Scandinavian Christmas gnomes, also known as tomte, are magical creatures that radiate holiday spirit. Tomte is a little mythical creature that often lives in the attic or in the barn, looks after the house and the yard, averts disaster and brings good luck – if you are nice to him … Nordic gnomes are very shy. They pull their caps to far below the eyes, so they think they are invisible. There are many techniques for creating such charming figures – depending on the materials available and the intended placement. These cute gnomes are great as DIY Christmas yard decorations or they can sit on the porch to meet the guests and owners of the house. And they can be made in various sizes. One of the simplest options for creating these Scandinavian Christmas gnomes is from evergreen branches. Here are two tutorials that are fun and easy to do.
Nordic gnomes are great as Christmas decoration outside the house
Materials for the Christmas gnome yard decoration
• Evergreen branches – fir, juniper, thuja etc.
• Plastic flower pot
• A wooden stick that fits in the middle hole of the flower pot
• A small piece of wood
• Durable string in green color or thin wire
• For the gnome’s cap – moss, burlap or a red Santa hat.
• For the gnome’s beard you can use moss, twigs, faux fur, sisal, sheepskin etc.
• For the gnome’s nose best choice is a red Christmas ornament. Another option is a small potato.
Turn the pot over and insert the stick into the drain hole. If there is no such hole in the flowerpot, you have to drill it. From the inside of the pot, attach the stick to the piece of wood. That will become the axis of the figure so that the gnome is stable.
Then gather the evergreen branches around the stick and tie them firmly with thread or wire. It is better to wear gloves and clothes with long sleeves.
Now make the cap of the gnome. If you choose moss (sphagnum moss can be bought at a flower shop), the cap will look more natural. To prevent the cap from merging with the “body” of your Christmas gnome, you can use another kind of branches – for example, juniper or thuja. A bright red fabric Santa hat looks also very stylish.
The Christmas ball as a nose adds a cheerful accent. To fasten it simply pass a piece of string or a wire through the eyelet of the Christmas ornament and tie it around the gnome.
For the beard there are lots of options, as well. You can make it from silver Reindeer moss or a piece of wool. Perhaps you can use a piece of faux fur from an old hat, fur coat or a coat hood lying around? They would make a wonderful beard.
And here is another option for making the major structure of the gnome. Take three wooden sticks and lean them against each other like an Indian Teepee. Tie the sticks together using a wire. After that you can begin attaching evergreen the branches until you get the desired density.
Second option for making the body
So, if you are are looking for easy and cheap DIY Christmas yard decorations, these gorgeous Scandinavian gnomes are the right thing for you! Gather some inspiration from the ideas below:
