This fun little string gnome craft has been all over the internet lately, so I had to try it out for myself. They came out positively adorable! These little gnomes are super easy to make and require minimal materials.
Below I have a step-by-step tutorial with pictures and a YouTube video so go ahead and make some cute little string gnomes yourself!
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No White Beard?
My string gnomes have a totally different vibe to them than the videos and pictures of others I’ve seen on the internet. Everyone goes for white perfectly sculpted pom-pom beards.
I happened to not have white yarn so I went with a grey-brown beard and I’m happy I did. They also have a more raggedy, real look to them since I didn’t cut my pom poms into perfect circles for the beard. I quite love the way these little gnomes came out!
String Gnome Supplies:
First we need to gather the materials here we need. Here’s a photo and list.

- 2 Different Yarns for Hat & Beard
- Notebook
- Scissors
- Cotton Balls
- Hot Glue Gun
- Toilet Paper Roll
- Wooden Beads
String Gnome Instructions:
Now that we have all our supplies, let’s make some string gnomes! Here’s step by step instructions with pictures. If you want the Youtube, scroll all the way down to watch it.
- First we make the hat. Take your notebook and wrap the yarn for the hat around the notebook about 30-40 times. Cut one side of the string and keep it all folded in half.
2. Cut off a sliver of our paper towel roll about 1-1.25″ thick. Now you have to tie all the pieces of string onto this roll using a lark’s head knot. Look at the pictures below.
3. Next you have to push all the string through the middle and tie a string around the center to form the hat.
4. Now the hat has to be stuffed with cotton balls so it keeps it’s nice shape. Then cut the excess yarn on the top so it looks more like a pom pom on a winter hat.
5. Put your hat aside and now we’ll work on the beard. Pick up the yarn you want to use for the beard and wrap the string around your hand about 60 times. Cut the string from the rest of the yarn.
Now take the circle of yarn off your hand and with an extra strand of yarn, tie a tight knot around the center.
Now you can proceed to cut both sides of loops to create a pom pom. It’s going to look uneven. You can either keep it that way like I did, or cut into a more circular shape by trimming the edges.
6. Now that you have your beard and hat done, you can hot glue the two together! Place some hot glue on the bottom of the hat and press it down onto your beard.
Then take a wooden bead and hot glue it in between the hat and beard. All finished!
Finished!

What Do I Do With My String Gnomes?
These lovely little string gnomes can go all over your house wherever you want to spread some holiday cheer! You can give these out as easy gifts or even create diy kits for presents!
I also saw online, someone made smaller versions and put them on a garland that you could decorate your house or tree with. The options are endless.
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