Create a charming hand-stitched felt gnome with step-by-step tips, stitching guidance, and personalization ideas.
If you’ve never tried stitching on felt before, this is a great place to start.
Meet Fergus the Gnome—Spellbinders’ newest felt décor project and one of the most fun stitching projects I’ve made.
Fergus is a hand-stitched wool felt doll with endless opportunities for personalization. In this tutorial, I’ll share my tips and tricks for stitching, assembling, and customizing your own gnome—plus the materials that make this project easy and enjoyable.
Using high-quality merino wool felt, I created my own version: a cheerful Lemon Gnome decorated with citrus and flowers.
📌 In This Post:
- Why Wool Felt Works Best
- How to Customize Your Fergus Gnome
- Stitching Tips and Techniques
- Assembly Tips for Best Results
- Gift Ideas and Variations
You can find my most-used tools on my Favorite Cardmaking Supplies page.
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✨ Why This Project Works
- Beginner-friendly stitching techniques
- Endless customization options
- Uses simple, accessible supplies
- Creates a display-worthy handmade piece
✂️ 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.
This is the exact felt I recommend using—after trying others, this one gave me the best results.
🍋 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
🧵 Stitching & Assembly Tips
- Stitches used: running stitch + blanket stitch
- Floss: 3 strands of DMC
- Tip: pull floss up, not sideways, to keep felt smooth
- Color tip: match floss for seams, contrast for decorative stitching
Other Assembly Notes:
- LINK to multiple YouTube Fergus Instruction Videos
- 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
- 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.
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.
If you enjoy stitching projects, you might also like my Stitching Die of the Month cards.
Or you might be interested in my newest blog post: Best Cardmaking Kit Subscriptions (2026 Guide) | My Favorite Craft Kits
kennyscards.com 