How to Sew a Pocket Elf

Since I’m on summer holidays at the moment, I have had much more time to get crafty and creative, hence, I decided to make this felt gnome. I got the idea from “The Big Book of Softies” which is a gorgeous book filled with adorable little animals to make with patterns and easy to follow instructions. It made sewing this softie quite simple. I tweaked the instructions to how I thought it was easiest and customised it to how I wanted it to look.

The materials you will need are:

• felt or other fabric two or three colours (can be two scraps at least 8cm wide and 18cm long)
• Stuffing
• Threads according to fabric colour (+black for mouth and eyes)
• Pins, needles etc.

Step 1:

Trace the pattern from the book onto a piece of paper and cut out the shape of both the face and body. If you do not have the book it is quite easy to draw the shapes yourself to get the same result or customise it however you like.

Step 2: 

Place the paper shape of the body onto the two pieces or fabric then trace in light pencil or pen around the outside of the paper. Remove the paper and pin the two pieces of fabric together before cutting out the body shape of the fabric. Then pin the head cut out onto a different coloured piece of fabric and cut around it also.

Step 3: 

Next you can make the features on your gnome’s face as simple or complex as possible. I cut out two small pieces of blue fabric and sewed them on as eyes then used black thread for the pupils and mouth. You could also use red thread for the mouth. Other options are to use pieces of fabric for the pupils and mouth or simply use the black thread for them.

Step 4:

Then sew the face onto the good side of one of the body fabric pieces. You can use a 
thread that matches to face colour or the body colour, I chose to use pink thread like my gnome’s face and I quite like how it turned out. 

Step 5:

Put the better sides of both pieces of the body facing into each other(make sure the side with the face is facing down) and sew around the outside using thread the same colour as the body. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A GAP OF ABOUT 5cm AROUND THE EDGE UNSEWN! This is very important for Step 6. (Don’t worry if you forget to leave the gap, I did that too, just unpick the sewing until you have the space you need)

Step 6:

Pull the felt through the gap you left so that the fabric is inside out and the right side with the face is on the outside. You may need to use a pencil to reach into the arms and legs if your fingers cannot reach.

Step 7: 

This is my favourite step! Grab some stuffing and tease it. Do this by pulling the fluff with your fingers before putting it inside the gnome so that it doesn’t get lumpy. Make sure that every crevice is filled with stuffing and it is as firm as you would like it.

Step 8: 

Now carefully sew up the gap you used to stuff the gnome using the thread that is the colour of the fabric again. Make sure you tie a knot on the end of the thread and than you are finished!

I hope that you decide to make your self a little pocket gnome because they are really cute and surprisingly simple if you have the time and patience. Feel free to make your gnome look different by adding a Pom Pom on his hat, some shoes or perhaps give him a furry beard! Comment on this post how you went and show me a photo of the finished product on instagram @inkpotblogger. Thanks for reading another blog post at The Pen and Inkpot.

~The Inkpot Blogger