Turn An Empty Coffee Creamer Bottle Into Adorable Spring Gnome Garden Decor
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Garden gnomes are a springtime staple in anyone's yard, but there's no need to run out and buy one. Using a finished coffee creamer bottle, you can make your very own, long-bearded, no-eyed gnome. You'll also need some hessian fabric, an old-school spaghetti mop head, a craft pompom and some leftover material. Oh, and your good old glue gun.
To get a really gnome-like body shape, the best coffee creamer bottle is one like the Nestle Coffee Mate. Don't have an empty one on hand? You can snag a bottle for under $9 on Amazon. Once you've finished the contents of the container (or at the very least, decanted them into another jar), you can start prepping the bottle for the project. Remove the label, then clean the bottle. When it's dry, fill it up with some gravel stones. If you don't have stones, some soil will do just fine, too, as will things like beads or rice. The key is that this will help anchor the gnome so that it stands upright once you put it into place.
Once you've done all that, it's time to get to the fun part. That would be, gnome-ifying the bottle. Your springtime decor is about to get a whole lot sweeter.
Use a spaghetti mop to create a beard and mustache
First thing's first, wrap a piece of hessian around the lower two thirds of the bottle. It should come right to the bottom of the container's neck. This will be covered by the beard, so if you're not likely to do something else with hessian, like line your flower pots, there's no need to buy a 39-inch wide roll of fabric (which goes for around $14 on Amazon). Simply order a roll of burlap ribbon ($8.99 on Amazon for around 27 yards), and wrap it up to the neck. Secure it with some hot glue, and your base layer is done.
Next, the beard. Snip off the strings of a spaghetti mop head (just over $4 on Amazon), and secure the tops to the burlap at the neck of the creamer bottle, so that they hang down and create the look of a floor-length beard. This should go around two-thirds of the container, so that the empty section mimics the back of the gnome's head.
Once all the strings are secured, use a pompom (packs start at around $2 on Amazon) to create the gnome's nose. This should be glued to the top of the strings, and at the middle section of the string beard. All that's left to do, from there, is the mustache. Take three individual strings from the spaghetti mop head, bend them in half, and glue underneath the nose. Voila!
Top it off with a hat
The final step in transforming your creamer bottle into a gnome is a hat. And, just like the other steps in the process, doing so is fairly simple. If you've got some fabric lying around from past projects, this would be the time to use it. If not, head to your local fabric store, or even Amazon, for a piece of fabric in a bright, spring-inspired color.
Think a solid, cheery yellow (around $5 on Amazon), or play around with patterns using a yard of green plaid (just under $7 on Amazon). Not finding anything you really love, or in your price range? Depending on the size of your creamer bottle, you could also use a sock, with the toe section cut off. Whichever fabric (or sock!) you choose, secure the fabric right above the gnome's beard using your glue gun, and tie the ends together at the top. That's it! Gnome-one will even know just how simple it was to DIY.
One thing worth keeping in mind with this craft is that it won't be quite as waterproof as a ceramic garden gnome. For that reason, keep it under a cover to avoid drizzles or sprinklers from damaging it. Your patio is a great spot, but you could even bring your craft inside your home. Either way, your gnome is sure to bring you all the spring feels, no matter where you put it.