Summertime Porch Gnome DIY with Interchangeable Hat

Gnomes are all the rage right now and this Porch Gnome DIY with an interchangeable hat is going to be the perfect addition to your front porch!

I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Fairfield World for sending me a huge box of goodies to create with! I was invited to be part of Fairfield World’s Patio Party event hosted by Laura Kelly Designs and we had to create something unique for our summer patio! They’ve also got a fun giveaway going on that I’ve linked to at the end of this post that you can enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Joann’s as well as some of this Poly-fil so that you can create your own Porch Gnome!

I knew instantly that I wanted to create this Porch Gnome DIY using their Poly-fill. You can get this almost anywhere – Wal-mart, Amazon, any craft store, you name it. While this seems like a hard project to DIY, the process is really simple and you don’t even need a sewing machine!

One of my favorite things about this project is that I created the hat so it could be reversible. If you have a body fabric that you can use year round, you can change out the hat with seasonal or holiday fabric.

Here is what you need to make your own Porch Gnome:

• Poly-fil Fiber Fill
• 2 yards of fabric (1 yard each of two coordinating fabrics)
• Old plastic wiffle ball or similar
• 2 mop heads from Dollar Tree
• Tomato cage

First you’re going to use the tomato cage upside down. With the points facing up, use some duct tape and tape the ends together.

Using the fabric for the bottom part of the gnome, lay out 1 yard and place your tomato cage in the middle. From here you’re going to just wrap and glue all of the ends up around the third bar on the tomato cage. You may have to fold some of the fabric so it lays correctly and covers any open areas.

Here is what the bottom part will look like finished.

Next, you’re going to create the gnome’s beard with two mop heads. Using a generous amount of glue, layer them in between a section of wire so they hang over the edge.

Now it’s time to create the hat. I used this fun floral fabric for my Summertime Porch gnome. You’re going to want to trim your 1 yard of fabric down to about 3/4 of a yard. I just eye-balled this.

Fold the cut fabric in half and make a line from corner to corner so that you are creating a triangle shape on the folded edge.

With the right side up, apply a line of glue along the long edge and fold over to seal and make a triangle hat. You may have to apply the glue in sections so it doesn’t dry before you’re done. Turn the hat right side out and you’re ready for the next step.

Using the Poly-Fil, stuff a small amount into the peak of the hat so it’s cushioned from the tomato cage ends that are taped together. Put the hat on and stuff more poly-fil around to to fill the hat in until it is stuff to the look you like.

Since we are making this an interchangeable hat, we are not going to be gluing it down. I wanted to make this a project that anyone could do, so we are just folding the edges of the hat up instead of stitching a seam.

Now you’re going to make the nose. You can use an old plastic whiffle ball or something similar. I found an old plastic baseball and used that.

I took a small piece of white fabric that was cut to about 6″ square. Layer a small amount of Poly-fill and then place your ball on top. Using hot glue, you’re going to fold and secure the edges up around to seal everything together.

Using a generous amount of glue, apply the gnome nose to the top of the mop heads. I made a little space in the middle and nestled it at the top right underneath the hat.

THAT’s IT!! Now you have the CUTEST Porch Gnome that you can display all year!!

I absolutely LOVE the way he turned out and hope you love it enough to try to create one for yourself!

This DIY Porch Gnome was part of the Fairfield World Summer Patio Party!!

Click on the links below to check out the other awesome projects for the Patio and Summer created with products from Fairfield World!

• Alicia Steele over at Sew What Alicia creates a DIY Ottoman Pouf
• Ann Butler (Bella Crafts Publishing…you are here)
• Annie Murlowski at Rocky Mountain Bliss
• Beth Watson shares great outdoor summer games at Creatively Beth
• Ginger Bowie creates a State Pillow at Ginger Snap Crafts
• Heather Mayes shares a Planter over at Beginner Sewing Projects
• Jenny Crowther from Jenny’s Colorful Life shares how to make a Washable Pillow
• Julia Groves at the Quiet Grove shares an Easy DIY Placemat Pillow
• Katie Berry over at A Sweet Berrys Blog
• Laura Kelly over at Me & My Inklings creates a Pallet Couch
• Laura Silva from Laura’s Crafty Life makes an Outdoor Pouf Ottoman
• Natalie Shaw makes a DIY Summer Patio Pillow at Doodle Craft Blog
• Shani Ogden at Sunshine & Munchkins shares Tie Dye Pillows from a Tote

The Fairfield World Summer Patio Party was brought to you by: Fairfield World, Laura Kelly from Me and My Inklings, Beth Watson from Creatively Beth and me, Ann Butler, from Bella Crafts Publishing! Check out the Giveaway below.

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