This post was most recently updated on January 31st, 2023
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!
Watch our step by step video!
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!
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 mis matched 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 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.
Sock Gnome Supplies
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 2/3 rice and 1/3 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 band: 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 other is the face 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
Sock Gnome Tutorial
Make sure to watch our step by step video for the best visual instructions!
No Sew Sock Gnomes
Equipment
- scissors
- hot glue gun
Materials
- 1 adult sock for body (crew)
- 1 adult sock for hat (crew)
- 1 1/2 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)
Instructions
- Fill a jar or cup with rice.
- Slide the body sock sock over jar, turn jar over to allow sock to fill with rice.Pull jar out of 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.
- Secure opening with hair tie.Cut off excess sock.
- 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.
- Turn piece with edge band inside out. Gather cut (unfinished) end and secure with a hair tie. Trim of excess.
- Turn right side out. You should now have a gnome body and a gnome hat.
- Cut out a felt beard using the cutting template. Glue beard onto the front of the gnome.
- This step is optional, but 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 couple of inches. You can add a bit of hot glue around it to keep it in place.
- Slide hat over pencil. Arrange the hat so that the top is pointy and touching the top of the pencil.
- Glue the nose onto the front of the gnome.
- Add a few dots of hot glue under the hat to keep it in place.
- Admire your adorable gnomes.
Video
Notes
Awesome.
wow amazing..
Love this! Doing these adorable gnomes with my daughters class for their winter party! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Oh how fun! What a great mom—I hope they have a blast making them!!
I have to make some of these. I have some white fur I want to use instead of felt.
How big of a half of wooden ball do you use.
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.
Thanks, I just these. I think I will have my Granddaughters help me make them.
That sounds like fun! What a sweet grandma!
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.
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.