I have another free pattern for you to download so you make the project. You can find the file here. In the download there are 3 files: a PDF for hand-cutting of the pieces, a PNG to use with your electronic cutting machine and a text file with handy hints and tips (and the sizing information) to use the PNG.
As with most of these projects I cut all the pieces from medium weight white card-stock, the kind used to make cards and such. This is way more economical than having to purchase a bunch of colors and in my experience the paint colors are a lot more stable than the paper colors. I rarely get noticeable fading with the painted projects.
You are free to use the pattern as many times as you wish and even to sell the finished project. But, please don’t give away or sell my patterns. I spend a lot of time creating them and the only compensation I get is from people watching the videos and checking out the blog post. I really want to keep offering these for free so please if someone else wants to make one send them to the video and blog so they can get their own copy of the pattern.
One thing about these projects that I have bee meaning to mention but kept forgetting is that with my Cricut I sometimes find that some of the pieces with detailed edges get cut with a flat edge. I simply glue the units with those pieces towards the back and make sure one the correctly cut pieces is in front.
So here is a picture of all the pieces to the project, there are 3 pieces per unit to be glued with the exception of the backing piece. I like to make that 4 layers most times lately because it has to support all the rest of the project.
I like to use a thick tacky type glue to glue everything together for these projects. I have the best luck with that. Be sure to use a thin coat of glue no matter what kind you use. And be sure the glue has dried completely before moving to the next step.
To prepare to paint I like to attach my pieces to a strip of tape. This holds them still so I can do a better job of painting. I am currently using some Washi tape but any tape that is not too sticky will work. Simply lay out a strip of tape sticky side up and tape it down on the ends. I do try to group my pieces according to the color that they will be painted to make the process much easier.
The shoes were painted brown this time.
The hat and body black.
The beard white with just a small amount of brown streaked through.
The pumpkin in an orange color.
And finally the hands and nose in green.
Allow to dry and give any pieces second coat if needed. Also make sure that the edges are coated in paint.
Since I am going to be adding a face to the pumpkin I decided to give just the pumpkin piece a coat of Mat Mod Podge. This seals the paint and makes it much easier to fix any mistakes I might make when I go to paint the face. If the paint is not sealed and you make any errors in the painting of the face it is much harder to “erase” those mistakes. I look at it as a bit of insurance. Allow to dry completely.
Once the Mod Podge is dry it is time to add the details to the pumpkin. I used the same brown paint with a very tiny brush to color the stem of the pumpkin. Then for the face I like to use a pencil to lightly sketch on where I want the features first. It is easier to erase the pencil than to get rid of paint. Once I have the face in the spot I want it I use a tiny dotting tool and some black craft paint to draw on the mouth and eyes. If you do make a mistake at this point carefully wipe the paint off with a damp cotton swab and try again. That is the beauty of sealing the paint before his step.
While the pumpkin dries we can begin assembly of the gnome. I like to start putting these little gnomes together by placing the beard first. It really does determine where all the other parts are going to go. The only rules here is to center the beard side to side as best as you can and make sure the tip of the beard is no lower than the bottom edge of the body piece. Use the same glue that we used to put the all the layers together., I like to add the shoes/feet at the same time just in case I need to make any adjustments to where I placed the beard. Allow the glue to set up enough that the beard and shoes won’t get moved around when you are adding the next pieces.
Now we can glue on the hat and nose to the gnome. And since I was a bit short on time I went ahead and added the pumpkin as well as the hands at the same time. This glue will need to dry at least enough that any glue that is showing has turned clear. If we add a sealer coat over the glue and it is still cloudy at all there is a risk that the cloudy area will stay cloudy.
Now it is time for a thin even coat of Satin Mod Podge on the gnome to finish him off. This not only makes him look more finished it makes the project a bit more durable. I also like to give a coat of the same Mod Podge on the back of the project to protect it even more.
And here here have today’s gnome on the front porch of the dollhouse with some of the other Halloween items we have made in the past. I have a lot of Halloween projects over on the channel so be sure to check the playlist in case you’ve missed some of them.
As always I do want to sincerely thank all of you for watching my videos and reading my blog posts. It means so much to me that you are supporting me in this way. If I could ask you all to do just a bit more by subscribing to the channel and liking the videos and leaving comments. Those help more than you can imagine. Also if you could pass the links on to your friends I would appreciate it so much.
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