Many cultures have embraced gnomes over the years, and everyone has a different take on them. Some find them mystical, others charming; however, you can't deny they are super cute! So with that in mind and it being the festive season I thought I'd put them together with a Santa Claus twist.
How to make Gnome Santa Claus
The icing fondant colours used to make the Gnomes Santa & Mrs Claus are Renshaw:- Jet Black
- Poppy Red
- Yellow
- White
- Sugarflair Concentrated Dye - Caramel Ivory - (This was mixed into white icing fondant to make the caramel/ivory colour for the nose).
How to use concentrated Food Dye
When dying your icing fondant, apply small amounts of the dye using a cocktail stick or plastic pick, then knead into the icing on a lightly dusted icing sugar surface. Continue adding the dye (and kneading) in stages until you build up to your required colour. Once your desired colour is...
You can use edible glue or a little water to stick the pieces together; however, I used the heat from my hands to hold the pieces together.
Tip - You can use a little tylo in the icing/fondant to make the models go hard or place a candy stick or other form of edible support in the centre (such as dried pasta) to hold the weight. I didn't use either and put them against my kitchen side with clingfilm/saran wrap so that they dried upright. Alternatively, you could also use Saracino Red Modelling Paste if you prefer.
Now to the fun part of making them!
Body - Roll a large sausage cone shape (where the base is fatter than the top), then use the bulbous/cone tool to push under the bottom to indent the icing making way for the boots.
Boots - Roll black circles slightly pinching in the back and place under the body.
Belt - Roll a thin black sausage to go around the waist.
Buckle - Roll a small yellow ball and then stick it where the belt meets up at the front.
Beard - Roll thin white sausage and place them on top of one another.
Build up the strands until it becomes a beard.
Nose - Roll Caramel Ivory pre-coloured icing fondant into a ball and place on top of the beard.
Hat - Roll red icing fondant into a cone shape then thin the base using your finger and thumb, then bend the tip.
Place the hat on top of your gnome body.
Lightly push the rim of the hat around the top of the nose and the body.
Pom-pom - Roll white icing fondant into a ball.
How to make Gnome Mrs Claus
Body - Roll a cone shape with a fat base the same size as Gnome Claus. Push the bulbous cone tool under the bottom to make way for her clogs.
Clog Shoes - Roll yellow circles and pinch the back, slightly flatten and place under the body.
Apron - Roll out a thin piece of white icing fondant and cut with the frilly end of a circle cutter.
Then cut the frilled circle in half.
Place one half on the base of the model and keep the other half for the hat.
Hair - Roll out three thin sausages.
Squeeze the three strands together and then start to plait/braid them.
They should look something like this.
When you have finished flatten them slightly with your fingers and trim the edges.
Then stick the plaits to the base with a little water or edible glue.
Nose - Roll Caramel Ivory coloured icing into a ball and stick it on top of the plaits.
Hat - Roll the icing fondant into a cone shape.
Then thin the base with your finger and thumb.
When you have thinned the base of the hat place on top of the plaits and nose and mould the rim of the hat around the nose.
Hat Pattern - Now stick the other half of the apron to the top of the hat.
Here are the final results.
As you can see, these guys are adorable and great fun to make. Try them out with the kids or grandkids! They'll love them.
Enjoy!
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