Meet Fergus the Gnome—Spellbinders’ newest Felt Décor project! Fergus is a hand-stitched wool felt doll with endless opportunities for personalization. Using high-quality merino wool felt, I created my own version: a cheerful Lemon Gnome, decorated with citrus and flowers.
✂️ Why Wool Felt?
I’ve tried different felts in the past, but they sometimes frayed or stretched, leaving me frustrated. Merino wool felt cuts beautifully with Spellbinders dies and keeps its shape. For this project, I used my Platinum 6 Die Cutting System + felt from the Trend and Holiday Collections—smooth, sturdy, and vibrant.
🍋 My Lemon Gnome
Fergus can be customized with accessory kits or your own creativity. I decided to make a “Lemon Gnome” using the Citrus Spritz dies:
- A die cut lemon + layered flowers for front and back
- Teal, aqua, and white wool felt for Fergus himself
- Yellow, lavender, and pink flowers for accents
To add personality, I stitched:
- Blanket stitching along Fergus’s giant hat brim and coat edges
- Running stitches for construction
I stitched with 3 strands of embroidery floss, pulling up, not sideways, to keep the felt smooth.
🧵 Stitching & Assembly
- LINK to multiple YouTube Fergus Instruction Videos
- Stitches used: running stitch + blanket stitch. I used three strands of DMC floss.
- Accessories: Fergus has two coordinating accessories die sets, but I used one of my favorite die sets, Citrus Spritz. Use your favorite dies to personalize your gnomes.
- Die cutting: use a regular sandwich in your machine; Spellbinders Platinum 6 dies cut felt beautifully
- Stitching: For my Fergus running stitch assembly, I used floss the same color as the felt. For the decorative blanket stitching, I used chocolate brown floss, which contrasted nicely with the teal and aqua felt.
- Stuffing: I used cotton fiber filling for the stuffing and then added uncooked rice to the bottom of the gnome’s body to add ballast. I inserted about an inch of rice right before I stitched on the base.
- Assembly: Bearly Art Glue worked great for securing embellishments and components. I used a generous amount. I also cut a little triangle from deli paper and inserted inside the coat prior to gluing (see photo 2 down). This kept the glue from seeping to the other side.
- Tip: keep floss taut, not tight, for smooth edges
You build Fergus piece by piece—hat, coat, nose, accessories—and then assemble him. He’s adorable, sturdy, and so fun to make.
📸 Organization Process Photo
I used my Stash Stax to keep me organized while I created Fergus.
Giftable & Customizable
You can decorate Fergus for any season, occasion, or holiday. Imagine Christmas gnomes, Valentine’s gnomes, Easter gnomes, or even citrusy summer gnomes like mine. They make unique gifts, handmade keepsakes, or cheerful décor.
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