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    Home » DIY Projects

    DIY Fall Gnomes for a Whimsical Woodland Mantel

    September 18, 2023 by Patti Estep 2 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Three woodland themed fall gnomes on a mantel.
    Three fall gnomes on a mantel over partially made gnomes on a table.

    This DIY fall gnomes project is simple to create and makes a cheerful focal point for any fall mantel decor.

    Three fall themed gnomes on a mantel.

    The colors of fall always warm my heart. Today I'm sharing a fun and easy craft for my fall mantel. Woodland Gnomes all dressed up for the autumn season.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there’s no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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    Supplies on a table including pillar candles, sheets of felt, wood beads and roving wool.

    Supplies

    • 3 pillar candles 3 x 6 inches any color
    • 6 sheets felt in fall colors
    • scrap felt in fall colors
    • 3 wooden beads
    • 12 inch strip of cream roving wool

    A lot of these supplies I already had in my craft stash. Feel free to substitute whatever you like. For example, you could use some type of can from the pantry instead of candles like a tall soup can.

    Also, you could use some burlap or fabric in coordinating patterns instead of felt for part or all of the gnomes to give them a unique design.

    You could also use faux fur that is easily found at a craft store or yarn for the beards and they don't have to be white or cream.

    Brown felt wrapped around a pillar candle attached with hot glue.

    This project starts with the body. Just fit the felt onto the candle and add a bead of hot glue to the edge to secure it.

    Three pillar candles covered with felt in tan, black and brown.

    Each gnome has a different color body and hat. Once, again you could change up the color or make them all the same.

    Olive felt sheet folded to make a cone.

    Next, make hats in different colors by folding over the felt lengthwise into a cone shape. Use more hot glue to secure it in place. Give it a minute to dry and cut off the excess material.

    Pillar candles covered with felt topped with tall cones of felts in olive, sienna and gold.

    Place some hot glue on the top of the candle felt and gently press the hats into place.

    Roving wool attached under olive cone.

    Next, I cut about a 3-4 inch section of roving wool and glued it just under the hat.

    Roving wool trimmed to a V on the bottom.

    Use some scissors to shape the wool into a V or point to make a beard.

    One completed fall gnome with two unfinished behind.

    Then glue a wooden bead in the center below the brim of the hat. I used a wooden bead and let one of the holes show but you could place it differently or use something else like a pom-pom.

    Three woodland gnomes on a mantel with a twig wreath and faux pine trees.

    Lastly, I cut out a basic leaf shape in a few autumn colors and glued them to the hats. This is totally optional but I like the colorful look they provided.

    Don't these little guys look great? You could display this fall gnome theme on a shelf or use it as a centerpiece for your fall table.

    I placed them front and center of our family room mantel just below my homemade twig wreath. This woodland mantel is giving me all the warm and cozy feels of autumn.

    Patti signature

    More Fall Mantel Ideas

    • Fall Mantel with Autumnal Colors
    • Rustic Fall Mantel with Natural Elements
    • Fall Mantel with Bleach Pinecones and Gold Vases
    • Scrap Wood Pumpkins
    Three fall themed gnomes on a table.
    Three fall gnomes on a table.
    Print
    5 from 1 vote

    DIY Fall Gnomes Craft

    Try this easy and whimsical fall gnomes DIY project for an adorable addition to your cozy woodland themed mantel display.
    Prep Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Yield: 3 Gnomes

    Equipment

    • 1 pair of scissors
    • 1 Hot glue gun and glue sticks

    Materials

    • 3 Pillar candles 3 x 6 inches any color
    • 6 Sheets of felt in fall colors
    • Scraps of felt in fall colors
    • 3 Wood beads
    • 12 in Strip cream roving wool

    Instructions

    • Wrap a sheet of felt around each candle and cut off the excess.
    • Glue the edges with hot glue.
    • Make a cone with 3 additional sheets of felt  to create a hat shape and run a bead of hot glue down the length to secure. Then cut away the excess.
    • Add a bead of hot glue to the top of the felt on each candle and attach one of the felt cones.
    • Next, cut about 3-4 inches of the roving wool and hot glue each piece under the brim of the felt hat.
    • Trim each piece of wool to a point.
    • Hot glue one of the wood beads to the center of the wool just under the felt hat on each gnome.
    • Finish by cutting two basic leaf shapes for each gnome out of different scrap felt and hot gluing them onto the hats.

    Notes

    Stiff felt seemed to work better but I worked with both stiff and regular felt in this project and both were adequate. If the hat is too floppy you can add some cotton batting inside.
    You can use faux fur or curly doll hair for the beard instead of the roving wool.
    There's a lot of hot glue going on in this project so you may want to wear gloves.
    Tried this project?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan Skidmore

      September 18, 2023 at 10:02 am

      This is such a cute idea. You could also use tin cans instead of candles.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        September 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm

        Thanks Susan. Yes, a can would work great.

        Reply

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