DIY Grinch Candy Ornament

Create a DIY Grinch Gnome Ornament with a hidden surprise! This no-sew craft is perfect for decorating, gifting, or adding whimsy to your holiday season.

Add a touch of holiday mischief to your Christmas decorations with this DIY Grinch Gnome Ornament! Featuring a fun, hidden twist, this adorable craft uses a fillable dome ornament as its base, making it the perfect spot to stash candy, money, or tiny gifts.

Made with fleece, felt, craft fur, and hot glue, this no-sew project is easy enough for older kids and teens yet fun and satisfying for adults.

Plus, we’ve included a Santa gnome variation for extra festive flair!

Why Make This Treat Filled Christmas Ornament

The Grinch Gnome Ornament is a whimsical and practical holiday craft that combines creativity with functionality. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, a fun DIY project to share with family, or a memorable way to add character to your Christmas tree, this ornament fits the bill.

Its hidden compartment is a delightful surprise, making it more than just a decoration—it’s a mini treasure chest perfect for gifting or personalizing your holiday traditions.

The Grinch has become an iconic figure of the holiday season, beloved by both children and adults. From Dr. Seuss’s classic book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! to the heartwarming animated adaptations and live-action films, the Grinch’s transformation from a grumpy holiday grump to a Christmas-loving hero captures the spirit of the season: kindness, generosity, and love. This timeless character has also inspired countless decorations, crafts, and recipes, making him a favorite theme for holiday celebrations.

If you’re decorating with a Grinch theme this year, this DIY Grinch Gnome Ornament is the perfect craft to bring a touch of whimsy to your tree or holiday decor.

It’s a playful nod to the beloved character and can even double as a delightful way to gift candy or small treasures.

For even more Grinch-inspired fun, consider pairing it with other creative crafts, like a Grinch bookmark or a Grinch-themed calming jar—a fantastic project for teachers or parents of younger children to encourage mindfulness during the bustling holiday season.

No Grinch-themed celebration would be complete without a few festive treats! Whip up Grinch strawberries by adding green candy melts and red hearts, create a Grinch dessert charcuterie with green goodies and whimsical accents, or make easy Grinch pretzels with green-dipped pretzels topped with candy hearts. These treats add a fun and delicious touch to parties, classroom celebrations, or family movie nights featuring the Grinch.

Whether you’re crafting, cooking, or decorating, embracing the Grinch theme adds a layer of fun and creativity to your holiday festivities. Start with this Grinch Gnome Ornament, and let your imagination take over for even more “grinchy” crafts and recipes that will make your holiday season one to remember.

Ways to Use and Gift This Ornament

Tree Decorations: Add character and charm to your Christmas tree.
Gifts: Surprise loved ones with a hidden treat inside—candy, money, or small toys!
Place Cards: Use these adorable gnomes to mark seats at your holiday table.
Gift Tags: Attach to a wrapped gift for a personalized, reusable touch.
Stocking Stuffers: Fill with goodies and hang from stockings for an extra surprise.
Holiday Favors: Perfect for parties, classrooms, or office exchanges.

Who Should Make This Grinch Ornament?

This DIY Grinch Gnome Ornament is perfect for anyone who loves holiday crafting or has a soft spot for the mischievous yet heartwarming Grinch. It’s especially great for:

Grinch Fans: Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the Grinch story or embracing a Grinch-themed Christmas decor this year, this ornament is a must-make addition to your holiday decorations.
Crafters of All Ages: Older kids, teens, and adults will enjoy the simplicity and creativity of this no-sew project. With just hot glue and some basic supplies, it’s easy to create something festive and fun.
Gift-Givers: If you’re looking for a unique and personal way to give candy, small toys, or money this holiday season, this ornament doubles as a gift holder!
Teachers and Group Leaders: This craft makes a fantastic activity for classrooms, scout troops, or holiday craft parties.
Parents and Families: Make this craft together for a fun holiday bonding activity that adds a handmade touch to your tree or gift exchanges.

No matter your skill level or crafting experience, this Grinch Gnome Ornament is a delightful project that anyone with a love for holiday creativity will enjoy!

How to Make a Candy Filled Grinch Christmas Ornament

SUPPLIES:

Pattern printout
One 60mm split craft ornament (both halves needed)
Red fleece fabric for hat (6-inch square)
Green medium-long pile fur fabric for beard (4-inch square)
White short-pile fur fabric for hat trim (1/2-inch x 9-inch strip)
White craft pom pom (1-inch size)
Green craft pom pom (1/2-inch size)
Red felt scrap (3/4-inch square)
Twine (12 inches)

ALSO NEEDED:

Scissors.
Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
Candy or other ornament filler.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Download the pattern and print it out on regular paper.

Pin and cut the pattern pieces out of the fabric. Note: When cutting out the beard, take care to cut close to the fabric and not through the long fibers.

Fold the red hat fabric piece in half (right sides together) and carefully hot glue along the seam. Allow the glue to cool, then turn the hat the right way out.

Cut a 1/2-inch x 9-inch strip of white short pile fur fabric, and starting at the back attach it around the edge of the hat as trim. Cut off any excess fur fabric trim if the ends overlap. Glue a white pom pom onto the top of the hat.

Attach the beard fabric piece onto the front of the ornament, placing the top center of the beard approximately 1 and 1/4 inches from the top of the ornament.

Use hot glue to attach a green pom pom nose.

Snap the back half of the ornament onto the front half to make a ball. Place the hat on top of the ornament and use hot glue to secure it to the front side of the ornament only. Take care not to add any glue onto the back half of the ornament, otherwise, it will be hard to open it to fill. If you do not wish to fill the ornament and are just using it for decoration, it is fine to glue the hat all the way around.

Attach the red felt heart to the front of the beard, using hot glue.

If you wish to hang the ornament, cut a 10-12 inch piece of twine, thread it through the hat, and knot it on to the plastic hang loop on the top of the ornament. Note: you might need to use scissors to cut a tiny hole in the top of the hat for your twine to pass through.

Fill your finished ornament.

NOTE: construction for the Santa ornament is identical, except that step 8 is omitted.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What Supplies are Needed to Make the Santa Ornament Variation:

Pattern printout.
One 60mm split craft ornament
Red fleece fabric (6-inch square)
White medium-long pile fur fabric (4-inch square)
White short pile fur fabric for hat trim (1/2-inch x 9-inch strip)
White craft pom pom (1-inch size)
Pink/beige/brown craft pom pom for nose (1/2-inch size)
Twine (12 inches)

Can you suggest any alternative supplies?

This project is great for using up fabric scraps! If you don’t have all of the supplies needed, here are some alternative options:

– Red fleece for hat: red is the traditional color for a Santa hat, but you can use any color hat fabric you would like! You can also use fabrics other than fleece for the hat, however the drape of the fabric will affect the finished look of the hat. Fabrics that do not fray too much are probably easiest to work with for this project, such as felt, faux fur, minky, jersey, or even socks.

– Green fur fabric for the beard: green fur is the classic look for the Grinch, but other fur colors could be used to make different holiday gnomes.

– White short pile fur fabric for the trim: any white fabric for the trim could work well.

– Twine: alternative choices include embroidery thread, sewing thread, narrow ribbon, yarn, etc. Note that for some of these alternatives you will need to cut a small hole in the hat for the hanging loop to pass through.

Can I use a different-sized ornament?

If you don’t have a 60mm ornament, the pattern can be scaled when printing to work with either a larger or smaller ornament. These print settings have been found to work well:

50mm ornament – print at 83%
60mm ornament – print at 100%
70mm ornament – print at 117%

Remember, if you are using a different-sized ornament, you will likely need to use different-sized pom poms and either a shorter or longer length piece of fur trim.

What can I fill the ornament with?

The ornament can be filled with candy, just make sure that the ornament is food-safe if using unwrapped candy. The ornament can also be filled with other small gifts or money.

Can kids make this project?

This is a really fun project for kids to make, however, young children might need adult supervision with cutting out the fabric pieces and using a hot glue gun to avoid injury.

This DIY Grinch Gnome Ornament is the perfect combination of creativity, practicality, and festive cheer. With a hidden compartment for treats and a whimsical design, it’s a versatile craft that will delight everyone who sees it. Whether you’re decorating, gifting, or crafting with loved ones, this no-sew project is sure to make your holidays extra special. Get ready to spread some holiday magic with your own Grinch (or Santa!) gnome creations!

For even more ornament inspiration, check out our tutorials for other iconic characters like Minions, the Nutcracker, a mischievous elf, the Nativity, and even playful emojis. These crafts are perfect for expanding your holiday collection and bringing a variety of themes to your tree this season.