This DIY Valentine Gnome Wreath is Epic and Fun!

Instructions

1. Start by making your ombre gnome beard by painting the fur with the red, pink and purple watercolors in sections about 1-inch long and about 6 inches wide. Take care to make the top lighter (more pinks) and paler (use more water to dilute the paint) than the bottom (mix in a little purple) and darker (use less water to dilute the paint). Allow the paint to dry overnight.
2. Paint the dowel with the pink craft paint and allow the paint to dry fully.
3. Comb or brush the painted fur out until it's soft.
4. Make the nose and hands for the gnome by combining light brown and white polymer clay and working them until the color is consistent. Pinch off and roll two little balls of about half the size of a dime and one about the size of a dime. Bake the gnome nose and hands in the oven per the directions on the package.
5. Trace the foam heart form shape onto the cardboard and cut it out. Hot glue the heart cardboard shape to the back of the foam heart form. Fill the center of the foam heart form with some polyfill.
6. Hot glue the end of the yarn to the back of the heart and start winding the yarn around and around the heart, hot gluing it in place in multiple locations. Continue wrapping the yarn around the heart until all areas of the foam heart form are covered and nothing shows through. Hot glue the end of the yarn in place on the back of the heart and trim it.
7. Set heart aside and make the gnome.
8. Cut out the beard in a rough "v" shape, taking care to get as much ombre coloring as you can.
9. Cut out the gnome body shape from the pattern out of the pink craft felt. Cut out the gnome hat shape from the pattern out of the fleecy fluffy fabric. Just as a forewarning--I had a weird scrap that had to be pieced together to get the hat width.
10. 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.
11. Turn the body of the gnome right side out. Fill the gnome body with polyfill. Hot glue the beard to the body, about 2 inches below the edge of the gnome body. With your hot glue gun or sewing machine, run a hem along the two edges. Allow the glue to dry completely.
12. Hot glue the nose in place about 1-inch below the top of the beard.
13. 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 only (you need the sides open to place the arms), then one little dot on the nose to make a wrinkle (this is the best part).
14. Cut out two of the gnome arm shapes from the pattern out of the pink craft felt. Fold the arms over lengthwise and hot glue in place. Hot glue the hand-balls-of-polymer clay to the ends of the arms. Tuck the other ends of the arms up inside the side of the hat, just behind the beard--make sure the arms can cross--then hot glue in place.
15. Brush the beard one more time to make sure you love it. Cross the arms and hot glue them in this position. Thread the dowel through the yarn on the heart, making sure it's secure.
16. Affix one small foam glitter heart to the end of the dowel, with the heart bumps attached to the dowel to make the arrowhead. Cut a hole through-and-through the gnome's hat about 1/3 of the way from the top. Thread the gnome hat onto the back portion of the arrow.
17. Cut the remaining small foam glitter heart in half. Hot glue the two halves of the heart onto the other end of the dowel, pointing in the same direction as the arrowhead. Make a small loop of yarn and hot glue that onto the back of the heart and enjoy!