading over watching (we won’t judge) so pick your favorite format and let’s begin! 🙂
CRAFT SUPPLIES NEEDED
- Free Gnome Pattern
- Craft felt
- Ribbon
- Matching embroidery floss
- Poly-fil Stuffing
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
STITCHES USED
Running Stitch (on layering pieces)
Blanket Stitch (used around the outside edge while joining two pieces together)
PREPARATION
1. Print free gnome pattern pieces on heavy card stock paper.
2. Cut out each piece. Use them as templates to trace and cut out the appropriate color felt pieces as noted.
MAKE THE GNOME BODY
1. Sew the nose, heart and hands onto the beard with a running stitch.
2. Attach the beard to one body piece, also using a running stitch around the outer edge of the beard.
3. Place the second body piece behind the first and sew them together along the outside using a blanket stitch. Leave a small hole to stuff and then close off and finish. Set aside.
MAKE THE GNOME HAT
1. Begin sewing the two hat pieces to form the head. Use a blanket stitch to start at one side and stop at the other side so that you leave the entire bottom (where the head goes) open.
2. Use this hole to stuff and then place it onto the body, aligning it just above the nose.
3. Continue sewing across the bottom edge of the hat but now going through all pieces to attach the hat to the body. Finish off.
TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS GNOME ORNAMENT
Use a hot glue gun to apply hot glue on a loop of ribbon. Then attach the loop with more hot glue to the back of the gnome’s hat near the top.
*If you prefer a cleaner look, you could also sew the loop into the top of the hat by simply placing it where you would like while sewing the front and back hat pieces together.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Good luck and we hope you enjoyed this felt craft.
Be sure to post pictures of your project on Instagram and tag us so we can share them!
More Fun Holiday Crafts to Make
If you’d like to try more easy sewing crafts and free tutorials that include free printables, try one of these!
- How to Make Felt Christmas Ornaments
- DIY Gift Card Holders You’ll Love to Give for Christmas
- DIY Candy Cane Place Card Holders
- Nightmare Before Christmas: DIY Jack Skellington Felt Pattern (Free!)
How to Make Christmas Gnomes: Free Felt Gnomes Pattern
Our how to make Christmas gnomes tutorial will show you how to make felt gnomes in just a few simple steps, without a sewing machine.
These little gnomes easy enough for kids and adults alike, plus we even have a free pattern that you can print out at home.
Materials
- Craft felt
- Ribbon
- Matching embroidery floss
- Poly-fil Stuffing
Tools
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
PREPARATION
1. Print gnome pattern pieces on heavy card stock paper.
2. Cut out each piece. Use them as templates to trace and cut out the appropriate color felt pieces as noted.
MAKE THE BODY
1. Sew the nose, heart and hands onto the beard with a running stitch.
2. Attach the beard to one body piece, also using a running stitch around the outer edge of the beard.
3. Place the second body piece behind the first and sew them together along the outside using a blanket stitch. Leave a small hole to stuff and then close off and finish. Set aside.
MAKE THE HEAD/HAT
1. Begin sewing the two hat pieces to form the head. Use a blanket stitch to start at one side and stop at the other side so that you leave the entire bottom (where the head goes) open.
2. Use this hole to stuff and then place it onto the body, aligning it just above the nose.
3. Continue sewing across the bottom edge of the hat but now going through all pieces to attach the hat to the body. Finish off.
TO MAKE AN ORNAMENT
Use a hot glue gun to place a loop of ribbon the the back of the gnome’s hat near the top.
*You could also sew the loop into the top of the hat by simply placing it where you would like while sewing the front and back hat pieces together.
Notes
STITCHES USED
Running Stitch (on layering pieces)
Blanket Stitch (used around the outside edge while joining two pieces together)
You can also make this a no sew project simply by using glue for everything in place of stitches!
TIP: You can tack down smaller pieces with a very small amount of glue if you find they move around on your while trying to sew.
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