35 Gnome Garden Ideas (2024)

If you’re looking for some fun and unique gnome garden ideas, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered 35 of the best ideas we could find, and we’re sure you’ll find something that inspires you. From building a whole gnome village to making gnome treehouses, putting together a garden full of gnomes, or simply strategically placing funny gnome statues, there’s an idea or a project for everyone. You can go with large, small, or tiny figurines and even the solar ones. No matter the size, they will make your garden more enjoyable.

Garden gnomes are thought to bring good luck to their owners, and they are a popular choice for garden decorations. They bring a smile to your face every time you see them and they are also great for keeping the garden tidy.So what are you waiting for? Get inspired and start planning your very own gnome garden today!

1. Build a Gnome Village

If you want to go all out, why not build an entire gnome village? This is a great option if you have the right tree stump to work with. You can include all sorts of tiny houses, shops, benches, bridges, fences, stairs, and other structures for your village gnomes. Just use your imagination and let your creativity run wild! This is a perfect DIY project that you can do together with your kids and the rest of the family.

If you need some inspiration, check out some Lisa Young creations.

2. Create a Gnome Bridge

Maybe you have an old tree in your backyard or garden that you had to cut down. Don’t destroy it completely yet. Check out this cool and unique inspiration featured by Lisa Young. She built a rope bridge for her gnomes and fairies using the remains of a decaying tree. It’s not going to last forever but you could enjoy it for a while.

Is it the fact that they are teeny, tiny and adorable? Or maybe it’s because they look like they came straight out of a fairytale. Either way, creating gnome bridges is a great addition to any garden, and they’re sure to make your gnomes happy. Maybe they’re clinging on for dear life, or cautiously tip-toeing to the other side. Either way, creating a bridge is a fun idea for your garden or even a front yard.

3. Start a Gnome City

If a village is not enough then a city will do. Oh boy, you will need a lot of gnomes. You don’t have to build your city overnight. Take your time and keep collecting more figurines. And what is a better place to build it than around a tree? Pick a tree in your garden, clear out some space around it and start establishing the perimeter of your future gnome city. One by one, add more elements to your design. Become an urban planner for the population of gnomes. If you build it they’ll come.

Building a gnome city is a great way to fully immerse yourself in the gnome kingdom. Construct all sorts of gnome shops and gnome highrises, or busy gnome streets full of gnome automobiles. Maybe this is a futuristic gnome city complete with gadgets and the latest in gnome-tech. No matter where your imagination leads, building a gnome city can feel like you are building a whole new world.

Image credit: puuikibeach via Creative Commons

4. Open a Gnome Kindergarten

Where there are lots of gnomes, there is a need for a kindergarten. This is a great idea if you want to add more gnomes to your garden. It’s also a great way to use up any small pieces of wood or other materials that you may have lying around. Just build a little schoolhouse for your gnomes and fill it with all sorts of tiny furniture and decorations.

Check out this intricate design and planning. What a clever way to incorporate a windmill into the action!

Image credit: Sludge G via Creative Commons

5. Gather Gnomes for a Garden Party

Who doesn’t love a good party? This is a great way to add some excitement to your garden. Just invite all of your friends and family over for a gnome-themed party. You can have all sorts of games and activities, and you can even have a gnome scavenger hunt. And it’s not just for gnomes – you could also invite the musicians and the party animals of all whimsical garden creature varieties, pan intented. Let them settle among the mushrooms and have fun. Just use your imagination!

Image credit: randwill via Creative Commons

Image credit: girolame via Creative Commons

6. Establish an Exclusive Gnome Garden Club

Most gnomes desire to socialize with their own kind. A private garden club would be an excellent place where they can do just that. Make all kinds of sports and leisure activities available there. Having a place to eat or have a drink would be nice too. Announce the opening to your neighbors as well so they could drive their gnomes over. You will have fun socializing too.

Image credit: amanderson2 via Creative Commons

7. Make a Gnome Treehouse

Don’t remove your old tree stump just yet. You can use it to build a treehouse for your garden gnome. Or you can use an old tree in your yard to build treehouse condos. Advertize it as the first month free, to attract more gnome tenants. Add ladders and ropes so that the gnomes can get up and down from their treehouses.

Check out these amazing designs.

8. Install a Gnome Tree Door On a Tree Trunk or a Stump – a Low Budget Idea

If you feel like building a treehouse is a bit too much work then go with a low budget option. Install a gnome tree door on a tree trunk or stump. And let the gnomes complete their house themselves when they have time and budget available. This idea is sure to add a little bit of magic to your garden! You can use any type of door, whether it’s a real door or just a piece of wood that’s been painted to look like a door.

Some really interesting, professional examples that you can buy and set up yourself are displayed in the images above and below.

9. Decorate Your Garden with Gnome-Themed Decor

This miniature gnome garden is available on the Home Depot website.

There are many great ways to add some personality to your garden in the form of gnome-themed decor. You can find all sorts of gnome-themed decorations, from lawn ornaments to wind chimes, to statues and figurines.

To give you an example, here’s something you can purchase and put in your garden right away. It is this super fun play on the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil available from Pick’n Save.

Pictured below are a few more awesome examples of some engaging gnome garden decor that you can get today.

This sleepy guy (photo above) can be found on the Target website.

A gnome reading a book in your garden is interesting because it shows that gnomes are intelligent creatures. It also shows that they are interested in learning new things. Children will love this because it means that they can learn from the gnomes too! Check out this gnome, diligently reading away at the base of a vegetable stalk.

Image credit: John via Creative Commons

If you love playing golf, or if you know someone who does, then a gnome garden is the perfect way to show your passion for the game. Gnomes are associated with good luck, happiness, and good fortune. What better way to show your support for your favorite game than to display a few whimsical golfer figurines in your garden?

Image credit: Son of Groucho via Creative Commons.

Gnome watchers are people, or other gnomes, who keep an eye on gnomes and make sure they’re behaving properly. They also make sure that the gnomes are healthy and happy. Gnome watchers can be found in many different places, including forests, gardens, and even inside people’s homes.

Here’s a great idea. Put a couple of gnomes hanging out in a basket, where only the tops of their heads and eyes are visible like they are watching you. This is a great example of sneaky gnome watchers, making sure all the other gnomes, humans, and pets, are on their best behavior.

Image credit: Erich Ferdinand via Creative Comments

Does your garden have a small pond or a water feature? Add a fishing gnome to your water feature.Give a gnome a fish and it eats for a day, but teach a gnome to fish, and it eats for a lifetime.

Image credit: James Emery via Creative Commons

This is a great gnome garden idea for anyone who loves chess. These two little gnomes are sitting down, enjoying a game of chess together. It’s a great way to show that gnomes are intelligent and that they enjoy intellectual activities. Who knew gnomes were so smart!?

Image credit: David Masters via Creative Comments

This is an excellent play on the classic Snow White, except instead of the seven dwarves, it’s the seven gnomes. It’s a creative example of playing around with an old Disney classic. The whole gnome family looks so at home in this garden.

Image credit: Erin Mc via Creative Commons

You can use gnomes as scarecrows in your gardens to ward off any unwanted visitors or pests. Gnomes can be used for practical purposes too, not just as decorations, and are frequently found to effectively ward off critters that are known to destroy your garden. The scarecrow gnome guards tomatoes.

Image credit: Doug Beckers via Creative Commons

10. Install Gnome Garden Solar Decorations around Your Backyard or on the Driveway

If you want to add some light to your garden without having to worry about plugs or batteries, then adding solar gnome lights is a great option. These lights come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so you can find the perfect ones for your house.

Personally, I really like the solar set shown in the image above. What a cool way to light up your garden at night, or create a festive mood.

Shown below are a few more light-up gnome ideas.

This LED Solar Garden Gnome Statue (image above) is available on Inspire Uplift.

You can find these coolest relaxed bathers on Overstock.

11. Add Funny Gnome Statues

Gnome statues are great reminders that life is short, and to never take yourself too seriously. They offer viewers the reminder to relax, take a load off from reality, enjoy the moment, and above all, laugh. Enjoy these funny gnome statue ideas.

The shown above figurine can be found on Etsy.

You can purchase this funny kicked-back garden gnome on Walmart’s website.

Looks like these gnomes posted on leyact.com had a little too much drink. Good thing that fire isn’t real.

This funky garden statue is available from leyact.com. What a welcome!

Fan of baseball? Fan of the Mets? Then you are sure to love this Jacob Degrom gnome hiding in your garden.

Image credit: slgckgc via Creative Commons

Behold, the crossover you never knew you needed, the lego gnome. This lego constructed gnome is incredibly creative, complete with masterful and skillful construction.

Image credit: Bill Ward via Creative Commons

12. Paint DIY Garden Gnomes

You can make a gnome out of anything, with the right eye and ingenuity. Check out these painted stick gnomes. This is a great example of a practical and rather simplistic way to incorporate gnomes into your garden.

Image credit: Erich Ferdinand via Creative Commons

13. Place Large Gnomes in Your Garden or In Front Yard

Large gnomes are a great way to leave an impression on visitors. They remind the viewer that gnomes don’t always have to be small and that they come in all different shapes and sizes. Some of these garden statues (shown above), are a couple of feet tall. Like small people, welcoming strangers into their home.

Image credit: Simon via Creative Commons

This giant gnome shown above is actually a mushroom inspector. There are all kinds of jobs available in the garden, and this is a very responsible one.

Image credit: Linda Rain 714 via Creative Commons