Make This DIY Nordic Gnome with a Twisty Hat

Make this Nordic gnome with a twisty hat to add a little whimsy and magic into your day. They make the perfect friend to welcome guests in an entryway. 

close up of Nordic gnome with a twisty hat on white background with small plant

Gnome with Twisty Hat Tutorial

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I love making gnomes. If you’re new here, it’s like a gnome rabbit hole (you’ve been warned). 

I just really can’t get enough of them, friends. From Christmas gnomes to other holiday cuties, it’s fun to explore different styles and methods. For example: 

But today, we’re making a fun gnome my daughter requested for her room: a rainbow gnome with a twisty hat. We set out dying wool for this and our experiment FAILED. Note: do not use leftover Easter egg dye to color Merino wool if you want to use it as a beard. 

Get Secret Gnomes, Tips, & Freebies Delivered!

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? 

Get all of this (and exclusive content just for you) delivered right to your inbox with the gnome-making series, free of charge. Sign up to get the once-weekly newsletter (and a jaw-dropping special offer)!

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

Let’s get started with what DID work.

No Time to Make This Now? Pin it for Later

If you’re scrolling and want to come back to this, pin it to your favorite crafts or gnome board on Pinterest. 

summer rainbow gnome with a bendy hat

As an Amazon Associate, I could earn from qualifying purchases.

Tips for Making a Twisty Hat Gnome

So I messed up one before getting this right (just being honest). So I’m going to tell you what NOT to do in addition to how to actually make a twisty hat gnome that looks good.

  • Get a loooooong sock – this rainbow knee-high sock is perfect.
  • Before you cut and sew the sock hat, be sure to make the body and measure how tall you want your finished hat. 
  • Don’t overstuff the stock if there is a pattern. For example, this rainbow hat is a quality sock but when I overfilled it, it showed white through the color. 
  • Use pins to hold the hat in place before gluing it on. Pin it and then position the nose. 
  • The polyfill is going to be quite bumpy. You’ll need to roll the hat (even the tip) in your hands to distribute the polyfill. 
close up of nordic gnome with a twisty hat on white marble background with air plants

How Do I Make a Gnome with a Bending Hat?

I’m so glad you asked! This is a fairly quick DIY (especially if you use a sock gnome body), however, there are a few more tips I’ll share. If you’re making a DIY gnomes playlist on YouTube, here is our gnome with a bending hat video tutorial

Yield: 1

Gnome with a Twisty Hat

close up of nordic gnome with a twisty hat on white marble background with air plants

This adorable Nordic gnome with a bendable hat comes together quickly. It's made with a child's sock, a straight stitch, and a little crafty fun.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

Gnome Hat

  • child's knee sock (or leg warmer)
  • scissors
  • sewing machine (or hand sewn)
  • polyfill stuffing
  • floral wire

Gnome Body

Tools

  • glue gun and glue sticks
  • pins (to keep hat in place while positioning

Instructions

  1. Make the gnome body. This gnome uses the elfin gnome pattern found here, however, you can limit the sewing by making a sock gnome body (instructions here). gnome body made with elfin gnome pattern
  2. Once the body has been created, measure the sock's height you want. Remember, this will be a bendable hat, so take that into consideration. Once measured, create a curved line under the heel and sew it with a straight stitch with a machine or by hand. close up of a sock used as a gnome hat
  3. Turn the sock inside out, scrunch it up, and start filling it with polyfill. Use a pencil or your fingertip to push the fluff into the point of the hat. turn the sock and fill with stuffing
  4. Once the hat is stuffed, roll it between your hands to evenly distribute the stuffing. learn how to make a gnome hat with a sock and stuffing
  5. Using a piece of floral wire (still on the spool or roll), bend over the end so it doesn't poke through the tip of the hat. Make it a wider loop than you think because we want it to appear seamless under the sock. how to make a gnome hat curvy
  6. Leave a bit hanging out of the bottom to place into the gnome body. how to make a bendable gnome hat
  7. Place the hat on the body (pull it down) and use sewing pins to secure it temporarily. pin the gnome hat to the body
  8. Cut a triangle of faux fur wide enough so that it nearly wraps around your gnome body. You can cut a much smaller piece if you want the beard only in the front. Remember, only cut the backing of the faux fur with a razor blade.
  9. Position the faux fur onto the gnome, lifting up the hat before hot gluing it to the body. Position the nose and glue it in place. Add any stuffing to the sides of the hat where it is sparse. Glue the hat down. how to make a gnome hat attach to the body
  10. Bend the wire in the hat gently, holding the base. How to make a gnome with a twisty hat that bends

Notes

Be sure to subscribe to the Ruffles and Rain Boots newsletter here to stay up to date on ALL the adorable gnomes we share.

Did you make this?

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

Please Save This to Pinterest

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Please share this on Facebook or save it to your favorite craft board on Pinterest. 

photo collage of Nordic gnome with a twisty hat with text which reads adorable Nordic gnome pattern

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 Comments

  1. You show your gnomes (which are all lovely) but you don’t show how to make their boots. I’d really like instructions for gnomes with boots please.