Decorative gnomes are no longer a novelty. The friendly little guys from the Scandinavian countries won our hearts a few years ago and gather not only in the house but also in the garden, where elves made of fir green are very popular. Additionally, by using appropriate colors and patterns for clothing, they can be used for any season. This is also the case for autumn and today we have some examples with instructions for you. But instead of the classic gnome figure, we would like to offer you a cute door wreath alternative to decorate your front door in a fun autumnal way. See how you can make these gnomes for outside!
Autumnal beard made of leaves
It's the materials you use that give off the Secret Santa's vibe. You can create the perfect hat with rustic fabrics such as linen or checked fabric, while the beard can be made from straw orcolorful leavescan exist. Here is an example made from linen fabric and artificial foliage:
- Linen fabric
- Textile scissors and rotary cutter (normal scissors if necessary, but this makes cutting easier)
- artificial leaves (also self-pressed ones)
- Styroporkugel
- Hot glue
- cardboard
- Acrylic paint for the nose and brush
- optionally further decorations such as ribbons, rhinestones/brooches, lettering, bows
- for hanging: twine or cable ties
Secret Santa instructions – This is how it’s done
Draw the triangular shape of the hat on the cardboard. You can decide the size yourself, but it should correspond to the rest and, for example, have a good relationship with the nose. Then cut out the triangle, cut the Styrofoam ball in half and paint it the color you want for the nose. While the paint dries, line the cardboard triangle with the fabric to create the hat. To do this, simply wrap the fabric around the cardboard so that everything is covered at the end. Add a drop of hot glue here and there to hold the fabric in place.
Now glue a row of leaves to the hem of the hat. After gluing one or two more rows to the previous one, let each row become a little shorter to create the typical triangular shape of a long beard. Now apply hot glue to the cut side of the hemisphere and partially glue the nose under the hem of the hat. Glue a loop of string or cable ties to the back so you can hang up the decorative gnome. If you want, you can decorate the hat with other decorations.
Make gnomes for outside – the door wreath alternative with felt, rope and straw
As already mentioned, you can also make great gnomes for outside using other materials. One toointeresting pixie beardyou get if you use straw and/or rope. In this case, it is advisable to not only cut out a triangle from the cardboard, but also cut out part of the beard part so that you have a base to which you can stick the material to create a thicker beard. Otherwise the space under the hat is limited. Cut the materials for the beard into pieces and glue them together so that they will later be partially covered by the hat. In contrast to the example above, the hat is only added after the beard. Then add the other elements like the nose and decorations as well as string for hanging and you're done!
These gnomes are also cute:Making autumn gnomes: 2 instructions for young and old
Cool idea in contrasting colors
If you don't want it to be too rustic when making gnomes for outside, then use a contrasting color for the hat, for example, that is not actually typical for autumn. In this case, for example, it is a light blue knitted hat. But with that anywayautumnal charm(after all, it should still fit the season), make sure to design the rest in matching colors - a beard made of yellow, orange and red autumn leaves, for example. The two color schemes highlight each other and the Scandinavian gnome stands out even more.
Make gnomes for outside with a checked hat and beard made of wool
This last of our gnome ideas is also very nice - a combination of white wool and a warm checked pattern for the hat, which you can choose if you make gnomes yourself. You can either just cut out the hat shape from cardboard and let the wool threads hang freely. Or you can cut out a teardrop shape so that you can glue the threads completely onto cardboard. We also really like the small accents made from parcel cord for the tip of the hat and above the hem. The nose is made of a mini decorative pumpkin.
How about these ideas:Making autumn decorations for the garden: 5 simple craft ideas
