How to Make a Christmas Gnome with Feet (Really Big Feet!)

I absolutely loved figuring out how to make a Christmas gnome with feet. It’s silly, fun, and surprisingly easy. This no-sew gnome is whimsical little cutie to add to your DIY gnome collection.

how to make a gnome with big feet
This gnome with feet uses a no-sew gnome pattern and a bit of polymer clay.

How to Make a Christmas Gnome with Feet

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I make a lot of gnomes… An embarrassing amount of gnomes, really. I just love to challenge myself with stuff that’s never been done or seen before.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with gnomes with feet. I chewed on this idea, sketched it out, and when I saw it on paper, I just HAD to make this Christmas gnome with feet. Really, really big feet.

RELATED READING: THE BEST CHRISTMAS GNOME TUTORIALS

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

Those are some adorable digits, right?! I kept calling him my “bubbly toes” gnome and I just can’t help but giggle when I see him. If you’re ready to make an adorable Christmas gnome with feet, let’s get started.

DIY Christmas Gnome Tutorials

If you’re looking for the best DIY Christmas gnome tutorials, you have come to the right place. Check out all of my favorite tomte tutorials for the holidays!

how to make a christmas gnome with feet
No Time to Make This Now? Pin it for Later

Need to pick up some clay or crinkle fur? Pin this to your favorite DIY Christmas crafts board on Pinterest and it’ll be here when you’re ready.

photo collage of holiday gnome with text which reads make this easy gnome christmas gnome with toes

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Tips to Make a Gnome With Feet

  • Click here to get the easy no-sew gnome pattern I used. It’s got everything you need to make your gnome as cute as a button!
  • If you love this gnome but the feet kind of scare you, don’t let them. I’m no sculpting artist and I was able to do this. Be patient and, remember, if you don’t like it, it’s clay – you can smush it up and start over again.
  • Make sure when you lay out your pattern pieces and transfer the pattern onto the fabric that you are paying attention to the print. You don’t want diagonal stripes in one portion of the hat and vertical ones on the other.
  • I used polymer clay to make the little feet for my gnome. But, if you want, you can use air-dry paper clay and then paint them. The reason I chose polymer clay is because I can make my clay object, be it feet or nose or little hands and then bake them. I can then immediately pop these on the gnome. If you use paper clay, you have to wait overnight.
  • If you’ve never cut faux fur before, check out my quick video on how to cut faux fur to get the best drape, a gorgeous, full beard, and do it all without wasting any material.
how to make a barefoot gnome

Get the Gnome Pattern

Click below to add this fun pattern to your cart. So many gnomes can be made with this!

how to make a barefoot gnome

How Do I Make this Christmas Gnome with Feet?

I’m so glad you asked. Below is our written tutorial. If you’re making a DIY Christmas crafts playlist on YouTube or learn best with visual instruction, here is our barefoot gnome with feet video tutorial.

Make your gnome nose and feet by combining a portion of light brown and white polymer clay until you have the color you want.

Roll a quarter-sized portion of this clay into a neat ball. This is the nose. Set aside.

Break off two equal-sized portions of clay about the size of half of your palm and about 3/4 inch thick.

Form each into similarly sized rectangles about 4-inches long, longer and thicker on one end (slightly) than the other.

Make a little ankle bump-out and heels by rolling the smaller end of the rectangle a little on one side and pulling it outward on the other.

With your exacto knife, cut 5 slots into one short side of each rectangle about 1/8 of the way through the rectangle. These form the toes.

Using your finger or a flat-sided tool, round over the edges of each toe.

With the exacto knife, flatten and scrape a little bit on the top of each toe to form a toenail.

Ensure you like the size of your gnome feet.

Bake the nose and toes per the clay package’s directions. Allow them to cool fully.

Horizontal photo collage tutorial of crafter making feet for gnomes

Trace and cut out the large gnome body shape and two hat shapes out of the red and white striped fabric.

Fold the gnome body shape in half and run a hem along the open side with your hot glue or your sewing machine.

Fold the flap of the gnome body shape over and close the bottom of the gnome with hot glue or a seam. Allow glue to dry fully.

Turn the body of the gnome right side out.

Fill the gnome body with the dried beans or rice.

Tuck a small portion of polyfill into the top of the gnome body to hold the beans or rice inside.

With your hot glue gun or sewing machine, run a hem along the two hat pieces. Allow glue to dry completely.

Turn the hat right side out.

Fill the hat a little with a small amount of scrap fabric or polyfill.

Horizintal photo collage tutorial of a crafter making a Christmas gnome with feet

Cut out the beard shape from the craft fur by turning the fur over and cutting only the fabric with the exacto knife.

Hot glue the beard to the body, about 2 inches below the edge of the gnome’s body.Hot glue the nose in place about 1-inch below the top of the beard.

Place the hat on top of the gnome’s head, tucking it down over the top of the nose.

Hot glue the hat in place in the back and sides, then one little dot on the nose to make a wrinkle (this is the best part).

Hot glue the toes in place on the bottom of the gnome body.

photo collage tutorial of how to make a gnome with feet

Cut out a 1-inch by 1-inch square of Mongolian fur and then cut off the corners of the square, making a very rough circle.

Place a line of hot glue about 1/8-inch from the inside edge of the fabric and immediately fold this in on itself, forming a little ball of fur. Trim Mongolian fur to be even-ish all the way around.

Hot glue this on the top of the gnome’s hat.

Enjoy!

More Holiday Crafts You Might Like

  • Merry & Bright Gnome – A little pink and green makes for an outstandingly fun gnome to add to your bright Christmas decor.
  • Christmas Cowboy Gnome â€“ You put Christmas with a Cowboy and then add a little gnome-magic? This is what you get!
  • Gnome Ornaments for Christmas â€“ Easily my most popular post ever, there’s a reason why I still make these little guys and add them to my tree every year!
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Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Know a friend who’d like this? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite holiday crafts board on Pinterest.

closeup of how to make a gnome with text which reads christmas gnome with big feet
Yield: 1 Adorable Gnome with Big Feet

How to Make a Christmas Gnome with Feet

how to make a barefoot gnome

If you've ever wondered how to make a Christmas gnome with feet, well, this easy no-sew gnome tutorial is perfect--and fast!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Materials

  • 1/4 yard Red & White Striped Fabric
  • Polymer Clay in light brown and white
  • White Craft Fur
  • Dry Beans or Rice
  • Small Amount of Polyfill

Tools

  • Sewing Machine, optional
  • Hot Glue Gun and Glue
  • Oven
  • Exacto Knife
  • Sand Paper

Instructions

  1. Make your gnome nose and feet by combining a portion of light brown and white polymer clay until you have the color you want.
  2. Roll a quarter-sized portion of this clay into a neat ball. This is the nose. Set aside.
  3. Break off two equal sized portions of clay about the size of half of your palm and about 3/4 inch thick.
  4. Form each into similarly sized rectangles about 4-inches long, longer and thicker on one end (slightly) than the other.
  5. Make a little ankle bump-out and heels by rolling the smaller end of the rectangle a little on one side and pulling it outward on the other.
  6. With your exacto knife, cut 5 slots into one short side of each rectangle about 1/8 of the way through the rectangle. These form the toes.
  7. Using your finger or a flat-sided tool, round over the edges of each toe.
  8. With the exacto knife, flatten and scrape a little bit on the top of each toe to form a toenail.
  9. Ensure you like the size of your gnome feet.
  10. Bake the nose and toes per the clay package's directions. Allow them to cool fully.
  11. Trace and cut out the large gnome body shape and two hat shapes out of the red and white striped fabric.
  12. Fold the gnome body shape in half and run a hem along the open side with your hot glue or your sewing machine.
  13. Fold the flap of the gnome body shape over and close the bottom of the gnome with hot glue or a seam. Allow glue to dry fully.
  14. Turn the body of the gnome right side out.
  15. Fill the gnome body with the dried beans or rice.
  16. Tuck a small portion of polyfill into the top of the gnome body to hold the beans or rice inside.
  17. With your hot glue gun or sewing machine, run a hem along the two hat pieces. Allow glue to dry completely.
  18. Turn the hat right side out.
  19. Fill the hat a little with a small amount of scrap fabric or polyfill.
  20. Cut out the beard shape from the craft fur by turning the fur over and cutting only the fabric with the exacto knife.
  21. Hot glue the beard to the body, about 2 inches below the edge of the gnome body.
  22. Hot glue the nose in place about 1-inch below the top of the beard.
  23. Place the hat on top of the gnome's head, tucking it down over the top of the nose.
  24. Hot glue the hat in place in the back and sides, then one little dot on the nose to make a wrinkle (this is the best part).
  25. Hot glue the toes in place on the bottom of the gnome body.
  26. Cut out a 1-inch by 1-inch square of the Mongolian fur and then cut off the corners of the square, making a very rough circle.
  27. Place a line of hot glue about 1/8-inch from the inside edge of the fabric and immediately fold this in on itself, forming a little ball of fur.
  28. Trim Mongolian fur to be even-ish all the way around.
  29. Hot glue this on the top of the gnome's hat.
  30. Enjoy!

Notes

For more fun gnome tutorials, visit Ruffles and Rain Boots.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi Sarah
    Love your gnomes thank you for sharing. Do you ever have a problem with the clay sticking to your gnomes? Also I can’t access the cutting patterns I purchased for shoe patterns.

    1. Brenda, let me send you an email on your pattern as you did not purchase the SVG files. As for the clay sticking, no, I haven’t had it come off. Some readers have mentioned that if they ship, they add a drop of E6000 in the center of the clay piece and THEN affix it with hot glue.