RECYCLED EGG CARTON GNOMES 💛 Lucky Mary Sunshine

With their adorable round noses, gravity defying hats and all around cuddlyness, it’s no wonder everyone wants a gnome right now! I love a good Christmas gnome, but we like to keep our gnomes around all year. They are considered good luck, and who doesn’t need a little extra luck after the last couple of years?! We decided our house needed some positive gnome vibes and crafted up these magical little munchkins!

All you really need for this project is an egg carton. The other materials can be substituted with a little imagination and creativity. You can make this project as fancy or simple as you’d like. Instead of paint, use crayons or paint sticks. Substitute the wooden bead nose for a pom-pom or a dry bean. Use a stretched out cotton ball for the beard if you don’t have any faux fur laying around. Really think about what you have around the house that can be used in place of items you may not have.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

egg carton (You’ll need one cone and one cup for each gnome.)
paint and paintbrush
scissors
wooden beads (or small pom-poms)
faux fur (or cotton ball)
yarn (optional)
sharpies, gems, etc. (optional)

LET’S CREATE!

1. Cut out your egg cone and cup from the carton.

2. Paint the cone and cup each a different color. The cup will be the gnome’s body. The cone will be the gnome’s hat.

3. Cut out the gnome’s beard. I use my thumb as a guide by tracing it onto the back of the “fur”. Once you cut it out, glue the top of the beard to the narrower edge of the egg cup, as shown below. (If you are using a cotton ball, stretch it out to make it a bit wispy and glue to the egg cup.)

4. If you are making your gnome into an ornament, now is the time to attach your yarn. Cut about a 4 inch length of yarn. Fold it in half and knot it twice at the bottom. Thread the looped end through the hole on the inside of the egg cone. The knot should keep it from coming all the way through. You can add some hot glue on the inside as well to make it a bit more secure.

5. Cut a little line in the middle top of the egg cup. This is going to allow you to squeeze it just enough to fit inside the cone. Use a thin line of glue around the top rim of the cup for added security.

6. Now this is the magical step that turns these random egg cartons pieces into an gnome…It’s time to glue the nose on! Place a dot of glue on your chosen nose and place it just along the bottom edge of the cone.

7. Have fun adding all kinds of things to their fancy hats. (This step is optional, but it’s really my favorite part.) You can add patterns with sharpies or paint and markers, add glitter, glue on pom-poms, add some sequins…add whatever makes you smile.

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy the company of your new little friends. Our little guys especially love to hang out around (and sometimes IN) the houseplants. The kids and I love hiding these guys around the house to surprise each other. They are kind of our (way less creepy) version of Elf on a Shelf. LOL I’ve even hidden them in the kids’ lunchboxes so they get a little giggle at school.

If you are as big a fan of gnomes as we are, be sure to check out our champagne cork gnomes…the best way to recycle all those mimosa corks! And be sure to save those egg cartons, so you can craft some gnomes for every season. How cute are the candy corn gnomes?! (And just like real candy corn, they look way better than they taste!)