Socks & Scraps Christmas Gnomes

You can make some super cute gnomes using socks, old clothes, ripped up pillows, and even shoulder pads. Well, that's what I used here. This was a fun project for me after sorting through a bunch of stuff to donate to charity. Whatever clothing and decor I felt didn't meet the standards for a second life, were torn up to make these little guys. Happy holidays!

There's a myriad of items you can use for this project. You don't have to use a sewing machine, I ended up turning mine one when I realized I wanted to make a TON of gnomes. :) But needle and thread will do, and if you don't have sewing skills, you can swap a bunch of this out with hot glue. I know I sometimes do.

You will need:

• socks (gnome body)
• cotton stuffing/cotton batting (beards and hat stuffing)
• scissors
• thin white fabric or sheer stockings (gnome nose)
• old shirts and shoulder pads (hats and shoes)
• needle/thread/sewing machine
• bells or mini ornaments (hat topper)

Take 2 socks and roll them into a ball. Insert into a long tube sock.

Fold the tube sock down once, twice, then a third time. This will create a head area that has a lip that will hold the beard.

Stuff 3 segments of cotton into the folded down sock to make the beard.

Cut out a circle of the thin white fabric, about 2 inches in size. Totally does not have to be a perfect circle!

Sew around the edges of the circle, then pull on the string to make a sort of a bowl.

Fill this little bowl up with some cotton stuffing.

Pull on the string taut, then sew it closed. You now have a button nose.

Sew the nose onto the sock right under the fold, through the beard.

I mostly used old tops and skirts for the hats. Take a big piece of scrap material and wrap it around the gnome's head to make sure it's big enough to slip on.

Fold the material in half so it's inside out. Mine fabric was about 10.5" x 4.5" when folded in half.

Take a straight edge and draw a tall cone onto the fabric.

Sew the side edges of the tall cone, leaving the bottom edge open.

Cut out the cone you just sewed, about 3mm outside of the sewed lines.

Flip the hat right side out.

Loosely stuff the hat with some cotton. I used more stuffing in some and did not put some in others, for variation.

Fold the rim of the hat inwards.

Pull the hat onto the gnome head so it touches the nose.

Sew the bell or mini ornament onto the end of the pointed hat.

I did not make shoes for all the gnomes but if you want to make them, this is how I did it. I used some shoulder pads from an ugly-as-sin top I found in storage, but you can use scrap materials.

Cut off the edges of the shoulder pads so you have 2 curved triangles.

The shoulder pad comes with a bit of stuffing, but not enough. Cut some cotton sheet stuffing the same size as the shoes.

Stuff the shoes with the cotton.

Sew up the edges of the shoes.

Sew the shoes onto the bottom of the gnome.

These gnomes will stand on the own cos of the weight of the socks. I like to anchor little bags of candy to them and have my nieces and nephews play a Christmas version of an Easter egg hunt, so to speak. They love the gnomes, and the candies!