"Giesbert" the Gnome
Share
Meet Giesbert: The Adorable Crochet Gnome for Your Christmas Decor
🎄✨ Say hello to Giesbert, the crochet gnome who’s ready to bring charm and whimsy to your holiday home! With his versatile design and two hat options—one long and one short—you can style him to perfectly match your festive mood. Plus, his clever construction lets you decide whether to let his eyes peek out or keep them mysteriously hidden, simply by adjusting how you place the head.
Giesbert is crafted with bulky or super bulky yarn, making him quick to crochet while adding a cozy texture that’s perfect for the Christmas season. Whether he’s perched on your fireplace mantel, brightening up a holiday centerpiece, or tucked among the presents under the tree, this little gnome adds personality and warmth to your decor.
But why stop at Christmas? Giesbert’s basic design is endlessly customizable—add tiny accessories like a scarf, tiny heart, or miniature Easter egg, and he can transform into the perfect decoration for any season or occasion.
So, why crochet a gnome for your Christmas home? Gnomes are not just adorable; they embody the spirit of holiday cheer and tradition. They bring a playful yet rustic vibe to any space, making your home feel magical and inviting. Giesbert’s charm and flexibility make him an irresistible project for your holiday crafting.
What you need
Yarn
Chenille yarn; weight 5 bulky or 6 super bulky. Colors:
- Face: Nude or Beige (approx. 20 m ; 25 yards)
- Hat & Gloves: of your choice (approx. 50 m ; 55 yards)
- Body & Arm: of your choice (approx. 50 m ; 55 yards)
Acrylic and/or cotton yarn; weight 4 - medium/worsted. Colors:
- Beard: White (approx. 20 m ; 25 yards)
Accessories
- Crochet hook:
- Polyester toy stuffing*
- Stitch marker*
- Security eyes* of your choice. I used 10 mm
- Tapestry needle*
- Scissors*
- Long pins*
- Optional: Animal hair brush*
* Affiliate Link goes to Amazon US
Note: If you'd like to support my work in creating more free patterns, and you're in need of new crochet supplies, consider shopping through my affiliate links. Every purchase helps me keep designing and sharing with you! 💕
Before you start
Abbreviations
sc: single crochet stitch | inc: increase | dec: decrease | sl st: slip stitch | ch: chain | BO: bobble stitch with 4 hdc | mr: magic ring | FLO: front loop only | BLO: back loop only
Level of difficulty
Advanced Beginner. Feel comfortable: crocheting multiple pieces, crocheting with chenille yarn, do not mind sewing parts together, know the following stitches or willing to learn.
Legal notice
© 2024 Juliane Heise. All rights reserved.
This crochet pattern is not allowed to be sold, resent, reproduced, published, translated into other languages, shared with other crochet patterns or modified and resold as your own tutorial. Crocheting from the photo is allowed. However, it is not allowed to sell the resulting pattern.
The sale of the self-crocheted item is allowed in small quantities if it is accompanied by a reference to the designer: "This item was handmade by ...(your name).... from designs, tutorial, and/or pattterns by Spreeberry Creative - Juliane Heise." Also, the manufacturer/creator is responsible for meeting the necessary local safety standards (CE marking in EU, The Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety in the USA etc.). The Pattern Designer does not assume any liability.
Pattern Instruction
Arms
Make 2. Start with Gloves color
R1: 6 sc in mr [6]
R2: 6 inc [12]
R3: 12 sc [12]
R4: 6 sc, BO, 5 sc [12]
R5: 12 sc [12]
R6: (2 sc, 1 dec) x3 [9]
R7: 9 FLO sc [9]
Change to Body & Arm color. Invisible color change.
R8: Stitch into the visible BLO of R7: 9 sc [9]
Stuff the fausting if you want. Do not stuff the arm.
R9-16: 9 sc [9] 8 rounds
R17: 2 sc, 1 dec, 5 sc [8]
(Depending on your tension, you may need to adjust to ensure the decrease is positioned at the back side of the arm.)
Fold the arm in half and join the two opposite stitches together with 4 sc. Depending on your tension you need to crochet additional sc to position yourself at the back side of the arm.
Cut the yarn and secure.
Nose
Head color
R1: 6 sc [6]
R2: 6 inc [12]
R3: 12 sc [12]
R4: (1 sc, 1 dec) x4 [8]
Stuff the nose if you want.
Finish with a sl st. Cut yarn with enough left over for sewing to head.
Body
Body & Arm color
R1: 8 sc in mr [8]
R2: 8 inc [16]
R3: (1 sc, 1 inc) x8 [24]
R4: (1 sc, 1 inc) x12 [36]
R5: (5 sc, 1 inc) x6 [42]
R6: 42 BLO sc [42]
R7-9: 42 sc [42] 3 rounds
R10: (5 sc, 1 dec) x6 [36]
R11-12: 36 sc [36] 2 rounds
R13: (4 sc, 1 dec) x6 [30]
R14-15: 30 sc [30] 2 rounds
R16: (3 sc, 1 dec) x6 [24]
R17-18: 24 sc [24] 2 rounds
R19: (6 sc, 1 dec) x3 [21]
R20: 21 sc [21]
R21: 4 sc with arm (make sure the thumb is facing forward), 6 sc, 4 sc with arm (make sure the thumb is facing forward), 7 sc [21]
Stuff the body.
Head
Change to Head color. Invisible color change.
R22: (5 sc, 1 dec) x3 [18]
R23-24: 18 sc [18] 2 rounds
R25: (1 sc, 1 dec) x6 [12]
Insert the eyes between rows 24 and 25, leaving a two-visible-stitch gap between them. Continue adding stuffing.
R27: (2 sc, 1 dec) x3 [9]
R28: 9 sc [9]
R29: (1 sc, 1 dec) x3 [6]
Fasten off: Close hole and weave in yarn.
Attach the nose to the gnome, positioning it just below the eyes.
Hat
Hat Option 1: Long hat with folded tip
Hat color
R1: 6 sc in mr [6]
R2-3: 6 sc [6] 2 rounds
R4: (2 sc, 1 inc) x2 [8]
R5-6: 8 sc [8] 2 rounds
R7: (3 sc, 1 inc) x2 [10]
R8-9: 10 sc [10] 2 rounds
R10: (4 sc, 1 inc) x2 [12]
R11-12: 12 sc [12] 2 rounds
R13: (5 sc, 1 inc) x2 [14]
R14-15: 14 sc [14] 2 rounds
R16: (6 sc, 1 inc) x2 [16]
R17-18: 16 sc [16] 2 rounds
R19: (7 sc, 1 inc) x2 [18]
R20-21: 18 sc [18] 2 rounds
R22: (5 sc, 1 inc) x3 [21]
R23: 21 sc [21]
R24: (6 sc, 1 inc) x3 [24]
R25: 24 sc [24]
R26: (7 sc, 1 inc) x3 [27]
R27: 27 sc [27]
R28: (8 sc, 1 inc) x3 [30]
R29: 30 sc [30]
R30: (2 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc) x6 [36]
R31: (5 sc, 1 inc) x6 [42]
Finish with 1 sl st. Cut yarn with enough length for sewing.
Hat Option 2: Short hat
Hat color
R1: 6 sc in mr [6]
R2: 6 sc [6]
R3: (1 sc, 1 inc) x3 [9]
R4-5: 9 sc [9] 2 rounds
R6: (2 sc, 1 inc) x3 [12]
R7-8: 12 sc [12] 2 rounds
R9: (3 sc, 1 inc) x3 [15]
R10-11: 15 sc [15] 2 rounds
R12: (4 sc, 1 inc) x3 [18]
R13-14: 18 sc [18] 2 rounds
R15: (5 sc, 1 inc) x3 [21]
R16: 21 sc [21]
R17: (6 sc, 1 inc) x3 [24]
R18: 24 sc [24]
R19: (7 sc, 1 inc) x3 [27]
R20: 27 sc [27]
R21: (8 sc, 1 inc) x3 [30]
R22: (2 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc) x6 [36]
R23: (5 sc, 1 inc) x6 [42]
Finish with 1 sl st. Cut yarn Cut yarn with enough length for sewing.
Attaching the hat
Position the hat slightly tilted on the gnome, ensuring the eyes are not (see purple hat gnome for reference) or just barely visible (see red hat gnome for reference).
Sew the hat securely in place, leaving a slight overhang to allow the option of covering the eyes if desired.
Make sure to sew the front of the hat above the eyes. Since we crocheted the entire head, you have plenty of space for this.
Add stuffing to the head if wanted. I left both hats unstuffed.
For the long hat option: Fold the tip downward at an angle and sew it in place. The short hat remain as is it.
Attaching beard
The length of the yarn strands will determine how long the gnome's beard will be, so decide on your desired length beforehand. A helpful tip is to cut the yarn twice as long as the final beard length, as the strands will be folded in half.
- Take 2-3 strands of yarn and fold them in half.
- Insert your crochet hook through a stitch where you want to attach the beard.
- Grab the folded yarn with the hook and pull it partially through the stitch, creating a loop.
- Take the loose ends of the yarn and pull them through the loop.
- Pull the yarn snug to secure it in place.
- Repeat this process with the remaining yarn strands until the beard is complete.
Optional: Gently comb the trimmed yarn strands with an animal hair brush to create a soft, textured appearance that resembles / mimick a real beard.
Finish. Have fun with Giesbert