Paper Gnome Puppets
A fun Gnome Craft for Kids, these Gnome Puppets use a printable craft template to make the process of creating them super quick and easy.
Paper Gnome Craft
Are your kids in full-on gnome obsession, too?
Last year, Ella and I made these Felt Gnomes after reading a couple of stories about them. She had no idea what gnomes were before that, but now gnomes have popped up everywhere! There are so many cute gnome Christmas decorations, gnome-inspired clothing pieces, and even gnome board games.
I thought making our own gnome puppets would be a fun way to let her create her own gnome stories. You could even make our Shoebox Puppet Theatre to put on theatrical productions using your gnome puppets!
These paper gnomes are an easier option for young crafters than our felt gnomes, and you can quickly turn out a bunch of these. You can make your paper gnomes into puppets like we did, or use them to decorate Christmas cards, add to some winter art, or even add a magnet to the back to turn them into gnome fridge magnets.
To make these popsicle stick puppets last even longer, you can laminate the paper puppets before gluing to your popsicle sticks. This will allow them to withstand more wear and tear. This is the laminator I use, and I just buy the super cheap packages of laminate sheets from Amazon. It costs about 13 cents a sheet to laminate which lets us get so much use out of any activity we print out.
For a fun personal twist, you can print out pictures your kids’ faces and use them as gnome faces, like we did for our mermaid puppets.
These popsicle stick puppets would also make super cute Gnome bookmarks!
Materials for Popsicle Stick Gnome Puppets
- Colored craft paper (I prefer card stock for sturdiness)
- Popsicle sticks
- Craft glue
- Pencil
- Scissors <– these are the ones we have and they have lasted for years in our daycare, and unlike some other safety scissors – they actually cut things!
- Gnome Template
Tip: laminate these puppets to make them last even longer and stand up to kids’ play.
How to Make Gnome Puppets
Select 4 different colored craft papers for the gnome puppet craft. Trace the provided template patterns (hat, nose, body, beard and shoes) on the selected craft papers and cut them out nicely. Cut out a small (smaller than the nose) of cardstock paper as well.
Grab the body pattern and stick the 2 shoe cutouts along the bottom side (the curved side) of the body cutout. Keep the shoe patterns on the backside.
Grab the hat cutout and decorate the hat as you want. You can either use paper cutouts (circles, strips or any shape you like) or you can use sharpies to draw patterns on the paper hat.
Grab the nose cutout and the small cardstock piece. Stick the cardstock piece on either side of the nose, right in the middle of it.
Stick the beard pattern near the top side of the body pattern, keeping the zigzag side facing down the pattern.
Now stick the hat pattern on the top side of the beard pattern by overlapping a cm of both patterns (beard and hat).
Now nicely stick the nose on the beard, right below the hat’s bottom end. While sticking the nose make sure to keep the cardstock piece on the backside.
Attach the papercraft gnome on a popsicle stick to complete the puppet craft.
Pin this Easy Popsicle Stick Puppet Craft:
Grab your free printable instructions for our gnome popsicle stick puppets and don’t forget to download your Printable Gnome Template:
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Paper Gnome Puppets
A cute gnome paper craft for kids, these gnomes can be turned into popsicle stick puppets, gnome magnets, or even added to Christmas cards!
Materials
- Colored craft paper (I prefer card stock for sturdiness)
- Popsicle sticks
- Craft glue
- Printable Gnome Template
Tools
- Pencil
- Scissors
Instructions
- Select 4 different colored craft papers for the gnome puppet craft. Trace the provided template patterns (hat, nose, body, beard and shoes) on the selected craft papers and cut them out nicely. Cut out a small (smaller than the nose) of cardstock paper as well.
- Grab the body pattern and stick the 2 shoe cutouts along the bottom side (the curved side) of the body cutout. Keep the shoe patterns on the backside.
- Grab the hat cutout and decorate the hat as you want. You can either use paper cutouts (circles, strips or any shape you like) or you can use sharpies to draw patterns on the paper hat.
- Grab the nose cutout and the small cardstock piece. Stick the cardstock piece on either side of the nose, right in the middle of it.
- Stick the beard pattern near the top side of the body pattern, keeping the zigzag side facing down the pattern.
- Now stick the hat pattern on the top side of the beard pattern by overlapping a cm of both patterns (beard and hat).
- Now nicely stick the nose on the beard, right below the hat’s bottom end. While sticking the nose make sure to keep the cardstock piece on the backside.
- Attach the papercraft gnome on a popsicle stick to complete the puppet craft.
Notes
Laminate these paper gnome puppets to make them sturdier for kids' play.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Acerich 200 Pcs Craft Sticks Popsicle Sticks Ice Cream Sticks 4-1/2" Length Treat Sticks -
Westcott Soft Handle Kids Scissors with Anti-Microbial Protection, Assorted Colors, 5" Pointed (14597-030)
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Astrobrights Colored Cardstock, 8.5” x 11”, 65 lb / 176 gsm, "Spectrum" 25-Color Assortment, 75 Sheets (80944-01)
I hope your kids love making and playing with these popsicle stick gnome puppets as much as mine did!
For more winter crafts for kids, check out our full collection here.
