I made a few of these macrame gnome beard ornaments and they were just too cute not to share! You don’t need a Cricut, laser, or other machine to make them but I do include all of the free design files if you want to use one.

This fun craft can be made ahead and staged at any point, making it perfect for a Christmas family craft idea or a craft session with friends. The best part is that they are 100% beginner macrame friendly and only use one knot.

Horizontal, close up image of a painted wood and macrame gnome ornament on wood plaque and pine branches. — Paint the hat traditional colors, muted tones, or even leave it natural for this easy gnome ornament.

RELATED READING: DIY Macrame Gnome Tassel Ornament

What You'll Find On This Page

Macrame Gnome Ornament DIY

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I’ve been working on Christmas projects for the new house. I bought a 12 foot Christmas tree from Balsam Hill (on clearance, of course, I’m not a savage) and I have to fill it.

Ornaments have been at the top of my mind and I bought a lot of macrame cord, so there ya go – that was my entire inspiration for this project: a need to make ornaments and use up a craft supply. I’m so deep…

If you want to make this easy macrame idea but need to gather materials, save this to a DIY ornaments pin board or share it to Facebook. Either will make it easy to find when you’re ready to begin this fun Christmas gnome project.

DIY gnome ornament made with laser or Cricut and a macrame beard on pine branches and white background. — Make the most of the season with this handmade ornament idea.

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Interested in Your Own Laser or In Starting a Laser Business?

I own two types of lasers right now: CO2 and diode. Below are summaries of each and suggestions on materials. If you have questions, please ask! Not all lasers are right for those looking to start a business or side hustle. If that’s you, choose the P2 or the S1.

xTool P2 – A fully-enclosed CO2 laser, perfect for cutting acrylic and wood. This is an unrestricted laser when it comes to acrylic, wood, slate, etc.
xTool S1 – The option I have is a 40 watt diode laser which cuts some acrylic, wood and does amazing engravings. This laser has some acrylic restrictions (no clear, mirror, translucent; primarily opaque) but powers through wood.
xTool M1 ULTRA – The updated version of the M1 shows up to the party with a printer (can print on wood), a laser, a set of blades, foil, and embossing, as well as a pen tool. Great for crafters.
xTool M1 – A 10 watt diode laser with amazing engraving capabilities and a blade cutting machine. This is a great starter machine and is best for engraving vs cutting.

Ways to Use This Free Gnome Ornament Pattern

Whether you have a Cricut, a laser, or are working with a pair of scissors or a craft knife, you can use this free gnome pattern. I’ll share it being cut with an xTool M1 laser (the best crafter’s laser on the market), but the files are interchangeable for all of the above uses.

If you are working with a Cricut, you will need a 1/16th or 1/32nd inch thick wood and a knife blade. If cutting by hand, use an X-Acto or a pair of scissors to cut the elements. You can stack thick card stock or chipboard, so cut multiple pieces and glue them together.

Horizontal image of supplies needed for a gnome macrame ornament. — I used 3mm cord for the hanger and 5mm cord for the gnome beard.

Laser Cut Wood and Macrame Gnome Ornament Video Tutorial

Below are the written instructions for this fun Christmas gnome ornament craft. As more people are turning to visual learning, I have created a macrame gnome ornament video tutorial.

While you’re there, please subscribe. We have a lot of fun on the channel!

Horizontal video thumbnail of Christmas gnome ornament. — Watch the easy, step by step video tutorial and follow along.

How to Design in XCS Software

For those of you working in laser software… In the video, I share how I created this within XCS, xTool’s design software. Note: if you want to design this in Cricut or Silhouette software, watch the video – the steps are the same.

For those of you designing in XCS, I share how to do the following in the video:

Create a New Project
Use Basic Shapes
Combine > Subtract Feature
Combine > Unite Feature
Use the Vector Tool
Save a Project with Settings (and tips to do so)

How to Make a Laser Cut Gnome Ornament with Macrame Beard

Below are the step by step instructions, with images for the creation of the ornament. Keep this page open and follow along. For a printable version without image, scroll to the bottom of this article.

First, import the ornament SVG into XCS (or Cricut Design Space) and size the design to 3.65 inches (or so. For those working with cardboard or card stock, print the PNG template, trace onto material, and cut out.

Set the gnome to cut, the nose to cut, and the holly to cut AND score (or engrave) if using a laser or cutting machine. If cutting by hand, cut them all out.

Close up view of a gnome ornament being cut with the xTool M1 laser on a metal honeycomb base. — Cut the gnome pieces however you would like. there should be three pieces.

NOTE: for a full XCS tutorial, please watch the video to learn the steps to make the cuts come out cleanly.

Once all pieces are cut, seal each of them to avoid running and use the paintbrush and paint (and marker, if applicable) to add color detail. Seal all pieces again to lock in the paint.

Crafter painting a sealed wooden gnome base for an ornament. — Seal, paint, and seal – when working with thin, inexpensive wood, always seal twice.

Use the wood glue to attach the holly and nose to the base. You can add a drop of super glue or hot glue to create a faster hold.

Crafter gluing holly cut out onto a gnome hat ornament. — Use wood glue to secure the nose and holly accent. Let dry.

Use the ruler to measure and the scissors to cut 7, 11-inch long pieces of the 5 mm cord for this macrame project. Use a lark’s head knot to attach them to the space under the nose.

Crafter using a lark's head knot to secure macrame cord onto a gnome. — Use the lark’s head knot to create 6-7 loops of the macrame cord.

Untwist the cord and brush out the knots to make the beard fuller.

Crafter using a slicker brush to fluff out the macrame cord. — Untwist and brush out the cord to create a fluffy, full beard.

Trim, if desired, into a V-shape using the rotary cutters or scissors.

Crafter using a rotary tool and scissors to trim the gnome beard into a v-shape. — This is not required, but trimming the beard can create a tailored look.

Add a 3 mm macrame cord for hanging and display this cute gnome ornament!

Close up image of a wood and macrame gnome ornament on pine branch. — This fun design really highlights the gnome beard!

More Christmas Crafts You Might Like

DIY Rope Gnomes – These are TOO CUTE and use the same macrame cord this project uses, so it’s something you can start now!
Pompom Gnome Ornament – Some call it a tassel, others a pom pom – either way, this is a cute DIY you can make with the same materials.
DIY Gnome Ornaments – To get some inspiration, scroll through this list of cute and easy gnome ornaments to make this holiday season.

Please Save or Share This Christmas Ornament Idea

Have you joined the Laser Group on Facebook yet? It’s a welcoming, friendly, and open space to get ideas, ask questions, and learn from our peers.

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Please save this to a DIY ornaments pin board or share it with a crafty group on Facebook.

Gnome ornament made with macrame cord on pine branches with text which reads free cut files macrame ornament. — This free pattern and tutorial is a fun afternoon craft.

Yield: 1 Macrame Gnome Ornament

Macrame Gnome Beard Ornament

Make this adorable macrame gnome beard ornament for Christmas using wood, cardboard, card stock or veneer. Included are the free design files to hand cut, laser cut, or cut with a Cricut or Silhouette so that everyone can have fun with this easy Christmas ornament DIY idea. You will need macrame cord to create the fluffy gnome beard - a single, easy, Lark's head knot is shown to create it in just minutes.

Active Time 35 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $3

Materials

1/16 Basswood Plywood (or Veneer, Card Stock, Cardboard, etc.)
Free Macrame Gnome Ornament Pattern
5 mm Macrame Cord
3 mm Macrame Cord
Paint (red, white, green)
Black Paint Pen or Permanent Marker
Wood Glue
Sealant

Tools

xTool M1 Laser (or cutting machine or X-Acto)
Paintbrush
Scissors and Rotary Cutter (optional)
Air Assist (recommended)
Air Purifier (optional)
Slicker Brush or Comb

Instructions

Import the SVG into XCS (or other design software, such as Cricut Design Space) and size the design to 3.65 inches (or similar, it doesn't have to be exact). Or, print the PNG template, trace onto material, and cut out.
Set the gnome to cut, the nose to cut, and the holly to cut AND score (or engrave) if using a laser or cutting machine. If cutting by hand, cut them all out. NOTE: for a full XCS tutorial, please watch the video.
Once all pieces are cut, seal each of them to avoid running and use the paintbrush and paint (and marker, if applicable) to add color detail. Seal all pieces again to lock in the paint.
Use the wood glue to attach the holly and nose to the base.
Use the ruler to measure and the scissors to cut 7, 11-inch long pieces of the 5 mm macrame cord for the beard. Use a lark's head knot to attach them to the space under the nose.
Untwist the cord and brush out the knots to make the beard fuller. Trim, if desired, into a V-shape using the rotary cutters or scissors.
Add a 3 mm macrame cord for hanging and display this cute gnome ornament!

Notes

Laser / XCS Notes: Set the settings to default for cutting 1//16th wood or other. I use the auto-focus, but you can measure the material with calipers and set it manually, as well.

Sarah Nenni-Daher creator of Ruffles and Rain Boots in black shirt against greenery background.

Meet the Creator

Hi there, I’m Sarah Nenni-Daher. I’m a crafty gal and always have at least 14 projects going at once. I am a crafter, designer, DIYer, and pattern maker. I share my creations here and in the Ruffles and Rain Boots® Shop.

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots®, you’ll find DIY gnomes, crafts, gifts, cupcakes, laser crafts, and so much more. I love sharing video tutorials over on YouTube and chatting with other crafters in my Facebook groups. We’d love to have you!