Although the exact definition has changed quite a bit over the years, gnomes are said to be nature spirits who live underground, often interacting with humans in either helpful or mischievous ways. However, in Scandinavia, gnomes (known as nisse in Norway or tomte Sweden) are associated with the Christmas season. Much like the American Santa Claus, the julenisse—basically Kris Kringle in gnome form—visits the homes of good children on Christmas Eve. The children leave a bowl of porridge for the gnome, and in return, the julenisse brings presents to their front door. Gnomes have resurged as the perfect addition to farmhouse holiday decor. Dozens of home brands have turned the small figures into adorable holiday decor, and there are hundreds of festive gnomes to choose from. Display them on your holiday mantel, hang handmade gnome ornaments on your tree, or deck out your kitchen with gnome-shaped cookware. Check out a few of our favorite ways to decorate with Christmas gnome decor, below. To make them, paint the egg and let dry. Then trace a hat onto felt and cut it out. Create a cone shape and secure with hot glue. Add a loop of cording, long enough to hang the ornament, at the top of the hat with hot glue. If desired, attached small bells or accents to the hat. For the face, hot-glue a small piece of wool roving to the egg to create a beard, trimming as needed. Hot-glue the hat to the egg, slightly overlapping the beard, and glue a wood ball to form the nose at top of the beard. Finish the hat by cutting a ¼"-wide strip of felt long enough to wrap around the egg. Hot-glue the felt band around the hat base, slightly over the top of the nose; trim any excess in the back.
