Fall For This Quirky DIY Pumpkin Gnome

Our no-carve pumpkin gnome is an easy fall DIY that is quick to assemble and sure to add a touch of whimsy to your autumn decor.

A no-carve pumpkin gnome with yarn eyebrows and  beard and plaid hat

No-Carve Pumpkin Gnome With Yarn Beard and Cone Hat on a Side Table

This easy no-carve pumpkin gnome is a quick DIY using craft supplies you already have on hand. The eyebrows and beard are made with yarn, and the hat is a floral cone wrapped in scrap fabric. The nose is a wooden beard. The gnome pumpkin is perfect indoor decor that you can make as large or as small as you want.

Photo by: Sarah Busby

Sarah Busby

Autumn weather and crunchy leaves go hand in hand with cottagecore, gnomes and toadstools. This adorable fall-themed gnome has a pumpkin body, a wooden bead nose and a floral cone hat. Note that the pumpkin for this project is tall and slim instead of short and wide. Choose a pumpkin that will leave you enough space for the eyebrows, nose and beard.

Materials + Tools

  • pumpkin
  • floral cone
  • wooden bead
  • yarn
  • scissors
  • low-temp hot glue gun + glue sticks
  • felt or fabric scrap
  • wood disc
  • craft knife
Supplies for the no-carve pumpkin gnome craft arranged on a table

Materials Needed For No-Carve Pumpkin Gnome Craft

This easy fall DIY comes together quickly with craft supplies you probably already have. A floral cone glued to the top of the pumpkin gives the gnome hat its shape, and yarn serves as the eyebrows and beard. The pumpkin gnome is the perfect fall decoration.

Photo by: Sarah Busby

Sarah Busby

1. Prep the Pumpkin

First, carefully remove the pumpkin stem so you will have a mostly level surface for the hat (Image 1). Next, attach the nose by hot-gluing the wooden bead in the center of the pumpkin about two-thirds up from the bottom (Image 2). Then, hot-glue the floral cone to the top of the pumpkin (Image 3 + 4).

2. Make the Eyebrows

Yarn serves as the eyebrows and beard for the gnome. To make the eyebrows, loosely wrap the yarn around four of your fingers in a loop. Once you have enough yarn (it’s totally subjective and completely up to you) to make bushy eyebrows, cut the yarn’s tail to sever it from the skein (Image 1 + 2). Slide the yarn off your hand and onto your work surface. Cut a few more inches of yarn from the skein and tie it around the center of the yarn pile to serve as the divider between the eyebrows (Image 3).

Tie more yarn about half an inch from the end of the yarn bundle. Trim the closed loops at each end of the yarn bundle to fringe the ends and give the eyebrows a bushy look (Image 4). Once you’re satisfied with the eyebrows, hot-glue the eyebrow piece between the wooden bead and the top of the pumpkin (Image 5).

3. Make a Tassel Beard

Like the eyebrows, begin the beard by loosely wrapping yarn around four of your fingers in a loop (Image 1). Once you have enough yarn, cut the yarn’s tail to sever it from the skein and slide the yarn off your hand and onto your work surface. Cut a few more inches of yarn from the skein and thread it through the center of the yarn bundle and tie it off. Pick the bundle up by the knot you just made. Using scissors, carefully cut through the yarn so that the beard pieces hang long and free on each side of the knot (Image 2).

Apply hot glue just under the wooden bead nose and press the knot in the center of the beard strands into the glue. You may need to use some more glue around the nose to make the beard spread out a bit wider for the full gnome effect (Image 3).

Once the beard is secured, take another few inches of yarn and tie them around the hanging beard ends. Trim the ends and fluff the beard (Image 4 + 5).

4. Wrap the Felt Around the Floral Cone

With a long side of the rectangle felt piece parallel to the gnome’s eyebrows, wrap the felt around the floral cone (Image 1). Trim the excess felt off leaving about 2 inches of overlap (Image 2). Use two lines of hot glue about an inch apart to secure the felt to the cone (Image 3 + 4).

5. Attach the Pumpkin to the Wood Disc

Dispense a generous circle of hot glue onto the wooden disc and press the pumpkin into it. Allow it to dry (Image 1 + 2).

6. Display and Accept Compliments

Pumpkin gnomes look great on side tables, bookshelves, mantels or in centerpieces. Want to go for a different look or create a whole gnome family? Customize it by switching up the yarn color, fabric pattern or size of the pumpkin.

A complete pumpkin gnome sits on a side table in a living room

No-Carve Pumpkin Gnome on Display

A no-carve pumpkin gnome is a great fall accessory and a fast, easy decoration. Gnome pumpkins look great on side tables, bookshelves, mantels or in centerpieces. Customize the pumpkin gnome by changing the hat fabric or the yarn color, or consider painting or staining the wooden disk.

Photo by: Sarah Busby

Sarah Busby

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