Yarn Pom Pom Gnome Ornaments

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One of the Christmas crafts I decided to make this year is actually a combination of two crafts from previous years. A couple years ago I was making little yarn hat ornaments and last year I was doing some creative gift wrapping with yarn pom poms. This year I discovered that if I combined my tiny yarn hats and my homemade yarn pom poms, I could create cute DIY pom pom gnomes!

Yarn pom pom gnome ornaments

How To Make Gnomes Out of Toilet Paper Rolls and Yarn

One of the things I loved about this craft was that it used frugal craft supplies I already had on hand, one of which was nothing more than an empty cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper! I could also use leftover yarn from my knitting stash, and a few leftover wooden beads from my jewelry making. Here are the steps for making a DIY pom pom gnome, and a video showing the process is at the end of this post too.

Related:
My Free Knitting Patterns
How I make DIY Stretch Bead Bracelets

To begin making a pom pom gnome ornament, I always start with the hat, so these first instructions will be for how to make a little yarn hat and the foundation of the hat is just a piece cut from an empty cardboard toilet paper tube!

Making the Gnome hat: To start making the pom pom gnome’s hat, I begin by cutting a 1/2″ piece from the toilet paper roll (which is slightly smaller than the original yarn hats I made).

Cutting a ring from a toilet paper tube to make a gnome yarn hat ornament

Next I cut 40 pieces of yarn to a 12″ length. My super fast way to do this is to wrap yarn around a 12″ ruler 20 times, and then cut the looped yarn at both ends of the ruler.

Cutting yarn to make a gnome yarn hat ornament

The yarn pieces are then attached to the toilet paper tube ring with a very simple knot. To make the knot, fold the strand of yarn in half. Put the folded end through the cardboard ring. Then bring the two ends over top the of cardboard ring, through the looped end, and pull tight.

Wrapping yarn to make a pom pom gnome

Repeat this until the cardboard ring is completely covered. Sometimes I’ll have just a few of the 40 yarn pieces leftover, but most of the time 40 pieces is just right!

using yarn to make a hat on a toilet paper ring.

To finish the gnome’s hat, push all the yarn ends back through the cardboard tube ring. Once all the ends are pushed through, tie them all together using another small piece of yarn. I like my gnome hats to look just a bit taller so I tie them together about 1.5″ above the ring.

Then I stuff a couple of cotton balls into the hat to help them hold their shape. The last step for making the hat is to trim down the yarn ends at the top to a uniform size (about 1″).

Steps for making a yarn hat for a pom pom gnome ornament

Next make the gnome’s pom pom beard: When it comes to making pom poms, I really love my Clover Pom Pom Makers. They get the job done so efficiently and the result is always a nice looking pom pom. You can also make pom poms by wrapping yarn around a cardboard square, but again, once you use the pom pom makers, there will probably be no going back! For the gnome’s beard you will want a pom pom that’s about a 2″ size (I use the Clover 1.75″ size). You can watch me use the pom pom maker in the video that’s coming up below.

Making a yarn pom pom for a gnome ornament

Put the pom pom gnome ornament together: Now it’s time to assemble your gnome. All you need to do is glue the hat to the pom pom (I use a glue gun). Then you’ll finish up by gluing a small wooden bead directly under the brim of the hat for the gnome’s nose. I used a wooden bead that was a 10mm size.

making a gnome ornament with a yarn hat and yarn pom pom.

Because the bead was for jewelry making, it had holes in both ends. I glued one of sides with a hole under the brim of the hat, and the remaining hole on the bottom of the bead was not really noticeable in the yarn of the pom pom. However you can also add a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the bead to secure it down if you wish.

Adding a wooden bead nose to a pom pom gnome ornament

You can watch the video below to see all the steps in progress to help you make your own pom pom gnomes too!

Have Fun Making Lots of Pom Pom Gnomes!

Making these little yarn gnomes can be a fun way to use up the leftover yarn you might already have around in your stash and I guarantee you won’t be able to make just one! I particularly liked how my gnomes that had white beards with the variegated tan hats turned out. The yarn used for their hats is some of the leftover yarn from when I made my own slippers.

gnomes made from toilet paper rolls and yarn

But then I decided they needed a few more colorful buddies so I made a couple more gnomes with gray beards and green and blue hats.

Gnomes made with yarn pom poms and yarn hats made from toilet paper roll

And then I ended up making one more little gnome that I’m calling my Santa Gnome. That’s because he has a white beard and a red hat with a little white pom pom on the top – just like Santa! To see more info on how I make the pom pom hats, you can visit my original post about making these yarn hat ornaments.

A santa yarn pom pom gnome in a christmas tree

More DIY Christmas Craft Ideas:

Yarn Pom Pom Gnomes

These festive little pom pom gnomes are quick to make, and the foundation of their hats is a ring from a cardboard toilet paper roll!
Author: Beverly

Equipment:

  • Scissors
  • Pom Pom Maker (1.75" size) (Or you can use a 2" square piece of cardboard)
  • Cotton Balls (Or a small piece of tissue)
  • Hot Glue Gun

Materials:

  • Cardboard toilet paper roll
  • Yarn in medium size 4 worsted weight (approx 14 yards)
  • 10mm wooden bead

Instructions:

  • Begin by making the gnome's hat. The first step is to cut a 1/2" ring from the end of the empty cardboard toilet paper roll,
  • Next cut 40 pieces of yarn to a 12" length. My super fast way to do this is to wrap the yarn around a 12" ruler 20 times, and then cut the looped yarn at both ends of the ruler.
  • The yarn pieces are then attached to the toilet paper tube ring with a very simple knot. To make the knot, fold the strand of yarn in half. Put the folded end through the cardboard ring. Then bring the two ends over top the of cardboard ring, through the looped end, and pull tight. Repeat this step, knotting the yarn pieces onto the toilet paper ring, until the ring is completely covered.
  • To finish the gnome's hat, push all the yarn ends back through the cardboard tube ring. Once all the ends are pushed through, tie them all together using another small piece of yarn. I like my gnome hats to look just a bit taller so I tie them together about 1.5" above the ring.
  • Stuff a couple of cotton balls or a small piece of tissue into the hat to help the hat hold its shape.
  • The last step for making the hat is to trim down the yarn ends at the top to a uniform size (about 1").
  • Next make the gnome's beard by making a pom pom that's about a 2" size. I like to use the Clover 1.75" pom pom maker. You can also use a piece of cardboard that's about 2" square.
  • Glue the yarn hat to the finished pom pom with hot glue.
  • Then use a little hot glue to attach the wooden bead directly under the rim of the hat.

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5 Comments

  1. I’m a little confused about the amount of yarn it takes to make them. In the detailed instructions, it says 40-12″ pieces but in the materials lists it says you only need a few yards of yarn. Isn’t 40″ over 13 yards? I’m not a huge crafter so I want to make sure I’m not missing something. Thanks!

    1. Your math is correct – I guess because I’m a knitter where most projects require hundreds of yards, 13 yards did seem like a only few to me. 🙂 I’ve updated the instructions to make that amount more specific.

    1. An easy way to hang these gnomes to to tuck one end of an ornament hook into the yarn loops of the gnome hat, with the top end of the ornament hook being used for hanging. I think this is a bit easier than trying to attach a loop of ribbon or string.