Irish eyes will be smiling when you make our Irish gnome craft this St. Patrick’s Day! Gnomes, diminutive beings with their roots in medieval and European folklore, have made their way from embellishing our gardens to decorating our homes.
Although similar in appearance to Santa and his elves, these sprites do not limit their appearance to the Christmas season. Indeed, they also decorate our homes for other holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day, and the seasons. And gnomes are popular in every room in the home. For example, you’ll find them on bath towels, dishware, sheets, bedspreads, wall art, lamps, shower curtains, doormats, pillows, blankets, toothbrush holders, tea towels, aprons, tablecloths and more.
Make Your Own Irish Gnome Craft
This fella is so winsome you’ll want to make at least a few so you have one left for yourself when your friends all ask to take him home! In fact, everyone in your family will likely want one, too. This Irish gnome craft is naturally weighted and stays put on most any surface. In any case, he’s right at home in the kitchen, playroom, office, family room, bedroom, dining room and even bathroom!
Irish Gnome Craft
Equipment
- scissors
- glue gun & sticks
- pencil
Ingredients
- 1 black sock with some stretch
- 1 16 ounce bag of dry beans
- artificial fur (A 9-inch by 9 1/2-inch piece will yield two gnome beards.)
- 1 wooden bead or pom pon
- 1 sheet of green cardstock
- 5 yds. 3/4-inch green tinsel garland (A 10-yard reel will make two leprechaun hats.)
- 1 7-inch piece of black cardstock that is 1 1/2 inches wide. (We used a strip of faux leather leftover from another DIY craft.)
- 1 sheet of gold glitter foam
Instructions
- 1. Fill the sock with dry beans. Tie a knot in the sock above the beans.
- 2. Lay the piece of faux fur on a safe cutting surface, fur side down with the pile pointing down. Next, lay the filled sock on the fur backing as pictured and mark the center just below the bottom of the filled sock. Then mark one side about 1 1/2 inches down from the top edge. Using a straight edge, draw a line from the edge to the center of the fur piece. Fold the fur piece over to match and mark the other side. Again, using a straight edge, draw a line from each edge to the center of the fur piece. Cut the backing along the lines, being careful not to cut the fur. You can use scissors if you are able to cut the backing only and not the fur.
- 3. Glue the fur beard around the top of the bean-filled sock, about 3/4 of an inch out from the knot. Your beard may overlap a little in the back as you glue it into place.
- 4. Shape your bearded sock and glue the wooden bead (nose) about 1 1/4 inches down from the top of the beard.
- 5. Print our DIY Sock Gnome Leprechaun Hat template and cut out the hat brim and clover buckle patterns. Also cut a 12-inch by 5-inch rectangle from a sheet of green cardstock. Fold one long edge in approximately 3/4 to 1 inch. Open the fold and make 8 small cuts from the outer edge to the fold line as pictured on the template.
- 6. Roll the rectangle into a cylinder and tape it closed to form the "stovepipe" of the hat. Trace the circular outer edge of the cylinder onto the green cardstock and cut it out to make the flat, round top of the hat. Tape the cylinder to the brim using the tabs, and then tape the flat top into place.
- 7. Glue the green tinsel garland to the hat, beginning with the brim and working your way to the top. Finally, glue the black strip to the base of the stovepipe portion of the hat and the gold glitter foam shamrock to the front.
- Please Note: If you are planning to change your gnome's hat for the holidays and seasons, don't glue the leprechaun hat to his head, If, however, your gnome is destined to always be a leprechaun, glue the hat to the top of his head.
More Irish Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day
Here a shamrock, there a shamrock, everywhere a shamrock! By all means, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a little green all throughout your day. What’s more, you’ll never get pinched! We like to celebrate with a shamrock straw topper, shamrock garland, tasty shamrock green peppers and a shamrock hair pin. Make them all and craft yourself a great St. Patrick’s Day.
Even Santa Has a Green Thumb
After all, green is the color of the day on St. Patrick’s Day! Our Green Thumb Possible Dreams Santa is celebrating as he waters a shamrock-shaped bush with gold coins below. Without a doubt, it looks like he’s found the gold at the end of the rainbow!
Shop Bronner’s for lights, ornaments and more to brighten your St. Patrick’s Day celebration.