Toilet Paper Roll Gnome for Christmas

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Let’s make a Toilet Roll Gnome for Christmas.. not just ANY Gnome.. but a little Gnome Box for Christmas gifts or Christmas Treats. These little cardboard tube gnomes are super quick and easy to make (especially if you make a production line of them) that you could also use them as an Advent Calendar Gnome set or for classroom gifts! So fun and so easy!

Christmas Gnome Crafts
Making Gnome Gift Boxes from Paper Rolls is quick and easy

Of course the would make simple little gnome decorations/ holiday decor too, you don’t HAVE to use them as a advent gift box or advent calendar!

You may also like our paper Christmas gnomes here. Thesea re 3d Paper Gnomes using the classic “paper cone shape”. Again, these make great holiday decor (or even gnome party hats?!).

no leg nomes
We love making 3d Paper Christmas Gnomes too!

I HAVE got a gnome nose and gnome beard template for you too – but of course you can cut and draw your own.

Supplies needed to make Toilet Roll Gonk Gift Box

You really only need the most basic of craft supplies to make our little Christmas gnomes today.

  • Per gonk – one Toilet paper roll or half a kitchen paper roll – the quantity of empty paper rolls depends on how many gnomes you want to make!
  • Paints in desired colours
  • A little scrap paper for gnome’s nose and gnome’s beard
  • Glue stick
  • Stapler (a hot glue gun could also work)
  • Optional: seasonal stickers, sequins or other details
  • Brush/ scissors/ pencil
  • Small gift for inside the box

I HAVE got a gnome beard template for you too (two different sizes) – but of course you can cut and draw your own. Feedback welcome re the size!

How do you make a toilet roll Gonk?

3d Paper Gnome Craft
Cardboard tubes make great 3d gnome gifts!

So.. how do you make gnomes out of paper towel rolls? Follow our simple step by step toilet paper roll gnome craft process to learn how! I confess, I made them late in the evening, whilst the kids did their homework, so my photos aren’t the best. But it was so easy…. that I really had to share these cute gnome Christmas gift boxes with you!

We have a simple video tutorial for this Christmas gnome craft on auto play – please note, this video has no sound! As mentioned, I did this late in the evening whilst chatting to the kids!

Painting the toilet paper roll in Christmas colors

paper roll gnome's hat
Paint the paper tube in the Christmas colors

Paint half your toilet paper roll in the gnome’s hat colour (in our case, reds). Half is plenty, but once you fold the box, the hat will look smaller, so if you wanted to do your gnome’s hat a LITTLE bigger, do a tiny bit more paint!

Repeat for as many gonk boxes you want to make. You can make a bunch of gnomes in one go!

Let dry/ dry enough so you can go to the next step in the craft process.

paper roll gnome's body
The Christmas gnome is beginning to take shape!

Paint the bottom half of your toilet paper roll in your gnome’s body colour. I went for greens.

Now let the whole toilet paper roll dry fully!

Creating the paper gnome features

cut paper gnome's beards

In the meantime, you can sketch out some beards. I keep the shape roughly triangular shaped.

Then trim in some whisters. But as mentioned, I have made a printable too. As I am never sure how big your toilet paper rolls are (believe me, there are LOTS of sizes.. after YEARS of crafting with toilet paper rolls, I know! Ha), I have put them in slightly different sizes.. and you simply need to pick your preferred size!

christmas gnome's nose
The important gnome’s features

Cut out your gnome’s nose (and oval).

Find your treats or small gifts to go inside your cardboard tube gift box!

Shaping the Gnome Gift Box

Once dry (you can add patterns to your gnome’s hat or body if you wish), it is time to fold the toilet roll into a box. This is very easy.

shape the toilet paper roll

Flaten one end (I like to start with the hat end) and staple shut.

fill diy box

Take the flat end. Rotated by 90 degrees.

Fill with your treats.

secure gift box
Shape the gift box

Then flatten the bottom end (at 90 degrees to the top end). Staple shut.

The basic gift box is finished. Notice how the red and green, no longer look like “half and half”. The shape of the diy gift box, gives the illusion of there being more “green”. So you may want to adjust your painting at the beginning. But it is a question of preference!

toilet paper roll gnome box
Your basic Christmas Gnome is finished!

Now decorate the toilet paper roll gift box, with your gonk’s classic features – a gonk beard and a gonk nose! You can also add some Christmas sequins or paper details, such as snowflakes or paper holly, if you wish!

diy Christmas Gnome box

Ta-daaaa. Your adorable gnomes are done. Wasn’t that easy? Isn’t it cute?!

Paper Roll Gnomes for Christmas

If you feel inspired and want to have a go at more DIY Gnomes this Christmas, check out our collection of DIY Gnome Crafts here – it has a number of DIY Christmas Gnomes to check out (including the classic sock gnomes), but also gnome crafts for other seasons, that you can adapt for Christmas by using Christmas colors:

christmas gnome diys
DIY Gonks are so fun for all holiday decor and seasons

We also have a collection of Toilet Paper Roll Christmas crafts – must see and so fun. They really show you how versatile a toilet paper roll really easy! From some Paper Roll Snowman bowling, to adorable Cardboard Tube Angel Tree Toppers. We have it all!

Toilet paper roll gnomes christmas

Want to learn more about gonks? Take a peak here.

Our DIY Gonk Holiday decor video is also viewable on YouTube