Big Foot Pompom Gnome with a Fur Pom Pom!

Today’s big foot pompom gnome is such a fun craft that I couldn’t wait to share it with you! It uses simple supplies, comes together so easily, and is probably the most adorable gnome you can make with a pompom.

For this easy craft, you will need a pompom, craft felt, wire, a hot glue gun, and some Model Magic®. Let’s get started making this adorable mini gnome with feet.

Horizontal image of a small silver vase of white flowers and red hat pompom gnome with clay gnome feet and nose on wood background.
Make the cutest fur pompom gnome with big feet and twisty felt hat.

RELATED READING: PomPom Pets – The Perfect Accessory for Gnomes!

DIY Big Foot Gnome with Model Magic®

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I cannot wait to come up with new ways to make gnomes. When I can’t sleep or I’m stuck on a long car ride, I whip out the iPad and start sketching.

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What is the best pattern to use when you don’t want to sew? Do you know the secrets to a properly-proportioned gnome? Do you know where to get the best-priced fur? 

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collage of diy gnomes teaching how to make a gnome with or without legs and with or without sewing

Patterns, designs for Cricut and Silhouette cutting machines, paintings, and so much more are born from my creative (chaos-filled) brain with just that little Apple Pencil and iPad! And that’s how today’s little DIY gnome came to be, as well.

No Time to Make This Right Now? Save or Share for Later

If you need to grab some pompoms or Model Magic® or pompoms, you can easily find this later by saving it to a crafty pin board or sharing it to your Facebook wall.

Vertical image of a black and white tipped fur pompom made into a gnome with a white gnome nose, clay gnome feet, and a red twisty felt gnome hat on a wood background with a flower.
The twisty hat and bubbly toes make this no sew fur pompom gnome the sweetest addition to your decor.

The Pompom Gnome Series on Ruffles and Rain Boots

If you’re new here, I make a lot of gnomes (there are hundreds here on the site and my YouTube channel). Over the years, I’ve created some of the most popular gnome tutorials on the Internet and have sold tens of thousands of free and premium patterns.

Years ago, I created the pompom pets sensation that spawned so many adorable gnome dogs, cats, bunnies, and more. The little fur balls are easy to make and are perfect for those wonky sizes of faux fur you have left over. But over the years, many have asked me about pre-made pompoms. Psst: they work for pets, too!

But because I like to challenge myself, I have been working on a series of pompom gnomes using basic materials you have on hand or can easily get. Today’s adorable little gnome DIY craft is part of that series.

Square close up image of a black and white fur pompom gnome with clay feet, nose, and a red, twisty felt hat.
Look at the adorable little bubble toes sticking out from under this pompom gnome with a felt hat.

What is Model Magic?

For today’s craft, I am using the Crayola® Model Magic to create a pair of bubbly-toed feet for a little felt hat gnome. It’s not a clay, per se, but a modeling foam and remains “spongy,” for lack of a better term. According to Crayola®, “it’s lightweight and somewhat flexible even why dry.”

Working with this is very different than working with polymer or air dry clay. I learned a LOT from this project and will share my mistakes and wins with you, just like always.

You can paint Model Magic®, though I opted to leave my project the original color. If you do want to use paint, wait 72 hours until the project is completely dry. Use acrylic paint and and seal it with an acrylic varnish.

What Pompoms Should I Use for Pom Pom Gnomes?

You can make your own pompoms, as shown in the pompom pets tutorial linked above, or you can purchase some. That’s what I did for this series and it honestly makes it so easy!

These are the pompoms I have been using. They’re on Amazon, inexpensive, and had great reviews on size, color, and variety. There are a few different color packs to give you options, as well.

How to Make a Model Magic Big Foot Pompom Gnome

Below is the written and printable tutorial for this 6-7 inch gnome with a felt, twisty hat. If you are a visual learner, watch the full, detail-filled Model Magic® fur pompom gnome with big feet video tutorial here on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel – we have a lot of fun over there.

There is no hat pattern provided in this one, but I promise the video makes it so easy to understand. It also gives you two ways to make the hat: straight or bent to the side or twisty (my favorite).

Yield: 1 Mini Gnome (6-7 Inches)

Big Foot Pompom Gnome

Square close up image of a black and white fur pompom gnome with clay feet, nose, and a red, twisty felt hat.

This adorable big foot pompom gnome is made with simple supplies and is honestly just a lot of fun to make! You will need to prepare the feet and nose in advance and let them air dry.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 25 minutes
Drying Time 24 minutes
Total Time 59 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

Tools

  • Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
  • Pliers
  • Wire Cutters
  • Craft Knife or Butter Knife

Instructions

  1. Fluff the pompom by holding onto the elastic, pulling out the fur, and shaking it vigorously.Crafter showing how to fluff a black fur pompom with wire and Model Magic clay on a teal background.
  2. Cut two 4 inch sections of 14 gauge wire using the wire cutters.Crafter using red and blue wire cutters on a teal background to cut a 14 gauge wire to 4 inches for use in a mini gnome craft.
  3. Bend one end of each of the wire sections with the pliers perpendicular about 1/4 of an inch.Crafter hands on teal background showing how to use pliers to bend wire to secure legs in mini gnome DIY.
  4. Remove one pack of modeling foam and roll into a ball. Flatten it and shape into a kidney bean shape. Repeat with another package to make the other foot.Crafter shaping two kidney bean shapes of white Crayola Model Magic on teal background.
  5. Cut off the top portion of each kidney bean shape. We will use this to form all of the toes.Crafter cutting off the top of the modeling foam on teal background.
  6. Combine the two cut portions into one and roll into a log.Crafter rolling white modeling foam into a log on a teal silicone background.
  7. Use the craft or butter knife to cut the log into portions for toes. I made four sets of toes, descending in size.Crafting cutting a rolled log of Model Magic into small pieces to form toes for the clay gnome feet.
  8. Roll each toe into a circle (or shape you would like). Cut a small portion of wire, press it into the foot, and then press the toe into the wire for stability and longevity.Rolled toes from modeling clay with a wire stuck into the foot bed for stability.
  9. Repeat until all toes are made and attached on both feet.White modeling foam Model Magic clay gnome feet with toes on teal background.
  10. Press wire (unbent portion on opposite end) into the bottom of the foot until the bent wire is pressed into the foot base and is flush.Crafter inserting bent wire into the Model Magic clay gnome feet before setting aside to dry.
  11. Roll modeling foam into a nose (mine was 1 inch). Leave all clay to dry (24 hours minimum).Crafter showing a one inch rolled clay gnome nose and feet with wire legs on teal background.
  12. Cut open the pompom (find the seam by feeling around the area where the elastic is and slice the glue gently with the craft knife.Crafter cutting open the pre-made faux fur pompom to be used for a gnome body.
  13. Glue the wire base into the bottom of the foot with the hot glue gun and glue sticks.Crafter gluing the wire legs into the white clay feet with a detail tip hot glue gun on a teal silicone mat.
  14. Use the pliers to bend over the top one inch of each leg.Crafter bending down the wire legs with pliers inserted into the clay gnome feet on a teal silicone mat background.
  15. Glue each bent portion of the legs into the back of the inside of the pompom (the back fabric piece behind the inner stuffing.Crafter gluing in the model magic and wire gnome feet into the open fur pompom gnome body.
  16. Use the hot glue to secure the front inside portion of the pompom (the fabric) over the wired legs and adhere it to the back portion, essentially locking in the legs and stuffing.Crafter hands using a detail tip glue gun to close the fur pompom gnome body with legs inside.
  17. Use the scissors to cut a felt hat triangle (detailed measurements and instructions provided in the video tutorial). Use pipe cleaners (optional) for a bendable hat - again, detail in video. Secure with glue.Crafter sealing a felt gnome hat closed with a detail tip Surebonder glue gun on teal silicone mat background.
  18. Part the fur to the fabric backing, add a generous portion of hot glue, and secure the nose.Crafter hands holding a Model Magic gnome nose in white and attaching it to a fur pompom gnome body with big feet on a teal background.
  19. Slip on the hat. Glue the front to the top of the nose and the back between the modeling foam feet.A twisty felt gnome hat being placed onto a black fur pompom gnome body with white nose and feet on a teal background.

Notes

  1. Use one packet per foot for the gnome feet so that they are large enough to be seen from under the body. 
  2. Glue the wire into the clay. If you bend it a lot after gluing it might need to be glued again. 
  3. Pull the hat all the way down to the feet and secure in place in the back.
  4. Fluff the pompom to cover the wire legs in the back.

Did you make this?

Please leave a comment or share a photo and tag me @rufflesandrain

More Fun Gnomes with Feet You Might Like

  • Fabric Gnome with Clay Feet – This big foot gnome went wild on YouTube and Pinterest because it was the first of its kind (and it’s hands-down adorable).
  • Dollar Tree Gnome with Feet – These are quick and easy to whip up and can be used with jars, pumpkins, soccer balls and other pieces from the Dollar Tree.
  • Polymer Clay Big Foot Gnomes – These are a fun and surprisingly easy set of gnomes to put together in an afternoon.

Please Save or Share This

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Stacked split vertical image of a black and white pompom with a white nose and feet wearing a red felt hat and close up of clay gnome feet with text which reads no sew faux fur pompom gnome.
There are a lot of fun details in this no sew pompom gnome!

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