DIY Wooden gnomes

I miss my Christmas gnomes. After taking down all my Christmas decorations the house just looks empty! So the solution? Make Valentine’s Day Gnomes! This ended up being so easy that I might just make gnomes for every holiday.

Supplies you need:

Wood scraps
Sand paper
Paint
Painter’s tape (optional)
Crafting hearts (optional)
Sponge brush (optional)

Marker
Husky fur fabric (1 yard)
Exacto knife
Wood noses
Glue gun or wood glue

Step 1- Cut wooden triangles

Cut 3 wood triangles (or get your husband to). This can be out of any kind of wood. I used scrap wood we had left over from a project. I drew the dimensions out and measured one at 12″ tall, the 2nd at 10″ tall, and the third at 8″ tall. Of course they can all be the same height too. Once the cuts were made I sanded them down with sand paper.

Step 2- Paint the base

With paint from a craft store, I painted the base colors. I decided to make all their bodies gray (this will be covered by their beards anyway). Then choose the color of their hats, and the in between part is their face. Sky’s the limit to what colors you use.

Step 3- Decorate their hats

I started with paint and taped off lines to create stripes on the first hat. On the second hat I applied little wooden hearts with the glue gun. I painted the hearts red before I glued them on. The third hat was a little trickier. I wanted to make polka dots, so after some trial and error, decided a round sponge brush would be the easiest. I did 3 layers of different color dots.

For the stripes, I used painters tape to create the lines. After it dried, I sanded the whole thing down to make the lines softer.

You can buy the hearts from a craft store or Amazon. Paint them first and then just glue them on with a glue gun.

I tried to free-hand the dots the first time. That was a disaster. Stamping them with a round sponge brush was much easier. Just make sure you stamp the excess paint off before you apply it to the hat.

Step 4- Cut the beard

There are lots of beard fabrics out there. I read up on this and found that the best kind to use for this was the husky fur fabric by the yard. I bought two yards and it was way too much! That just means I have beards for the next set of gnomes I make!

Turn the fur over and draw a triangle for the beard. It’s helpful to measure how long you want it before drawing. Also make sure the hair is running down to the tip of the triangle (otherwise his beard will run sideways).

DO NOT JUST CUT THE FABRIC WITH SCISSORS! That makes a big huge mess. You need an exacto knife and as you cut along the lines, you only want to cut through the backing of the fabric, not the fur.

If you want a mustache and eyebrows draw those out as well (see first picture). Cut the same way, only cutting through the backing.

Step 5- Hot glue the beard and nose

Time to put everything together! Glue the wooden nose on (see below to purchase), and then the beard below it. If you are doing a mustache and eyebrows, those come next. I have found that a glue gun works best, but wood glue could also be used.

Admire your adorable gnomes!

To see more Valentine Day decorating ideas:

DIY Wooden Gnomes