Felt & Glue Gnome Hat
Cut a 9 by 12 inches (23 cm × 30 cm) piece of felt into a 5 by 12 inches (13 cm × 30 cm) cone. Fold your felt in half widthwise. Start at the bottom felt’s folded crease and measure across 5 inches (13 cm)—this will be the bottom of the hat. Now, measure 2 inches (5.1 cm) across from the fold at the top of the piece of felt—this will be the point of the hat. Use a pair of scissors to cut the felt on the opposite side of the fold, starting at the 5 inches (13 cm) mark and working your way up to the 2 inches (5.1 cm) mark at a diagonal. Mark your measurements with a pen or marker or create a template of your measurements to follow as you cut. Add or subtract length to the gnome hat to make a taller or shorter hat. For example, if you want a shorter hat, try cutting your felt into a 5 by 7 inches (13 cm × 18 cm) cone. If your gnome’s body is larger than 5 inches (13 cm), add ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) to the body measurement. If you’re making a felt gnome hat for yourself, wrap a fabric tape measure around your own head and add ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) to the result to get the bottom measurement of your hat.
Glue the edges of the felt together with hot glue. Take a glue gun and line the inseam of the hat (the edge flap of the felt) with hot glue. Bring the glue from the bottom corner along the edge to the top point. If you don’t have a glue gun, use an all-purpose craft glue or super glue.
Press the edges of the felt together. Once the glue is applied, bring the top flap over the bottom, and line the edges up with the glue. Use your hands to press the pieces of felt together against the glue. Be careful when handling felt and hot glue, as the felt might be warm to the touch where the glue is applied.
Turn the hat inside out. Wait a few seconds for the hot glue to dry, and then fold the felt inside out, bringing the point down and through the bottom opening of the hat. Folding the hat inside out hides the seam and gives you a sewn look without actual sewing.
Use fluffy garland, pom poms, or tassels to decorate the gnome hat. This step is optional, but a few embellishments can help your gnome or hat look even snazzier! Try hot gluing white garland around the brim and point for a Santa-like gnome hat. Pinch and glue sections of the hat together for a rustic, folded look. Bend and drape the hat to the side of the gnome to make the hat look like a sleeping cap. Slip the hat over a styrofoam cone to help it stay upright.
Styrofoam Cone & Sock Gnome Hat
Trim a styrofoam cone to your desired size. Balance a styrofoam cone on top of your gnome’s head, and ask yourself, “Is this the hat size I want?” If it is, awesome! If it’s not, use a craft knife, pair of scissors, or box cutter to carefully trim the cone to the size you want. Lay the cone on its side, and shave off bits of the flat bottom until it's the right height. Avoid trimming the top of the cone so it keeps its perfect point. Try cutting at an angle if you want the hat to lean back a bit.
Dig out the bottom center of the styrofoam cone. Once your cone is trimmed and shaved to your desired size, use a craft knife or box cutter to hollow out an inch (2.5 centimeters) or so of the inside. Scour the bottom of the cone with the craft knife or box cutter, starting in the center and working your way towards the edge. Then, remove the loose styrofoam with your fingers. This helps the hat rest on your gnome’s head.
Glue the styrofoam cone to your gnome’s head. Use a glue gun to put a line of hot glue around the bottom rim of the cone. Then, press the cone onto the gnome’s head, waiting a few seconds for the glue to dry before letting go. If you don’t have a glue gun, use super or all-purpose craft glue.
Slide a stretchy tube sock over the styrofoam cone. Now that the cone is attached to your gnome, scrunch up a tube sock and slip it over the cone. Use your hands to carefully slide the sock down the cone until the hem hits the gnome’s head. Spin the sock around on the cone so that the heel is hidden at the back of the gnome. Pick a larger, fuzzy tube sock for an aged hat. Play around with the sock folds to get the exact aesthetic you’re looking for. Fold the sock hem up and over to create a brim. Leave the toe of the sock off the cone for a droopier hat.
Sewn Fabric Gnome Hat
Print out or make a gnome hat sewing pattern. The size of your gnome hat all depends on the size of your gnome or your own head. A gnome hat’s pattern will be in the shape of a cone, with a larger curved bottom and smaller pointy top. If you’re making the hat for a figurine gnome, find a free pattern online that matches the size of your gnome or make one yourself by having the bottom part of the hat be ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) bigger than the gnome’s head or coat. If you’re making the hat for yourself, measure your head with a fabric measuring tape and add about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of seam allowance to your measurement.
Trace the pattern onto fabric and cut out one hat piece. Place the pattern on one layer of fabric, and use a pencil or pen to trace the outline of the pattern onto the fabric. Cut out the outline with scissors or a tracing wheel. Check that the fabric’s design lines up under your pattern in a way you like before cutting.
Hem the curved edge with a ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) seam if you’d like. Lay the cut fabric right side down. Fold the curved bottom edge up a ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) to create a hem. Use a sewing machine to stitch along the seam to hold the hem in place. Pin the hem down before you sew, or fold the hem in while you sew. This step is optional but can help your gnome hat look neater.
Fold the right sides of the fabric together and stitch along the edge. Turn the fabric, so the pattern or right side is face up. Fold the fabric in half till the outer straight edges meet. Then, use a sewing machine to stitch along the edge, leaving about a ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) of space between the edge and stitch.
Turn the hat inside out to hide the stitch and display the right side. That’s it—you’ve sewn a gnome hat! Place the hat on your gnome or your own head and show off your craft skills.
Clay Pot Gnome Hat
Paint a miniature or small clay flower pot. Pick the color you want your gnome hat to be—maybe that’s holiday red, pastel blue, or even neon pink. Then, use acrylic paint to paint a clay terracotta flower pot. Make sure to cover the bottom of the pot too, as this will be the “point” of your gnome’s hat. If the paint dries a bit streaky after the first coat, consider adding a second coat for a brighter, even color. If you want to make your gnome hat a lighter color, consider spray painting your pot white first, as this will help the color pop more.
Decorate the painted pot with ribbons, buttons, or other embellishments. Turn the pot over so that the bottom is face up. Glue sequins, buttons, or flower petals to the pot wherever you like, or tie a ribbon or two along the bottom and top edges—give your gnome a sense of style!
Set the decorated pot on your gnome’s head upside down. Use a glue gun and squeeze hot glue along the top of the gnome’s head. Then, carefully place the pot on top of your gnome with the bottom end face up, just as you decorated it. Gluing the pot to the gnome is optional but can help the hat stay in place. Try propping your gnome up against a tree, stone, or step if the weight of the hat causes it to tip over.
Paper Cone Gnome Hat
Draw an arc the size of your gnome’s head on a piece of paper. Measure your gnome’s head (or your head) with a fabric measuring tape. Add about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) to this measurement, so you have room to fold and tape the paper. Adjust a drawing compass to match your measurement, and place the tip of the compass on a corner point of the paper. Use the compass’ writing utensil to create a perfect arc, moving from the edge to the left of the point to the edge to the right of the point. Use cardstock or poster board for a more durable gnome hat. If you don’t have a compass, make your own with a piece of string the length of your measurement and 2 pencils. Tie an end of the string to each pencil. Hold one of the pencils on the paper's point, extend the other the length of the string, and draw an arc.
Cut the paper along the arc. With scissors, follow the outline you made previously to cut out the shape of your cone. Try to be as precise as possible so your hat has an even brim.
Roll the edges together to create a paper cone. Carefully curve the paper so that the straight edges meet. Overlap the edges ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). If overlapping the edges ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) makes the hat too small or too big, no worries! Make the hat bigger by rolling it less, or make the hat smaller by rolling it tighter.
Tape the paper’s edges together and wear. Connect the edges of the cone with clear tape to keep it from unraveling. Set the hat on your gnome or your own head because you’ve just made a super simple gnome’s hat. You can also use hot glue to hold the cone together, but the glue lines may be seen through the paper. Consider decorating your gnome hat with sequins, feathers, flowers, or drawn doodles once it’s taped together. This way, you’ll know exactly where to put the decorations so they’re seen on your gnome or your own head.
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