These DIY Gnomes with Flower Pot Hats Use Dollar Tree Supplies

The perfect garden gnome never existed until these gnomes with flower pot hats decided that, instead of planting, they’d plant themselves! Learn how to make spring and Christmas gnomes in flower pot hats.

My original pot head gnomes have become so popular, they’re all over Pinterest, Facebook, and being made on YouTube by other creators. Join in and create these flower gnomes with this easy DIY gnome tutorial.

flower pot hat gardening gnome
SO EASY! These DIY gnomes with flower pot hats are so simple and quick, you can make these Mother’s Day gnomes in minutes!

RELATED READING: How to Paint a Christmas Gnome (all tangled up!)

Gnomes with Flower Pot Hats

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, we adore all the antics gnomes can get into – they’re just so silly! And nothing is more fun than making a new one for the new season. Even better when they’re perfect for gifting, too! These adorable tomte are definitely up to a good time with those flower pot hats and big, pretty flowers.

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

How to Make Flower Pot Hat Gnomes

Horizontal photo collage tutorial of how to make a gnome with a flower pot hat

First, paint both of the pots with the white acrylic paint and set aside to dry completely.

Combining a small amount of the white and pink paint, and the white and blue paint, make a more pastel version of your colorful paint options. Paint each pot one color, with the exception of the bottom of the pot (the top of the hat). Paint the top of the hat with the paint straight from the bottle to add a little contrast and depth. Allow this coat of paint to dry completely. Add a second coat of paint, if desired, and allow this coat to dry completely.

Place one of the wood rounds into the toe of one of the children’s ankle sock, working it all the way down so there are no wrinkles. Follow by adding about 1/2 cup of Poly-Beads to the sock and finish by adding about 2 cups of Poly-Fill to the sock. Work the Poly-Fill down and around the Poly-Beads to ensure that they will not show and that the body is solid. Test-fit the hat to make sure that the filled sock, with the wood ball nose, will fit before proceeding.

Tie the sock off with the embroidery thread and repeat test-fitting the hat. I did not care for where the hat sat on my gnome, so rather than tearing up what I had done, I simply cut the loose sock above the thread in half and tied the two pieces of sock top into a knot. This lifted the hat just a bit to where I felt it looked best.

Cut the Mongolian fur for your beard. You will want a piece that is long enough to cover your sock body, plus about 1/2-inch overlapping the hat, as well as wrap all the way around. To do this, you can lay the gnome on the fabric backing of the faux fur and approximate the shape and size of the beard you need.

Using a craft knife or razor blade, cut the faux fur fabric backing only and gently pull the beard from the remainder portion of the fur. You may want to comb the fur to give it a more clean look. Once cut, hot glue the beard to the sock body.

Horizontal photo collage tutorial of how to make a gnome with a pot hat

Attach the nose by splitting the faux fur down the middle of the front, all the way to the fabric backing. Then hot glue the wood ball in place, about 1/2-inch from the top of the beard.

Trim the faux fur in the back of the gnome to ensure that the hat will adhere to the sock, not the faux fur, then pull the hat (pot) down over the gnome, tucking the nose up under the rim of the hat (pot).Hot glue the sock and nose to the inside of the hat (pot) by adding a generous amount of glue to about the mid-line of the nose, up to the top of the sock, then pressing the hat down over this. You may want to push your fingers into the back of the sock to further press the front of the sock into the pot side.

Hot glue the back of the hat (pot) in place on the back of the gnome, tucking the sock body up into the pot, adding a generous amount of glue, then press the back of the pot into the sock to secure it.

Horizontal photo collage tutorial of how to make a flower pot gnome

Make the flower by tracing 6 3-inch circles on the back of your cotton fabric, then cutting them out with the pinking shears to reduce fraying. Fold each of the circles in half and iron them flat.

Then fold the half-circles in half again, making a 1/4 circle, and iron them flat. Using a running stitch, sew along the pinking-shear-cut side of the 1/4 circles of fabric, going in from the back to start the stitch, then going out the back for the last stitch on each petal. DO NOT TIE THE PETALS OFF.

Continue using the same needle and thread, working in a continuous running stitch to add all of the petals together onto one thread. Once all 6 petals of the flower are on the thread, pull the two ends together and knot them together tightly, securing the flower petals in a neat ring. Shape the petals and trim the thread ends.

Cut a small circle of dark felt, just wide enough to cover the opening in the center of the flower petals and glue this to the back side of the flower’s opening.

Repeat, cutting a small circle of dark felt, just wide enough to cover the opening of the flower petals and glue this to the front side of the flower’s opening.

Hot glue the flower to the front of the pot, just off-center, so it’s jaunty and fun. Add two faux floral lambs ear leaves behind the flower, with hot glue on the stems.

Repeat to make the second gnome and then they are ready to display!

Christmas Clay Pot Gnomes

These cute Christmas gnomes with clay pot hats are a great way to use those dollar store socks. This was one on a list of fun and easy Christmas crafts we created last year to add to our holiday decor. Watch the full Christmas pot head gnome video tutorial.

two gnomes with flower pot hats on a light Scandinavian wood Christmas background
Make these Christmas gnomes in flower pot hats by changing up the paint color, sock gnome base, and greenery.

RELATED READING: THE BEST SPRING GNOMES FOR FARMHOUSE DECOR

Beehive Sitting Pot Head Gnomes (with Feet)

You can change the paint color, ankle socks, wood beads, and accessories to create any themed gnome. I wanted to create and show a different style: a sitting pot head gnome with feet. Watch the beehive pot head gnome video tutorial to see how the cute feet were created!

Beehive gnome with flower pot hat sitting with bees with text which reads free tutorial pot head gnome.
This adorable beehive gnome hat was created with a clay pot from the Dollar Tree!

Mother’s Day Flower Pot Gnome

They’re super easy to make and would be a perfect Mother’s Day gnome gift. Choose Mom or Grandma’s favorite colors or patterns, grab your pots and socks, and let’s get started.

Close up image of two spring gnomes with a pot hat, fabric flower, and greenery, and a faux fur beard in Mongolian gray on a bed of moss.
Pot head gnomes are so adorable – and so easy to make!

Need to Gather Supplies? Save or Share This for Later

If you need to gather supplies or want to watch the gnome video tutorial first, use the sharing buttons. Save this to a Spring crafts pin board or share it on Facebook and it will be easy to find when you’re ready to begin.

Photo collage of diy sock pot head gnome with a flower pot hat with text which reads make these easy & fun gnomes with flower pot hats.
Make quick work of these adorable gnomes with Dollar Tree flower pots, socks, and a few extras.

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Tips to Make This Easy Sock Gnome

  • First, try not to overthink this. You’re putting a flower pot on a gnome’s head. :) The gnome body is basically going to be all but covered up with the flower pot and beard, so I opted to create a sock gnome.
  • One of the best parts about making gnomes is their noses. I generally like to make little gnome noses with anything round and nearby that fits that specific gnome. Though I often use a wooden ball or a polymer clay gnome nose I made, you can find so many things that work. My go-to are wood balls like these (and the seller is FABULOUS).
  • If the idea of making gnomes gives you some anxiety because of the faux fur beard, don’t worry. Even if you’ve never touched a gnome before, you can still get a flowy, lush beard without any issues. Many have used my quick video tutorial on how to cut faux fur gnomes beards and now make them look so tailored.
  • I got almost everything I needed to make this gnome at my local Dollar Tree. That said, most craft stores also have all of these items.
Two DIY Spring gnomes with a flower pot hat, fabric flower, and faux greenery on a bed of moss.
These adorable pot head gnomes are too cute and so easy to make.

How to Make Pot Head Gnomes

Below is my written tutorial. If you’re a visual learner or creating a gnomes DIY crafts playlist on YouTube, here is the flower pot hat gnome video tutorial!

More DIY Spring GNomes You Might Like

  • No-Sew Bee Gnome – This little tomte is so cute, he’s got a little honey dipper, all the black and yellow stripes you could imagine and WINGS!
  • Adorable Spring Sock Gnome with Boots – Boots, a cup of coffee and a twist in his hat, this wee little nisse is all about that spring vibe.
  • Spring Gnome with Rain Boots – Spring showers are an inevitable part of the growing process, so to celebrate that, I made a fun and simple no-sew cone gnome with little rain boots!

Please Save or Share This Adorable Pot Head Gnome Tutorial

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

Flower pot hat sock gnome diy for mothers day with text which reads gnomes with flower pot hats make these for mothers day.
Make these for a beautiful Mother’s Day gnome idea.
Yield: 2 DIY Gnomes with Flower Pot Hats

DIY Gnomes with Flower Pot Hats

diy gardening gnome with a flower pot hat

So simple and fast, these DIY gnomes with flower pot hats are a quick and fun craft that you can make in just a few minutes. Makes for perfect Mother's Day gnomes...hint hint...

Active Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

Gnomes

  • Acrylic Paint in White, Pink, and Blue
  • 1 - 3-inch Terra Cotta Pot
  • 1 - 2 1/4-inch Terra Cotta Pot
  • 2 Children's Ankle Socks
  • 2 - Wood Rounds (that fit inside each pot used)
  • 1 - 1-inch Wood Ball
  • 1 - 3/4-inch Wood ball
  • Small Amount of Poly-Fill
  • Small Amount of Mongolian Fur (or other faux fur)
  • White Embroidery Thread

Flowers

  • Patterned Cotton Fabric
  • Small Amount of Dark Craft Felt
  • 4 Faux Floral Lambs Ear Leaves

Tools

  • Paintbrushes
  • Scissors
  • Hot Glue Gun & Glue
  • Pinking Shears
  • 3-inch Circle Template (I used a lid)
  • Pencil
  • Iron (I used my EasyPress Mini)
  • Needle & Thread

Instructions

  1. Paint both of the pots with the white acrylic paint and set aside to dry completely.
  2. Combining a small amount of the white and pink paint, and the white and blue paint, make a more pastel version of your colorful paint options. Paint each pot one color, with the exception of the bottom of the pot (the top of the hat). Paint the top of the hat with the paint straight from the bottle to add a little contrast and depth. Allow this coat of paint to dry completely. Add a second coat of paint, if desired, and allow this coat to dry completely.
  3. Place one of the wood rounds into the toe of one of the children's ankle sock, working it all the way down so there are no wrinkles. Follow by adding about 1/2 cup of Poly-Beads to the sock and finish by adding about 2 cups of Poly-Fill to the sock. Work the Poly-Fill down and around the Poly-Beads to ensure that they will not show and that the body is solid. Test-fit the hat to make sure that the filled sock, with the wood ball nose, will fit before proceeding. Tie the sock off with the embroidery thread and repeat test-fitting the hat. I did not care for where the hat sat on my gnome, so rather than tearing up what I had done, I simply cut the loose sock above the thread in half and tied the two pieces of sock top into a knot. This lifted the hat just a bit to where I felt it looked best.
  4. Cut the Mongolian fur for your beard. You will want a piece that is long enough to cover your sock body, plus about 1/2-inch overlapping the hat, as well as wrap all the way around. To do this, you can lay the gnome on the fabric backing of the faux fur and approximate the shape and size of the beard you need. Using a craft knife or razor blade, cut the faux fur fabric backing only and gently pull the beard from the remainder portion of the fur. You may want to comb the fur to give it a more clean look. Once cut, hot glue the beard to the sock body.
  5. Attach the nose by splitting the faux fur down the middle of the front, all the way to the fabric backing. Then hot glue the wood ball in place, about 1/2-inch from the top of the beard.
  6. Trim the faux fur in the back of the gnome to ensure that the hat will adhere to the sock, not the faux fur, then pull the hat (pot) down over the gnome, tucking the nose up under the rim of the hat (pot).
  7. Hot glue the sock and nose to the inside of the hat (pot) by adding a generous amount of glue to about the mid-line of the nose, up to the top of the sock, then pressing the hat down over this. You may want to push your fingers into the back of the sock to further press the front of the sock into the pot side.
  8. Hot glue the back of the hat (pot) in place on the back of the gnome, tucking the sock body up into the pot, adding a generous amount of glue, then pressing the back of the pot into the sock to secure it.
  9. Make the flower by tracing 6 3-inch circles on the back of your cotton fabric, then cutting them out with the pinking shears to reduce fraying. Fold each of the circles in half and iron them flat. Then fold the half-circles in half again, making a 1/4 circle, and iron them flat.
  10. Using a running stitch, sew along the pinking-shear-cut side of the 1/4 circles of fabric, going in from the back to start the stitch, then going out the back for the last stitch on each petal. DO NOT TIE THE PETALS OFF. Continue using the same needle and thread, working in a continuous running stitch to add all of the petals together onto one thread. Once all 6 petals of the flower are on the thread, pull the two ends together and knot them together tightly, securing the flower petals in a neat ring. Shape the petals and trim the thread ends.
  11. Cut a small circle of dark felt, just wide enough to cover the opening in the center of the flower petals and glue this to the back side of the flower's opening. Repeat, cutting a small circle of dark felt, just wide enough to cover the opening of the flower petals and glue this to the front side of the flower's opening.
  12. Hot glue the flower to the front of the pot, just off-center, so it's jaunty and fun. Add two faux floral lambs ear leaves behind the flower, with hot glue on the stems.
  13. Repeat to make the second gnome and then they are ready to display!

Notes

For more fun spring gnome tutorials, visit Ruffles and Rain Boots!

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One Comment

  1. Thanks again for a great tutorial!! I enjoy your pleasant voice so very much during the entire demonstration.