I recently took a road trip through six states to a blog conference with my crafty bestie, Laura, from Me and My Inklings and we decided to leave some art abandonment love along the way. Our Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome is stuffed with Poly-Pellets® to make them sit up and Poly-Fil® to make them snuggly, both are products from one of our favorite companies, Fairfield World™. Use the tutorial below to make a Gnome of your very own!
Gnomes made Easy with Upcycled Sweaters
This post, Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome with Poly-Fil, contains affiliate links. Using links to these sites means I will earn a percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you.
Here's what you need to make Gnome Stuffies with Poly-Fil:
- Poly-Fil® by Fairfield World™
- Poly-Pellets® by Fairfield World™
- Kunin® Classic™ Felt 9” by 12” Craft Cuts – Cashmere Tan, Coral, Charcoal, Brilliant Blue, Candy Pink, Orange, Violet Sky
- Fabri-Fuse Fabric Glue by E6000
- MONOTWIN Permanent Marker from Tombow
- Cotton Fabrics, Assorted – 1/8 of a Yard each
- Sweater to Upcycle
- Faux Fur Trim
- Rotary Cutter
- Self-Healing Mat
- Scissors
- Craft Knife
- Straight Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Needle and Embroidery Floss
- UPCYCLED SWEATER GNOME PATTERNS – download below ⇓
Here's how to create a Gnome from an Upcycled Sweater:
STEP ONE
To begin the Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome, gather all supplies. To create the Gnome nose, draw a 3” circle onto Cashmere Tan, Coral, or other Kunin Felt color of choice with MONOTWIN Permanent Marker, or use a circle template as your guide. Cut out the circle with scissors, and then sew a running stitch around the edge with a needle and embroidery floss. Gather the stitches, stuff with Poly-Fil® Premium Polyester Fiber Fill, pull stitches tight to create a ball and knot the embroidery floss to secure.
STEP TWO
Download, print and cut out the Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome Patterns below ⇓. Trace and cut out four boots and four hands from cotton fabric. Trace and cut out four legs and four arms from cotton fabric. Mix and match fun patterned cotton fabrics. You could also use felt, flannel, or even a t-shirt instead of cotton fabrics.
STEP THREE
With the right sides of the fabric up, overlap the four boots on top of the four legs and attach at the ankle using a straight stitch on a sewing machine. Use straight pins to secure, if needed. Repeat with the four hands and the four arms, attaching at the wrist. Place two gnome legs, right sides together, and stitch around leg and boot with a sewing machine, leaving the top open for turning and stuffing. Repeat with the second set of gnome legs and with both sets of gnome arms.
STEP FOUR
Turn both gnome legs and arms right side out, using a chopstick to push through the small areas. Stuff both boots and both hands with a small amount of Poly-Fil®, again using a chopstick. To secure the Poly-Fil® in place, stitch across both ankles and both wrists.
STEP FIVE
To create the gnome body, fold and cut a 9” by 12” piece of Kunin Felt in half to create a 9” by 6” rectangle. Cut the corners off at the top of the body to resemble shoulders. Place legs along the bottom edge, of the felt body, place the second felt body on top. Secure with straight pins and sew around the gnome body, leaving the top open for turning and stuffing. Felt doesn’t have a right and a wrong side like fabric does, so it is perfect for a beginner to sewing.
STEP SIX
Turn the gnome body right side out and pour in approximately 2 cups of Poly-Pellets® Weighted Stuffing Beads. I love the resealable, easy pour spout. Stuff the gnome body with Poly-Fil®, using a chopstick to get into all the nooks and crannies. Secure the arms to either side of the top of the gnome body with straight pins and stitched closed on a sewing machine.
STEP SEVEN
Measure a 4” by 5” rectangle of faux fur and cut out gently, from the back, with a craft knife. Cut only the woven backing and the fur will retain its natural shape. Attach the gnome beard to the body and the gnome nose to the beard using Fabri-Fuse Fabric Glue. Set aside to dry. Fabri-Fuse by E6000 has a quick grab and works on all types of materials even faux fur and felt.
STEP EIGHT
Measure, draw and cut a gnome hat triangle pattern that is 6” across the bottom. Have fun and create a gnome hat as tall as you like! Turn the sweater inside out and trace the gnome hat pattern onto to sweater with a permanent marker. Sew the left and right sides of the triangular gnome hat on the sewing machine, leaving the bottom open for turning and stuffing. Cut the gnome hat out of the sweater, turn right side out and either fold over or fold under the bottom edge. Sewing first and cutting second will prevent the sweater from unraveling.
STEP NINE
Stuff the gnome hat with Poly-Fil® Premium Polyester Fiber Fill. You can stuff your gnome hat soft and squishy or firm and tight, by adjusting the amount of Poly-Fil® used. Fit the gnome hat down over the top of the body and secure it by hand stitching with a needle and embroidery floss.
Quick and Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome
These Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnomes were so fun to make. Laura upcycled one of her most favorite sweaters of all time, so this project is filled with love. Read about her story here. I know if you take a peek through your closet, you can find a sweater to upcycle and make an entire gnome family of your very own!
Art abandonment is a fantastic way to show love and kindness along any journey, whether long or short. We left Gnomes in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee on the way to and from our blogging conference.
Poly-Fil from Fairfield World is one of my favorite products, so here are a few projects that I know you will love. Tooth Fairy Monster Pillow for Boys and Girls with FREE Patterns. Easy Upcycled Sweatshirt Pillow Stuffed with Poly-Fil®. How to DIY the Easiest Autumn Acorn Pillow. I'd love a tag on social media @creativelybeth if you are inspired to make any of these projects.
Too busy to make this Easy Upcycled Sweater Gnome right now? Pin it for later! I'd love for you to pin this project to your favorite craft board on Pinterest, and then it’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.
Thanks for stopping by!
