How to Make a DIY Garden Gnome

Make a bright and colorful DIY garden gnome for your backyard using concrete. This is a fun spring or summer project to do with kids. These homemade concrete garden gnomes are such a fun project for the whole family to make together. One silicone scone mold will make 8 garden gnomes.

A DIY concrete garden gnome in a garden.
DIY concrete garden gnome.

Make a Concrete garden gnome

Let’s make garden gnomes to put into your backyard garden.

We are going to use a silicone scone mold, concrete, and paint to make these fun garden gnomes for your backyard. Don’t worry, you won’t ruin your silicone mold. By spraying it first with cooking spray the concrete will come out easily. Scrub it clean with a brush, soap, and water.

This article contains affiliate links.

How to Make a Garden Gnome

Supplies Needed to Make a Garden Gnome

Instructions for making a concrete garden gnome

Use a silicone scone mold to pour concrete to make garden gnomes.
Pour concrete into a silicone scone mold

Step 1

Mix the concrete according to the package directions.

Spray the silicone mold with cooking spray. Once the concrete sets it will be much easier to pop out of the mold.

How to make concrete garden gnomes in a silicone mold.
Concrete garden gnomes made in a silicone scone mold.

Set the concrete aside to dry overnight.

Concrete blocks being removed from a silicone mold.
Bend silicone mold to release concrete blocks.

Step 2

Bend the silicone mold to release the concrete blocks. Excess pieces of concrete will easily break off from around the edge of each triangle to make it look neater.

A concrete garden gnome being painted in bright colors.
Paint a handmade concrete garden gnome in bright colors.

Step 3

Paint your garden gnome in bright colors. You can use a pencil to outline the beard, face, and hat before painting if you like.

Bright and colorful garden gnomes made out of concrete.
Paint and outline concrete garden gnome features.

Step 4

Using a permanent marker, outline all of the gnome’s facial features and hat. Spray your gnomes with an outdoor sealant to protect them from the weather. Set aside to dry and then put them into your garden.

A blue and green handmade concrete garden gnome.
Handmade concrete garden gnomes are perfect for your backyard garden.

Finished Concrete Garden Gnome

See how easy it is to make your own concrete garden gnome? We placed our DIY garden gnomes throughout the garden and yard peeking out in unexpected places. It always gives me a smile to see their bearded gnome faces peeking through the leaves!

Yield: 8

How to Make a DIY Garden Gnome

How to Make a DIY Garden Gnome
Prep Time 20 minutes
Active Time 1 day 12 hours
Total Time 1 day 12 hours 20 minutes
Difficulty Medium

Materials

  • Concrete (and water)
  • Paint
  • Permanent marker
  • Outdoor sealant
  • Cooking spray

Tools

  • Silicone scone mold
  • Trowel
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions

  1. Mix concrete according to package directions.
  2. Spray the silicone mold with cooking spray.
  3. Pour the concrete into the mold, pressing down to remove air bubbles. Allow to dry overnight.
  4. Paint your gnomes in different colors.
  5. Outline the features of your gnome with permanent marker.
  6. Spray an outdoor sealant over the top and set aside to dry.

More backyard DIY projects from Kids Activities Blog

Have you made these concrete garden gnomes? Let us know how they turned out in the comments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *