Christmas Gnome – free sewing pattern
One of our family’s holiday traditions is baking a sweet Swedish bread braid to share Christmas morning. One of my great grandpas came from Sweden (almost catching a ride on the Titanic!) and opened his own bakery.
This year, I have been trying to embrace our Scandinavian heritage even more by decorating with Gnomes! A Swedish gnome (like this little guy) is also called a tomte.
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The only must-have textile on this little guy is the faux fur – and you don’t need very much.
After that, feel free to use felt, fleece, flannel, quilting cotton, minky, or home decor fabrics for the rest of him – raid your scrap bin!
UPDATE: Have you noticed that beards everywhere are getting longer? Like it or not, it’s the style right now. So I gave my gnome a longer beard too! You wouldn’t like the surgery that I had to do, carefully warming up the hot glue with my iron until I could take off the hat, remove the old shorter beard, and then give him a new one. But now his adorable long beard matches all his friends beards, lol.
The new longer beard template has been added to the free downloadable templates. Scroll down if you need to download them again. The updated templates have also been added to the PDF library too.
Also in 2021 I designed some friends for my gnome. The new guy and gal in the photo above are gnome bottle covers and gift bags!
By the way, I added both of these this free patterns to my collection of 10 Free Gnome Sewing Patterns!
But let’s get on with my original free gnome pattern… The arms and legs of gnomes are often sewn from striped fabrics, but I used a black and white texty print – so cute!
My gnome’s feet are sewn from bumpy minky dot fabric, that’s why they look a little lumpy. 🙂
Christmas Gnome Sewing Pattern – Step by Step Tutorial
Use a 1/4’’ seam allowance throughout. Press the seams open, where practical (with cotton it would be, but not with minky or knit fabrics). Also note that the hat and beard templates were updated and improved in 2021!
Download the Christmas Gnome Pattern Templates From SewCanShe
Cutting:
Cut fabric pieces from all of the pattern templates, as instructed on the templates.
Tips:
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note that the hat template was too tall to fit on one sheet of paper, so you need to tape it together where indicated.
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when cutting the fur, trace the pattern on the back of the faux fur fabric and then cut from the back, trying to leave the long strands of fur.
You will also need:
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polyester fiberfill for stuffing (I like the silky kind best)
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hot glue gun and glue sticks (optional if you’d rather hand sew the pieces together at the end)
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a couple 12’’ (or longer) pipe cleaners or a piece of bendable wire
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about 1/2 lb of doll making pellets, fish tank gravel, or small rocks. These will never be seen so you could also use rice, wheat, or anything you have on hand!
Make the Boots and Legs:
1. Place two boot pieces right sides together and pin along the curved edge. Stitch the curved edge.
Repeat for the other boot.
2. Open each boot and pin the top straight edge to the bottom edge of a leg piece. The seam will be in the middle so the boot won’t lay flat. Sew the top of the boots to the bottom of the legs.
3. Fold each leg and boot with right sides together and the long back edges matching. Stitch.
4. Pin the boot bottom to each boot and stitch.
Tip: If you don’t want to bother with a rounded boot bottom, you can skip the round piece and simply sew the bottom of the boot straight across. This method is faster, but the boots will not have the same round shape.
5. Use a chopstick or turning tool to turn the legs right side out. Stuff the feet with fiberfill (I didn’t stuff my legs so they would stay flat).
Sew the Hands and Arms:
1. Sew the straight edge of each hand to the bottom edge of an arm piece.
2. Fold with the long edges right sides together. Stitch all the way around from the top of the arm to the ‘thumb’ on the hand.
3. Cut notches around the curves or trim with pinking shears.
4. Turn right sides out and stuff lightly with fiberfill.
Sew the Gnome Body:
1. Flatten the legs and pin them to one of the body pieces, using the markings on the body template as a guide.
The seam should be in the center of each leg, facing up. The legs should be centered and 1 1/2’’ apart.
2. Sew the tops of the legs to the bottom of the body piece.
3. Place the second body piece on top, with both body pieces right sides together and pin.
4. Move the legs out of the way and stitch the curved sides.
5. Sew a row (or two) of long gathering stitches around the top of the body to close it up later. Don’t backstitch and leave long thread tails.
You can use stronger thread here, if you wish – it’s a smart idea, even though I didn’t!
6. Tuck the legs up through the opening at the top. Pin the gnome bottom circle to the bottom of the body and sew in place.
Tip: place lots of pins horizontally on the body side of the seam…
Then sew with the bottom piece on the bottom.
Sew the Hat and Nose:
1. Fold the hat triangle in half with the long edges together and stitch.
2. Fold the opening edge back 1/4’’ and press. Stitch.
(don’t worry about sewing a double hem on the hat – it will never show!)
3. Hand or machine sew long gathering stitches around the oval of fabric cut for the nose – use strong thread!
4. Place a small amount of fiberfill in the center and pull the stitches until a oval shaped ball is formed.
5. Tie a knot to secure and trim the threads.
Assemble the Gnome!
1. Place the pellets, fish tank gravel (what I used), or other weighting material in a zip lock bag. You can use as much or as little as you like – even none at all. I used about 1/2 lb, which is enough to help my guy sit firmly on the edge of a shelf with his legs hanging down.
2. Turn the body right side out and place the bag with the pellets or gravel in the bottom. Then stuff to desired firmness with fiberfill.
Tip: leave 2-3’’ at the top without fiberfill so it will be easier to close up the opening.
3. Pull the gathering threads at the top to close the opening most of the way. Don’t worry about closing it up all the way because you might break your threads. You just don’t want fiberfill coming loose into the hat. Tie the threads and tuck them down in the hole.
Note: The rest of our Gnome assembly can be done with hand sewing or hot glue. I chose to use hot glue because it’s faster.
4. Apply hot glue to the back of the rectangles of fur cut for the boot cuffs. Wrap them around the seam between the legs and boots.
5. Apply hot glue to the top edge of the beard. Glue the beard to the front of the gnome, about 2’’ away from the hole at the top.
6. Use hot glue to secure the tops of the arms to the gnome too at the side seams.
7. Prepare your wire piece for the hat (optional). I used two 12’’ pipe cleaners twisted together. Fold the top end down if it could poke a hole through the tip of the hat.
The purpose of the wire is to make the hat bend and stay in cute positions.
8. Place the pipe cleaners or wire inside the hat along the seam. Hot glue the bottom end of the wire in place so it won’t shift around. I only glued my pipe cleaners in one spot – with the other end at the tip it wasn’t going anywhere.
9. Stuff the hat lightly with fiberfill, leaving the hat empty at the opening.
10. Place the hat over the gnome to see where you would like it to be. Then place some hot glue at the back and work your way around to the front, glueing the hat in place over the arms and beard about every inch or so.
11. Use hot glue to attach the nose.
Tell your kids that the elf on the shelf got old! I hope you enjoy using my gnome sewing pattern all year long.
And if you come across another quilt shop sharing the free pattern in a kit or otherwise claiming credit, please let me know. It has happened before.
xoxo,
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Merry Christmas!
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
I have been waiting for this pattern! It is fabulous!! The printer is going whilst I’m typing this!! Thank you for working this one out for us, can’t wait to get sewing!!!
Love your Tomte Gnome – THANKS for a great pattern and tutorial 🙂
Oh, thank you, the gnome is adorable and I loved your story!
Thank you for the tutorial. I’ve always loved these gnomes. Can’t wait to make a few.
Oh, my goodness! This gnome is adorable!! I can’t wait to make some. Thanks so much for the wonderful pattern. Can’t get enough gnomes. Merry Christmas to you!
Absolutely adorable!!!
Thank you!!
Oh my goodness, this is just too adorable. Thank you so much for the pattern. Off to make a few. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Thanks for the gnome pattern. He is so cute. Just looking at him makes me happy!
This gnome is adorable and I can’t wait to make one of my own! I do have a question…in your email announcing the gnome pattern, the RE: line mentioned a DIY Weighted blanket pattern but I can’t find anything on your website or blog about it. Can you direct me to where I can find that pattern? I am getting ready to make one of my own and I am curious to see what tidbits of info your pattern (or pattern link) can offer!
Hi MB,
Check the ‘recently featured tutorials’ underneath today’s featured tutorial. I think it’s still there!
Caroline
THANK YOU for this!!! I’m about to have a village of gnomes in my house! I already have quite the collection, and can’t wait to add more to the display. (Using some of my most prized fabric, of course!) It almost makes up for not having time to make a “Tomte Quilt” this holiday season…
Your Christmas gnome is sitting on my mantelpiece. I made him for a secret Santa present but…………….I could nip out and buy something couldn’t I?! He just looks so comfortable it would be a shame to disturb him….wouldn’t it?!
I love the Gnomes and everything else that you do!! And now I feel like we are practically family… lol. My great grandmother is Norwegian, Great grandfather is Swedish AND she DID have a ticket on the Titanic!!! Just she was running late, 2 hours and missed the boat! I spent my childhood afternoons sitting with her, to keep us occupied she taught me how to " needle". Thanks to her I make my living sewing; a custom fabrication workroom. 😊
Thanks for all you do, will be making a Gnome just as soon as I get these curtains done!
I made three this weekend and wanted to share the photo but I do not know how to attach it here. I love this pattern, thank you so much!
Thank you for the pattern! I have had so much fun making these! I added small mustaches to fill in where glue got messy!
Sew cute! I made one for my gnome-loving husband for Christmas. And I just finished a lady gnome for a good friend! She’s a Christmas/Valentine gnome. I would upload a pic for you if I could figure out how!
Hello from Sweden, and thank you for the Tomte pattern! 😁
I am obviously blind…where can I print the templates? I see the $2 quilt pdf thing to buy, but is there a link for the templates throughout the blog? The Quilt link just links back to this blog post, and when I click the link at the bottom, it just gives the instructions and pictures. Thank you for your help and for doing this project! I can’t wait to make a little gnome family for my mother in law!
Hi Monica,
In the next line after it says, "Cutting:" the sentence has the words ‘pattern template’ linked to the downloadable template. So just click ‘pattern template and it will open up in a new window for you to download.
Caroline
Thank you so much!!!! I didn’t have enough scraps to make a little family of grandkids, and I’m thankful you displayed your cut pieces on a cutting mat. I cheated and estimated the sizes based on the picture to get enough fabric. Thank you so much for pointing out the link…I knew it had to be there somewhere lol. ❤️
JUst finished the Gnome but realize it’s larger than I need. Where can I get pattern for little buddy gnome?
It didn’t win the vote. I’m not sure if I’ll have time to make that pattern. Sorry!
Do you have a video for the gnome…mine isn’t coming together like it should be.
AWESOME.. so easy to do and can be done in an afternoon. Thank you for the gnome. I made mine for St. Patrick’s day now I think I’ll make an Easter and 4th of July one as well.
Thank you for a very simple pattern. I made two gnomes for breast cancer guy and girl. I would love to share a photo with you, but can’t seem to find a way to do so. Thank you I had a great time creating these. I may try to make them a little smaller too. Blessings
Cześć, tu Kraków Polska. Gnom wspaniały. Dziękuję za szablon. Pozdrawiam. Ula
Love the gnome pattern! I made them as Christmas gifts for four of my friends. Can’t wait to see their faces when they open them!
Forever Crafty Lady
Hello I just wanted to tell you thank you so much of this template I’ve made about 7 gnomes now and they turned out so cute!!!!
I used your pattern to make gnomes with my dads shirts for my siblings for Christmas. He passed a year ago. So the gnomes were in memory of him. Thanks for the free pattern.
Thank you for the brilliant pattern with very clear instructions. An enjoyable make now sitting on my piano.
Can I have the pattern of the gnoom please?
Hi Ann, the pattern templates are free. Just click the download link above the cutting section. 🙂
It says the pattern is free but,I can not see the free pattern . The links go to where you have to pay for the pattern. Please help.
Thank you,
Alice
Hi Alice – the link to the free templates is just above the word ‘CUTTING.’ All of the step by step instructions are in this blog post, just put your phone next to you as you sew! If you absolutely must have printed instructions, you can use CTRL+P to print this post or purchase the Optimized for Printing PDF File. The file for $2 is absolutely optional because the instructions are all here in this post and you can download the templates for free.
Is there a way you can put both the link to the free pattern and the link to the template at the top of your story so that they can easily be found? Love your patterns!!!!
Is there a way you can put both the link to the free pattern and the link to the template at the top of your story so that they can easily be found? Love your patterns!!!!
Apologies if I am missing the obvious, but I can’t find the templates, can you please point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Hi Karen! The link to download the templates is just above the cutting list. 🙂
Could you please update the pdf pattern to include a hyperlink to the templates? The link is on the website, but missing from the download. Thanks!
Hi KLB!
The templates are on pages 9-12 of the PDF file. 🙂
Caroline