How to make a Nordic Gnome - Delaney Designs

I first came across these cute little gnome decorations a few years ago on a visit to Stockholm in Sweden. They are called ‘Tomte’ over there and are known as a mythological creature from Nordic folklore and today they are typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season.

Here’s my step by step guide on how to make one using a jam jar, but you could use a plastic bottle, or even a toilet roll!

You will need:

A jam jar – or you could use a plastic bottle
A pair of socks or tights – something bright and/or stripey for the body
An old pair of neutral tights – or you could use white trainer socks. This is for the nose.
Some old woolly jumpers for the hat
Some thick wool or string for the beard
Some stuffing – maybe from an old cushion or more old tights
A needle and thread and some glue
A few decorative buttons or sequins to decorate

Step 1 – cover the jam jar

First, you’re going to make the body. Cut your length of sock or tights to a bit longer than the height of the jam jar. Slide the jar without the lid into the foot of the sock. Gather and pull the end over into the top of the jar and hold in place by putting the lid back on the jar.

Sock over the jamjar — Pull the sock over the jam jar

Put lid back on to hold the sock in place

Step 2 – making the nose

Next step is to make the nose. Put a small bit of stuffing into the fabric you’re using for your nose. I used flesh coloured tights, but you could use socks or more of the stripey sock you used for the body. Tie the fabric on itself to hold the stuffing in. I made my noses about the size of a 50p piece. Set the nose to one side, you’re going to glue him onto the body when the beard is in place.

Cut out the nose fabric — Cut the nose fabric

Step 3 – making the beard

Next step is to make the beard. I used chunky wool but you could use string as well. Cut one length long enough to tie around the body of your jam jar. Then about 5 or 6 lengths that are going to need to be long enough to hang down as a beard (see picture on getting the length).

Now you’re going to loop and tie on those 5 or 6 lengths as shown in the picture. Make a loop and sit it under the tie on length of wool. Pull the two ends up through to tie onto the main piece. Continue with all the pieces and then untwist and comb out the lengths to make the beard more full.

Making the beard — Place a loop under the piece of longer wool

Tie the loops for the beard — Pull the ends of that loop up and through to tie onto the longer piece of wool

Repeart the loops — Repeat the process so you have a row of loops tied onto the longer piece of wool

Tie the beard onto the jam jar body and trim into shape where necessary.

Now glue the nose into place – just above the beard line.

Step 4 – making the hat

Now your gnome needs a hat. I used the end of a sleeve of an old woolly jumper. Cut your piece to size – I cut mine to about 6 inches.

Turn the piece of jumper inside out and you’re going to do a simple running stitch along the open/cut edge. Pull the stitching tight to form a point for the hat.

Turn your hat the right way out and put the cuff of your jumper over the top of the jam jar. I added a pom pom to the top, but you can leave as it is or add decorations as you want to. Buttons perhaps or sequins.

And there you have it. Your very own Nordic gnome for Christmas. Even better, you could make a family of them. And because the hat is positioned over the jam jar lid, the lid and hat could be removed and sweets could be hidden inside the gnome.