This Easy No-Sew DIY Gnome Costume is Perfect for Halloween

We made this gnome costume and had such a great time with it the pictures were all blurry because the little one was running around with glee. Everyone was having such a great time and that makes this quick and easy no-sew gnome costume a win.

Making homemade costumes or dress up for pretend play sessions should not be a chore. Using felt, a hot glue gun, and some craft store staples like fur and fill, you can make this adorable costume in less than thirty minutes.

A small child standing in a yard with a tree dressed in a DIY homemade gnome costume with red jacket and hat, big nose and a long white beard.
Grab some felt and a little one to make this fun, easy, no-sew gnome costume in less than 30-minutes.

Gnome Costume

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I am a huge proponent of pretend play and dress up – my popular tutorials for DIY Halloween costumes and dress-up aprons show that so many others are, as well.

We got caught in the rain the other day (go figure, it IS Seattle), and whipped up some fun gnome Rice Krispies treats with my daughter. After talking about Halloween, we came up with a quick, no-sew garden gnome costume idea and just had to make it.

RELATED READING: Free Gnome Hat Pattern for Costumes and Dress Up

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

If you need to run the craft store or check your stash, be sure to save this to your favorite costume pin board or share it to Facebook. It will be easy to find and here when you’re ready to start.

Little girl wearing a red and gray gnome costume with long white beard and big nose with text overlay which reads easy gnome costume for kids.

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Tips to Make this Gnome Costume Pattern

  • Measure your little one before you start. This gnome costume pattern has no “give” to it because there’s no elastic and the red felt. If you want to adjust the fabric from felt to fleece, everything will still work.
  • For pictures, have the kids take off their shoes and go barefoot. It was really, really cold here when we snapped these shots and watching our little DIY garden gnome run around was hilarious.
  • The only part of actual sewing in this no-sew gnome costume is stitching on the pocket and to hold the button on. And honestly, that’s only because I had put away the glue gun so you can use that.
  • If you would like to line the back of the fur fabric of the gnome beard with a knit or something softer, just glue it on with the hot glue gun.
  • Once you have this made, make the gnome hat pattern for kids with these instructions.
A young child dressed in a gnome costume standing in a yard in front of a big tree modeling a  no sewing required gnome costume.

How Do I Make a Gnome Costume?

Below is the written tutorial and if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. I’d love for you to make this because the kids will love it and the fur is just so much for them.

Yield: 1 gnome costume

Gnome Costume

child dressed in a gnome costume standing in a yard to represent how to make a gnome costume no sew

This adorable gnome costume is no-sew and quick to come together. The kids will love to help create this from fur and felt.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

  • ¼ yard red felt fabric
  • 1 scrap grey felt fabric about 4-inches by 6-inches in size
  • 1 container fabric glue
  • 1 button
  • Red or blue leggings
  • white or blue long sleeved shirt
  • Red shoes (optional)

Tools

  • Needle & red thread (for accents)
  • Pins for holding fabric in place while glue dries

Instructions

  1. Fold the red felt fabric in half on the long side and cut a 20-inch by 18-inch rectangle out of the folded fabric. This is based on a width of 14-inches around for my child, so if your child is larger or smaller, adjust as necessary.
  2. Glue the side opposite of the fold together within 1-inch of the edge. Pin fabric to hold it in place while the glue dries. Allow the glue to dry completely.
  3. Cut a 8-10-inch wide semi-circle from the top end, at least 2-inches from the folded edge of the fabric. This creates a hole for the kid’s head and neck (the “neck hole”).photo tutorial of how to make a gnome costume
  4. Glue the top ends of the fabric remaining on either side of the neck hole, creating the shoulders.
  5. Cut ¼-inch from the folded side from the top to 5-6-inches down from the top. Fold the shirt in half and copy the cut you made on this side onto the other, accounting for 1-inch of hem space. This creates the arm holes.
  6. Turn the shirt right-side-out.
  7. Place the scrap of grey felt fabric on the lower side of the shirt. Glue in place along the edges or stitch with the needle and red thread. photo tutorial of how to make a gnome costume
  8. Sew the button in place on the pocket.gnome costume detail of hand sewing a button onto a pocket
  9. Have the little one put on the leggings and long-sleeve shirt, followed by this red felt shirt.

Notes

For more fun gnome crafts and ideas, visit RufflesandRainBoots.com

Did you make this?

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

More Gnome Crafts and Ideas You Might Like

  • Gnome Hat for Kids – With a gnome costume, you NEED a gnome hat. This one is easy and adorable.
  • Everything You Need to Know About Making Gnomes – If gnome-making is in your future, or you’re just gnome-curious, this is the one-stop-shop for all your potential gnome craft enjoyment.
  • Gnome Rice Krispies Treats – Remember that garden gnome party you weren’t planning but now you’re throwing for your adorably-decked-out-gnome? You’re going to need snacks.

Please Share or Save This

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Know a friend who’d like this? Please share it to a crafty Facebook group or save it to your favorite costumes pin board.

Photo collage of kids gnome costume tutorial with no sew method with text which reads easy gnome costume.
This easy gnome costume for kids is a fun afternoon DIY.

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