How to make a gnome with a Styrofoam cone

Put your Styrofoam craft skills to the test by creating a garden gnome. This project is fun to do and turns your Styrofoam into a cute decorative item. Gnome heads are easy to make and sit flat on any level surface, such as bookshelves or kitchen counters. They are not weighted, so avoid putting them outside, as they will blow away.

Use any felt color that you like. Green and red hats are festive for Christmas, while orange and black hats are suited for Halloween gnomes. For a darker "skin" tone, use a darker paint and darker felt for the ears.

Materials
- Piece of paper or cardboard as a work mat
- 1 Styrofoam cone, 6 to 8 inches in height
- 1 small Styrofoam ball
- White acrylic paint
- Small bowl
- Artist’s paintbrush
- 2 pieces of blue felt, 9x12 inches
- 1 marker
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue
- 1 piece of red felt
- Cotton stuffing
- 1 small piece of tan or brown felt

Instructions
1. Place the cone, Styrofoam ball and bowl on the piece of paper or cardboard. Squeeze some paint into the bowl. Paint the cone’s outer surface from the bottom to 2 inches from the top. Paint the entire ball. Let them dry.

2. Orient the blue felt so it is in portrait mode (higher from top to bottom). Measure 6 inches down from the top left and place a dot (not shown). Measure 6 inches across from the bottom left and place a dot (not shown). Connect the two dots with an outward arch. Cut along the arch.

3. Roll the blue felt until the top hole is closed. Hot glue where the edges overlap. Let dry, then place the felt over the cone.

4. Orient the second piece of blue felt so it is in landscape mode (longer from side to side). Run a line of glue across the top edge, 1/8 inch down. Fold the felt over ¼ inch and press down to adhere it.

5. Run a line of glue just under the bottom edge of the fold. Fold over the felt ¼ inch. Press down to adhere.

6. Cut off the folded felt. Glue the folded felt to the bottom of the cone felt to create a hat rim. Trim the excess. Let it dry.

7. Cut a 1-inch-high strip of red felt long enough to wrap around the outside of the cone’s base. Glue the red felt to the outside of the base. Trim off the excess. Let it dry.

8. Apply a dab of glue equidistant between the red and blue felts. Press the Styrofoam ball on as the nose.

9. Take a handful of stuffing and fluff it out so it looks like a beard. Holding the stuffing in place around the ball “nose,” apply some glue at each end of the top sides of the stuffing. Press the stuffing into place.

10. Take a handful of stuffing and fluff it out so it looks like a head of white hair. Apply glue at the top sides on the back of the cone and press the stuffing into place.

11. Cut out two small half-heart shapes from the tan felt. These are the ears. Apply glue to the straight edges of the felt and press one on either side of the cone where the beard and hair meet.