Steampunk Gnomes
Gnomes are so popular at the moment, and you see them where ever you look. So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and add my own version. Because I have been steampunk mad this year a steampunk gnome was the most obvious choice. I handmade them some cute little hats and gave them some cool accessories to make them stand out.
Add some weight to the sock first. This will make him stand up better and to prevent him from falling over all the time. My first gnome I added a balloon filled with some sand from a sandpit. This added weight but did not add much to the shape.
For my other gnomes I found these extra large balloons and added some sand then filled them up with polystyrene balls. This method gave a nicer shape and great stability.
Put the balloon inside the sock and shape as you like. To smooth out the shape of the body I added some filling from an old cushion. Tie a knot in the top of the socks, and cut away the excess.
I made some noses for the gnomes by rolling some clay into balls and letting them dry.
I used grey fake Mongolian fur and white fur to make the beards and moustaches.
Measure around your gnome so you know how big to cut the fur. When you cut the fur, you must only cut the lining from the back. That way you will not damage the fur. Using a sharp craft knife worked really well for me. The shape above is the shape I used. The smaller side goes around the back as hair. Each one was cut slightly different just so they did not all look the same.
I used hot glue to attach the fur to the sock.
For the gnome with the two tones beard I parted the grey fur and glued some white fur in between the two layers. You can now have some fun styling your gnomes fur beards and moustaches. I used a comb so smooth mine out.
The gnome with the leather outfit was suppose to be a women gnome but her hair proved to difficult to get right so SHE became a HE. I use some off cuts of fake leather to make a corset style outfit. I added some eyelet holes and added laces. I used some embellishments from my mixed media stash to decorate the outfit.
This was the front of the outfit before painting and highlighting with the bronze wax paste. I had to pull the flowers off the front which did cause some damage but this was hidden with the paint.
I made each gnome a cute hat using cardboard first. To give my gnomes a better quality look I covered the hats in self adhesive felt.
I used bits and bobs from my workshop to make them all some steampunk googles and added some extra decorations to make each hat unique.
This whole hat was painted black and highlight with bronze wax paste.
Each hat was given a unique mixed media makeover.
And these are my super cute steampunk gnomes showing off there cool new look. My cost for making these will be different from yours depending on what items you have at home. These gnomes also take a lot longer to make as there is so much detail. A more detailed tutorial is available on my website listed below.
Staying with the steampunk theme here are more projects you may like. This unique steampunk Christmas tree was made from cardboard and other recycled materials and given a mixed media makeover. This is not to replace the traditional Christmas tree it is just a mixed media artistic version I created.
More Christmas projects you can find on my website. This corner Christmas tree shelf is so cool it can be used all year round.
Wall hanging Christmas tree shelf
Santa stop here garden sign and more.
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OMGosh, the gnomes look like ZZ Top! šš
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They look like ZZ Top!
Frequently asked questions
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OMG How cute are these steam punk Gnomes. Will you make me one and sell it to me?
Have you thought about splitting the front of the ā beardā and making it pig-tails and using a tiny ājabotā of puffed lace below the nose like itās a high collar? Then add some cute netting trailing down the back of the hat.
I love Steampunk alsoā¦ even at age 70! But I would have never thought of a steampunk gnome! Now Iām going to have some more fun making some! Thank you for the wonderful notions.