Top of the morning to you, matey! Here’s a little enchanting inspiration, handmade Irish Gnomes DIY for St Patrick’s Day.
These festive gnomes are full of charm, personality, and just the right touch of Irish whimsy to brighten your home for the holiday. So, let’s get on with it, it’s no use boiling your cabbage twice. 😂
Gnome artist Ruth Johnson made all of the charming gnomes on this website.
May the road rise up to meet you.
– Irish Blessing
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
If you’re looking for more gnome inspiration, be sure to check out the cute springtime DIY Gnomes, the Easter bunny gnome e-book, and all gnome posts.
✂️ Get the Free Gnome Pattern
Print this free pattern and start sewing today
Send Me the Free PatternDelivered straight to your inbox. Free for personal use.
Why You’ll Love Making Irish Gnomes
These St. Patty’s Day gnomes feel like the perfect match for an Irish-loving person and their decor! With their beards, cozy shapes, and pops of green, they fully capture the playful spirit of the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day began as a religious holiday honoring St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, and over time it grew into a more general celebration of Irish culture. Today, it is celebrated with parades, festivals, and festive decorations in the United States and parts of Ireland.
Irish gnomes are an easy craft; a fun and simple way to add some handmade charm to your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. They are easy to personalize, great for using fabric scraps, and make cheery decorations or thoughtful gifts.
Celebrate with this free St Patrick’s Day printable.
Gnome Supplies
Below are some of the basic craft supplies you will need to make a St. Patrick’s Day gnome. Shoppable affiliate links are included.
Recycled Sweaters gnome’s hat and body pieces
or Fabric
Felt for mittens
Faux Fur Precut strips for beard
Wire approximately 18 gauge
Pipe Cleaners optional
Wooden Bead Craft balls for gnome’s nose
Popsicle Sticks for skis
Trims ribbons greenery, props, etc.
Pattern Download sign up for free pattern!
Paper Scissors
Sharp Scissors for fabric
Sewing Machine
Hot Glue Gun Elmer’s
All Temperature Glue Sticks
Pencil or Sharpie Marker
Washed Pea Gravel for filling
Polyester Poly-fil Batting for filling, optional
You can use a wide variety of materials when making gnomes. Ruth uses a mix of ribbons, buttons, and fun props, sourcing supplies both in-store and online.
Look for different colors of fabric, felt, trims, and embellishments at your favorite local sewing or craft stores. These items are easy to find and perfect for creating custom gnome designs. National craft chains like Michaels and Hobby Lobby are great options, but don’t stop there. Browse the sewing, jewelry, doll-making, and even kitchen departments for unexpected finds.
Be sure to check clearance sections for deals, and take a look at dollar stores or thrift shops such as Goodwill or Savers. You never know what creative treasures you’ll discover to enhance your Irish gnome project.
Variations
Below are fun details and embellishment ideas for your DIY gnome designs.
Celtic Symbols
The Celtic knot
Cross
Shamrock
Traditional Sweater and Fabrics
Aran Sweater
Plaids, Tartans, and Check patterns
Irish and Scottish Traits
Red Hair or Beard
Freckles
Leprechaun Details
Shamrock or Clovers
Pot of Gold
Rainbows
Lucky messages or props
The Color Green
How to Make a Gnome
If you are interested in making another kind of adorable gnome instead, let’s start at the beginning.
Get lots of gnome ideas and inspiration, plus learn how to make a gnome with this free simple gnome tutorial. It will walk you through with easy step-by-step instructions.
Irish FAQs
It refers to people who descended from one of the Celtic regions in western Europe. Today, The word also applies to the Celtic people, culture, or languages in Scotland, Ireland, other parts of the British Isles, and Brittany in France.
Irish symbols represent a message of love, loyalty, strength, and religious beliefs. There are Celtic symbols and Irish symbols, and the two are different.
Celtic symbols typically have three intertwined elements. These pieces represent the belief that everything of importance has three components: the earth, sky, and sea.
Traditional symbols of Ireland and Celtic include:
+ A harp (Ireland’s official national emblem).
+ Claddaugh
+ Celtic Cross
+ A shamrock (the national flower of Ireland).
+ The trinity knot
It is a hand-knit sweater first created many generations ago and named after the islands off Ireland’s West Coast, where fishers and farmers lived and worked together. Aran sweaters were traditionally good-quality pure merino wool hand-knit sweaters with heavily textured knit patterns.
They were typically off-white or cream, knit in the natural color of sheep’s wool. The most common Aran sweater stitch is the many variations of the cable. These symbolize fishers’ ropes and a lattice or basket stitch representing a fisherman’s basket.
Other Gnome Projects
Below you’ll find so many creative ideas for dressing up your gnome and a fun way to celebrate each season, holiday, or even any ordinary day.
How to Make DIY Gnomes
Easter bunny gnome e-book
Spring gnomes
Fourth of July gnomes
Halloween gnome e-books
Christmas gnomes
Holiday gnomes
Christmas ornament gnomes
Ornament gnome e-book
Plaid gnomes
Wine Topper gnomes
Bottle Topper gnome ebook
Let me part with another Irish blessing;
May you have love that never ends,
Lots of money and lots of friends.
Health be yours; whatever you do,
And may God send many blessings to you.
Please share all the creative ways you make these gnomes your own. I can’t wait to hear your results. Be sure to subscribe or follow me on social media for more inspiration!
Happy crafting and happy St. Patties Day!
xo,
Cindy
Did you try an Irish Gnome?
I would love to hear all about it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
About Bloom
Cindy Munson is a lifelong sewer, pattern designer, and former graphic design studio owner. She shares approachable, stylish sewing projects through her blog, Be Brave and Bloom. Her mission is to help others discover the joy of making and live a more creative life. Cindy works from her sunny sewing studio in Minnesota, where she lives with her husband of over 30 years.
where do you get the knit material for the irish gnomes?
Hi Jane, Ruth uses recycled sweaters that she finds at thrift stores or finds on Facebook Marketplace, etc.