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    Home » Craft Tutorials » Kids Crafts

    Sock Gnomes (Easy No Sew Tutorial + Video!)

    October 22, 2021 By Brandy 13 Comments

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    Our no sew sock gnomes are so cute and easy! They take less than 10 minutes to make and can be made with many different sock prints! This post contains affiliate links.

    You might also like our sock snowmen! If you're looking for a fun holiday craft for kids check out our paper cone Santa, our model magic ornaments or our thumbprint reindeer ornament! 

    two sock gnomes on table

    Watch our step by step video!

    two sock gnomes on a table

    DIY Sock Gnomes (no Sew)

    Looking for a quick and easy craft to brighten a shelf? These sock gnomes are just the thing. They take less than 10 minutes to make and are so fun. The best part? There's no sewing involved, minimal supplies, and can be made from any adult crew sock! You can totally make mini gnomes from kids' socks, but this one is intended to be made using an adult sock and includes a printable beard template!

    My girls love gnomes. We found some cute ones at Target last year and put them on the shelf in the kitchen. Now they can make their own for any holiday or occasion. How fun would these be for a craft night? Everyone would go home with their own gnome to add to their holiday decor. In February, grab some pink and red socks to make Valentine's Day gnomes!

    two sock gnomes on table

    Best Socks To Use for Sock Gnomes

    Solid socks work great for the gnome's body. I love these ones. This is a great project for mismatched socks!

    It's fun to use printed socks for the gnome's hat. I found mine at Target for $3 a pair. Walmart and Dollar Tree also sell inexpensive patterned socks. Crew socks work the best for sock gnomes. The banded edge is perfect for the hat since it's a finished edge and squeezes onto the gnome's head just right. If you'd like a long, droopy, hat that folds over you can use a knee-high sock. You can use an ankle sock for the body, but definitely use a crew sock for the hat. 

    You only need one sock from each pair so save the others for a second gnome!

    After making this project you'll have two unmatched socks. Save them for a later date or make a couple of extra gnomes to give as gifts.

    red and black sock gnome on table

    Sock Gnome Supplies

    sock gnome supplies: scissors, felt, socks, stuffing, rice, wood bead

    One solid adult crew sock: for the body.

    One patterned adult crew sock: for the hat.

    Rice: can also use dry beans. This will give the gnome a bit of weight, making it stand easily. Check out the jar method for filling the sock with rice. It's definitely easier than scooping rice into the sock with a spoon and even faster than using a funnel.

    Pillow stuffing (Polyfil): Just a bit to add on top of the rice. You can use all rice, but the more rice you use the heavier the gnome will be. I like using about ⅔ rice and ⅓ pillow stuffing for my gnomes. If you don't have pillow stuffing you can use scrap fabric or cotton balls. I save the stuffing from my old throw pillows for craft projects like this.

    Hair ties or rubber bands: These are used to tie off the socks. You can also tie off the ends with string, but I like using hair ties.

    Wood bead or half bead: You can use a wooden bead, half bead, or pom pom for the nose. I prefer using half beads. They don't have holes in the sides like beads and sit nice and flush. I ordered them from Amazon, but you can find wood beads at your local craft store like Hobby Lobby or Joann.

    Felt: One thing that makes our little gnomes different than others is the fact that we don't use craft fur. Felt is something that I always have on hand, it's $.25 a sheet and you can easily get 4 beards from one sheet. Easier to find and cheaper than faux fur.

    Printable beard pattern: feel free to print out our cutting template to use for the beard.

    Scissors

    Hot glue/hot glue gun

    black sock gnome

    Sock Gnome Tutorial

    Make sure to watch our step by step video for the best visual instructions! 

    Print
    5 from 8 votes

    No Sew Sock Gnomes

    Our no-sew sock gnomes take less than 10 minutes to make and can be made with many different sock prints! 
    Prep Time2 minutes mins
    Active Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time7 minutes mins
    Yield: 1 gnome
    Cost: under $5

    Equipment

    • scissors
    • hot glue gun

    Materials

    • 1 adult sock for body (crew or ankle)
    • 1 adult sock for hat (crew)
    • 1 ½ cups rice
    • pillow stuffing
    • 2 hair ties
    • 1 half wooden ball (or pom pom or wooden bead)
    • felt
    • cutting template for beard
    • 1 pencil (optional)
    • 1 pom pom optional

    Instructions

    • Fill a jar or cup with rice.
      jar of white rice
    • Slide the body sock over the jar, and turn the jar over to allow the sock to fill with rice.
      Pull the jar out of the sock.
      jar of rice inside sock
    • Add a couple of handfuls of pillow stuffing on top of rice. The sock should measure 6-7" from the bottom to the top of the pillow stuffing.
      sock filled with rice
    • Secure the opening with a hair tie. Trim excess.
      sock filled with rice and tied off with hair tie
    • Cut hat sock as shown, cutting just before the ankle. Set foot portion to the side (can use to make another gnome sometime). You'll be using the side with the finished edge band.
      scissors cutting foot off of sock
    • Turn the piece with the edge band inside out. Gather the cut (unfinished) end and secure it with a hair tie. Trim of excess.
      scissors trimming sock hat
    • Turn the sock right side out. You should now have a gnome body and a gnome hat.
      sock hat and sock body
    • Cut out a felt beard using the cutting template. Glue beard onto the front of the gnome.
      felt beard being glued onto gnome

    Pointy Hat

    • If you'd like your hat to stand up nice and tall, insert a pencil into the opening of the body. It should stick out a few inches. You can add a bit of hot glue around it to keep it in place.
      pencil in center of sock gnome
    • Slide hat over pencil. Arrange the hat so that the top is pointy and touching the top of the pencil.
      red sock hat on gnome

    Floppy Hat

    • For a floppy hat, simply slide the sock hat onto the gnome and hot glue it into place. You can hot glue a pom pom to the end of the hat if you'd like.
    • Glue the nose onto the front of the gnome.
      wooden ball nose glued onto gnome
    • Add a few dots of hot glue under the hat to keep it in place.
      hot glue attaching hat on sock gnome
    • Admire your adorable gnome!
      red and black sock gnome on table

    Video

    Notes

    These gnomes can be made with any adult crew socks.
     
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    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Nana says

      December 27, 2023 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      I am so excited to try this with the grandkids. We love love crafts and you always have so many fun fun things to do. Thank you

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        December 28, 2023 at 11:38 am

        Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy making them! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Bonnie says

      November 08, 2022 at 12:37 pm

      Sock gnomes are adorable. I have a question. What kind of hair ties do you use? Not having any girls, I'm not familiar with hair ties. Many of ties I found were not reusable, so not a good option for this. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        November 08, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        I just used inexpensive ones from Walmart. They come in clear or colored. It doesn’t really matter since you won’t see them anyway once the gnome is finished. You can also tie it off with string or yarn instead of using hair elastics if you’d like.

        Reply
    3. Denise Horsley says

      October 17, 2022 at 9:41 am

      How big of a half of wooden ball do you use.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 17, 2022 at 10:21 am

        Hi Denise! These are the exact ones that I used: https://amzn.to/3CayzKJ I think I used the 22mm ones, but there are a few different sizes in this package and the 25mm would work too.

        Reply
        • Denise Horsley says

          October 18, 2022 at 10:20 pm

          Thanks, I just these. I think I will have my Granddaughters help me make them.

          Reply
          • Brandy says

            October 18, 2022 at 10:34 pm

            That sounds like fun! What a sweet grandma!

            Reply
    4. DJ says

      January 15, 2022 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      I have to make some of these. I have some white fur I want to use instead of felt.

      Reply
    5. Laurie says

      December 10, 2021 at 12:02 am

      5 stars
      Love this! Doing these adorable gnomes with my daughters class for their winter party! Thanks for sharing ☺️

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        December 10, 2021 at 10:15 am

        Oh how fun! What a great mom---I hope they have a blast making them!!

        Reply
    6. waqas says

      November 18, 2021 at 10:43 am

      wow amazing..

      Reply
    7. Sandra says

      November 10, 2021 at 4:50 pm

      Awesome.

      Reply
    5 from 8 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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