Easy DIY Gnome for Christmas Decor Using Dollar Store Materials

Want a budget-friendly easy Christmas decor craft idea? Follow along with our step-by-step tutorial to make a DIY gnome using Dollar Store supplies like a mop head, socks, and a plastic squirt bottle. I love how this cute gnome turned out!

Gnomes have taken home decor by storm! And I’m totally on board with the gnome trend. They are the cutest little guys and make filling in those empty spaces easy and fun.

I love the way this little dude fits perfectly on a bookshelf or mantel. He’s not too big or too small. He’s just the right size to add a little something extra to your Christmas decor this year.

diy gnome on bookshelf with books

From start to finish, these gnome decorations took about 30 minutes to put together.

Plus, all of the supplies are for the mini gnomes from the Dollar Store, which makes this a super affordable craft and a great way to spruce up your decor. 

dollar tree supplies for a christmas gnome

You likely have many of the supplies floating around your home already. Aside from the glue gun, wooden bead, and scissors, every other item was purchased from the Dollar Store. (Dollar Tree for us)!

The best thing about the fun gnomes? All you’ll need to grab is the mop head, spray bottle, and socks – all for less than $5!

Easily customize this craft to your own style. There are so many different ways to make this your own. Want a bigger gnome? Use a larger bottle. Want a mini gnome? Use a smaller bottle.

The sock makes the cutest little hat, so feel free to use any color you like. A white and red felt hat would even make this look like Santa Claus! Or, a different color mop head would make for a funky-colored beard. Feel free to make this project truly your own!

DIY Dollar Tree Gnome Video Tutorial

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Today I’m going to teach how to make your own DIY dollar tree gnome using a mop head. They are SO much fun to make! You’ll be hooked.

This little dude would be so cute standing next to a fabric Christmas tree or even one of these yarn Christmas trees that I made last year or as a way to add some holiday decor to your shelves.

He’s unique and whimsical and is a great addition to our boho Christmas style this Christmas season. 

side angle of scandinavian christmas gnome
scandinavian christmas gnome with gray hat

To begin, we will make his beard, then add a hat, and a cute little nose.

This DIY gnome tutorial contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly. Read my full disclosure here.

supplies for an easy DIY gnome

Supplies & tools needed for a Dollar Tree gnome:

Step 1. Make the gnome white beard.

First, cut all of the mop strings off the mop head. This should only take a few minutes. The pieces don’t have to be perfect. You can trim and shape the beard shape once the rest of the gnome is done.

cutting mop strings off of mop head

Once the pieces are off of the mop head, glue each mop string onto the bottle. I started right at the base of the neck of the squirt bottle and moved upward.

You could also use a styrofoam cup or any other container of this size and shape. It just needs to be sturdy enough to keep your gnome upright.

Go around in a single layer until the front and back are mostly covered. Then, continue stacking each layer moving up the neck of the bottle until all the strings are attached.

white mop strings and spray bottle
glueing mop strings on to spray bottle for the white gnome beard

Once you attach the first layer of strings, you can put your focus and mop strings on the “face” side of the container, so it looks the best. 

white mop strings glued to spray bottle for gnome beard
hot pink finger protectors
Finger Protectors (also from Dollar Tree) protect your fingers from hot glue gun burns!
cordless glue gun
Cordless hot glue gun is a game-changer!

I glued 3-4 strings on at a time, pressing them into place.

glueing mop strings to container

The finger guards (seen in the video) really helped protect my fingers from hot glue burns. Super handy and also found at the Dollar Store!

Step 2. Make the hat.

Once you get all the pieces on, take one of the socks to make the hat. Since the socks come in pairs, you can use the other one for another gnome. 

gray sock for gnome hat

To make the hat, roll up the bottom edges of the sock and place it over the top of the bottle, so it looks like a saggy hat.

Take the small string and tie a tight knot at the foot of the sock so it gathers at the top of the hat to look more like a beanie.

The sock is the perfect easy solution to make a hat for the gnome, but you could also make your own cone-shaped gnome hat with felt instead. Everyone has some felt in their craft supplies, right?

tying knot around sock end to make a gnome beanie

Step 3. Add the nose.

Now that the hat and beard are attached, add the nose.

Find where you want the nose to go on the container and make a small opening through the mop strings. Attach the wood bead or wood ball with hot glue and hold it firmly in place for about 30 seconds.

When you buy wood beads, you’ll probably get them in a bigger package…check out what to do with all the leftovers with these wood bead project ideas!

hot glueing wooden bead for gnome nose
attaching gnome nose

Step 4. Secure the pieces.

The final step is to secure any places that may fall off.

I added a little more hot glue around the bottom edge of the hat, the front of the hat, along the bottom of his beard, and around the front edges to make sure the mop pieces lay flat and hide the container well.

After everything has dried, your cute little Christmas gnome is ready to display on your shelves.

securing details with hot glue
glueing bottom of gnome beard

With these inexpensive supplies, you could make a whole group of Scandinavian gnomes to welcome in the holiday season!

Here are some other great ideas from some of my favorite bloggers for your own DIY gnomes:

Where will you put your Christmas gnome?

finished christmas gnome
Create a delightful DIY Gnome for Christmas using dollar store materials
How To Make A DIY Gnome

How To Make A DIY Gnome

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $10

Materials

Instructions

  1. Make the gnome beard using the mop head. Cut the mop head strings off and then glue them to the bottle with a hot glue gun.
  2. Make the hat with the sock.
  3. Add a wooden bead nose.
  4. Secure the strings to the bottom, as necessary.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

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2 Comments

  1. I love this little gnome! A great gift for anyone but especially for the neighbors with a baked good or to take to any invites!!! I have most of the supplies as this is the year I have really start cleaning/downsizing whatever one likes to call it. Thank you for sharing!!!