Print our free Valentine gnome template (find the link in the materials list above!) and cut out both pieces.
Place the hat piece on red felt and trace around it with chalk or a gel pen.
Cut out the hat.
Place a piece of faux fur on a cutting mat, fur side down. Place the beard template on top of the fur.At this point, check the direction of the fur! If you place the template point towards you, the fur should be going down towards you as well.
Use a craft knife to very gently cut through the backing of the fur. Slice just until it cuts through -- you don't want to cut the fur itself.This may require several careful slices.
Cut out a heart from grey felt that's about 1 inch across.Repeat until you have 8 felt hearts.(Check out our heart outlines post for help creating a heart shape!)
Cut the toe portion off an adult sized grey sock, just before the heel.
To make your Valentine gnome you'll also need dried beans and stuffing for the gnome, as well as a wooden ball for the nose.
Step 3: Assemble the gnome
Pour 1 cup of dried beans into the bottom of the sock.If you need help stretching out the sock you can ask a friend to help, or stretch it over the top of a drinking glass.The beans will stop the gnome from falling over.
Add stuffing into the gnome until you're happy with the size and firmness of its body.
Use a rubber band to close off the top of the sock. If you don't have an elastic you can also use a piece of string.
Add a line of hot glue along the top edge of the back of the beard.
Press the beard to the gnome's body, so the bottom of the beard reaches the bottom of the gnome.
Add glue to one side of the wooden ball and attach it towards the top of the beard.
Step 4: Make and attach the gnome's hat
Place the red felt hat piece with the point at the top. Fold 1/3 of the hat over and add a short line of hot glue along the top edge.
Fold the other side of the felt into the glue, holding it together until the glue is dry.
Add hot glue down the rest of the edge of hat, connecting the other side.
Place the hat on the gnome, with the seam at the back (opposite from the nose). Roll the hat up a bit at the front and add about 1 inch of glue just above the nose.
Roll the hat back down so that the glue sticks to the top of the nose.
Turn the gnome around, roll up the hat at the back, and add a line of glue.Again, roll it back down and press it to the sock until the glue is dry to attach it to the body.
Add hot glue to the back of one of the felt hearts.Try to spread the glue close to the edges so the heart looks flush when it's attached to the hat.
Attach the heart to the hat, placing it randomly.
Continue gluing hearts to the hat in different positions and at different angles.