Free Christmas gnome SVG files

Christmas gnome SVG files for ornaments, shirts, mugs and signs

Few Christmas motifs have grown as fast as the gnome. A tall hat pulled down over the eyes, a big round nose and a long flowing beard are all it takes, and the result is cozy, a little funny and instantly recognizable. Gnomes suit almost every project, from tree ornaments and mugs to farmhouse signs and family shirts.

This collection draws every gnome from the same friendly family, so the designs look good together, but each one has its own shape: tall hats and short hats, slim gnomes and chubby ones, hats that stand up straight and hats that flop right over. Every design is an original cut file in three styles: a solid version for single-color cuts, an outline version and a layered color file.

Styles in this collection

Gnome ornaments

The most searched gnome designs are ornaments, so there are four: a full gnome with a hanging loop above its pompom, a round bauble with a gnome face in front, a heart-shaped ornament with a gnome, and a ring ornament with a blank sign across the bottom for a name or a year.

Gnomes holding something

Gnomes with a present, a heart, an outlined star, a steaming mug of cocoa, a little Christmas tree, a round wreath and a blank sign, plus a gnome beside a tall candy cane and one with an old-fashioned lantern. The prop is a separate piece in front of the gnome, so it can be cut in its own color.

Hat styles

A classic gnome with a pompom, a chubby gnome with a plaid hat, a polka-dot gnome, a slim gnome with a striped hat, a gnome in a tall drooping hat with snowflakes, a jingle bell gnome whose hat flops right over, and a gnome wearing reindeer antlers.

Couples, families and more

Two gnomes under a little heart, a family of three with the smallest gnome in front, a border of five gnomes on a snowbank, a simple gnome face and a gnome peeking out of a gift box.

Project ideas

• Tree ornaments in wood, felt, acrylic or cardstock.
• Personalized ornaments with a name or the year.
• Mugs and tumblers in permanent vinyl.
• Family and couples’ shirts for Christmas photos.
• Farmhouse signs on reclaimed or painted wood.
• Shelf sitters cut on a laser and painted.
• Gift tags and gift bags.
• Tree skirts and stockings in iron-on vinyl.
• Cards for neighbors, teachers and friends.
• Kids’ crafts such as felt gnomes and paper garlands.

Choosing materials

Sizes that work

Each design page lists the smallest size at which every part can be cut and weeded cleanly. Most gnomes cut from 2 to 3 inches, the Gnome Face from 1.5 inches, and the family and the gnome with a wreath from about 4.5 inches.

How the color layers work

Each color file has four layers. The first is the whole gnome in the hat-and-coat color: red, green or navy. On top of it go the beard in silver gray, the nose in peach and the accents, such as the pompom and whatever the gnome is holding, in gold, green or red. Because the parts of the gnome are separated by thin cut lines, each layer lines up exactly over the one below, and in a single color the cut lines still show the hat, beard and nose clearly. In the editor on each design page you can change every color before you download.

Making a gnome ornament

1. Pick a design. The Gnome Ornament already has a hanging loop; the round, heart and name ornaments have loops too.
2. Choose the size. About 4 inches suits most trees.
3. Choose the material. Plywood or acrylic on a laser, chipboard or felt on a cutting machine.
4. Add color. Paint along the cut lines, or cut each color layer separately and glue them together.
5. Hang it. Thread a ribbon or twine through the loop, and write the year on the back.

Painting a wooden gnome

Wooden gnomes cut on a laser make lovely shelf sitters and ornaments. Cut the solid file from 3 mm plywood: the thin cut lines between the hat, band, nose, beard and robe show you exactly where each color goes. Paint the beard first in a light gray or white, then the hat and robe, and finish with the nose and pompom. A coat of matte varnish protects the paint, and a small wooden block glued to the back lets the gnome stand on a shelf.

Gnomes from Scandinavian folklore

The Christmas gnome comes from Scandinavia, where the tomte (in Sweden) or nisse (in Norway and Denmark) is a small, bearded house spirit who looks after the farm and its animals. Families leave him a bowl of rice porridge on Christmas Eve, and he is said to cause mischief if he is forgotten. Over the years he became part of Christmas decorations across the world, usually shown with a tall red or gray hat and a long white beard. Every gnome in this collection is our own original drawing of that traditional figure.

Building a matching set

Because every gnome is drawn in the same style and shares the same beard and nose colors, they mix well in sets. The three patterned hats, plaid, polka-dot and striped, make a trio for a row of mugs or a shelf of stockings. The Gnome Ornament, the Gnome Bauble Ornament and the Gnome Name Ornament hang well together on one tree. For a party, give each guest a gnome in a different hat color so cups and favors are easy to tell apart, and run the Gnome Border along the bottom of a sign with a bigger gnome above it.

Gnomes all winter

Like snowmen, gnomes do not have to come down on December 26th. The snowflake, plaid and polka-dot gnomes suit winter decor through January and February, and the gnome holding a heart carries on into Valentine’s Day. Pair them with the snowmen and snowflakes for a full winter collection.

Free to use

Every gnome here is original, with no characters, brands or logos, and free for personal projects and for up to 500 finished items per design that you sell. There is no sign-up and no email gate. Please share a link to the design page rather than the file itself.