Christmas Gnomes
I love Christmas Gnomes. There is just something about these faceless characters with the big noses that make me smile every time I see them. So much so I wanted to make my own. I'm not talking little tiny sock ones, I wanted something big. So in the middle of the night when I do my best thinking it came to me. Tomatoe cages! Yes you heard me. The rest as they say is history. This project is so easy you can make them in an afternoon and everything you need can be purchased from your Dollar store.
So here are the supplies you will need to get going on your gnome. Tomato cage, one grey fleece blanket, grey fluffy socks, small kids red mittens, self adhesive Velcro, long Santa hat, Santa head with beard, large styrofoam ball, flesh colored paint, scissors and some plastic bags.
Take your fleece blanket and cut in half, it is easier to work with. Stand your tomato cage upside down and take your blanket and wrap around to measure. Cut to desired length.
Once cut, lie tomato cage on its side and cut your self adhesive Velcro the length of the blanket. Remove backing from one side and press along edge of blanket. Remove backing from the other side of Velcro and wrap blanket around to meet the other side. Press together firmly. Set aside.
Take your fluffy socks and using plastic bags stuff your socks leaving about an inch from the top unstuffed. Take your red mittens and put over the stuffed toe of the socks. Repeat steps with other sock. You now have two arms.
Take a needle and thread and attach your arms to the body.
Next you are going to paint your styrofoam ball flesh color. Once dry take a piece of wire about 3 inches long and stick into styrofoam ball.
Next you are going to cut a small slit in your blanket and stick your wire through the whole. Wrap wire around the tomato cage to secure.
Next you are going to take your Santa hat and stuff with plastic bags. Once stuffed place your hat on your tomato cage and pull down as far as it will go. Now you are going to take the Santa head with the beard and stuff up inside the hat so that all you can see is the beard. Arrange around the nose.
You should now have your own cute , not so little Christmas gnome. I made 3 out of one blanket. You can change the color of the arms by using different color socks and mitts.
Here they are in my front yard. As you can see I stuffed my hats differently for each one. I also had a smaller tomato cage so one is smaller than the other two.
Here is my other little one.
Here they are all together. Aren't they cute? I love how these turned out. I smile every time I see them as does everyone who walks past my front yard.
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Thank you, instructions were easy to follow. Loved it!
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Thanks
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I may try making one or more! They are very adorable and you did a great job! Thanks for sharing how to make them. I have grandiose ideas but don’t always follow through but these guys are too cute not to try anyway!
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Thanks Holly!
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Hi Melanie, Your Gnomes are as someone else said one of the best I have seen to date. I made small ones about 2 or 3 years ago before they became popular. I used a Dollar Tree sock for the body and hat fur I had from an old collar, made a polymer clay nose and slightly blushed it and a made pom pom for the tip of the hat filled a plastic bag for the filling ( can use as a paperweight or door stop etc.}. I especially love the arms and gloved hands and the mini skis. I love your whole scene AND the log and cement top table. Did you make the top or is that a round stepping stone that you made by chipping away at a square one? Thank you so much for sharing what you created. 🌲🎅🌲
how Y’all are the tomato cages?
wear do you get the beard from don't see you make it, it's nice would like to make one for Christmas 0ne,