Make the base

To make the base, I used a recycled plastic bottle. You can use any plastic bottle because most of it will be covered. Ignore the other items in the image below, they were for the other project that failed.

Mix some cement in a bowl and add water until you start getting a firmer consistency. The mixture must still be runny enough to pour into the bottle.

Because of the shape on the bottom, I felt it would be too hard to get the plastic off without causing damage. So I had to stand mine upside down to dry. The bottle also had a crack that I did not notice, so I had to tape the bottle up quickly.

I left the cement to dry overnight before removing the plastic bottle. Ignore the hammer, I did not remove the plastic with that, even though the top broke off.

You can see lots of cracks in the cement, that is not damaged it is the stones you saw in the first image just under the surface. My idea was to have a bottle with part of the side missing with all the glass stones embedded in the gaps. I left it as it was for this project because you would not see it anyway.

To make my steampunk gnomes dress I used the sleeve from an old sweater that I soaked in fabric stiffener.

You should wear gloves for this step so you can massage the stiffener into the sweater.

Next, put the sweater over the bottle and shape it how you want it. I left mine on the windowsill in the sun to dry. If you are not getting the shape you want, you may need to wait until the fabric starts to stiffen. Then go back and add your shape.

Decorate the body

I went for a steampunk theme for this project because I am still not over my steampunk phase yet. Surprise surprise. I glued a scrap of lace over the exposed cement bottle and make her a leather corset similar to the one on my steampunk mannequin. And glued it inside the shawl.

Adding the hair

To make her hair I used some white Mongolian fur. To cut the fur without damaging the fur, it is best to use a sharp craft knife and just cut the back lining. When I was making the lady sock gnome, I tried so many hairstyles and they all looked naff. Given her pigtails or two braids were all I could come up with, until now.

Yes, you are seeing this correctly, I gave my doorstop a French braid. Haha. This was easy to do when the fur lining is glued to the bottle. I added some pearl beads to highlight the braid

Highlight her dress

To add some colour to the dress I used some bronze wax paste and randomly rubbed it over the surface. I also glued some steampunk charms to her outfit and gave her a clay nose.

She also got her own sexy steampunk hat. To see how the hat is made you can check out the steampunk gnomes below. For a more detailed tutorial and to see more images you can visit my website listed at the bottom of this post.

These steampunk sock gnomes are just the cutest.

Your cost for this project will depend on what products you have at home. During times not included in overall time.

If you have an old cardboard box lying around at home and want ideas on how to reuse it. Check out this 3D heart that can be made as a wall hanging or you can add a lid for a jewellery box. This tutorial will show you how.