DIY Christmas Pinecone Elves

Bring a bit of vintage Christmas charm to your holiday crafting and decorating with these DIY Christmas Pinecone Elves. They’re easy to make, endlessly customizable, and a fun craft for a cozy afternoon. Use them as ornaments, place cards, or part of your seasonal displays to add a whimsical touch to your holiday decor. 

You’re in for a treat today! I’m sharing how to make these adorable vintage-inspired Christmas Pinecone Elves (well, kind of).

I’m not actually going to show you how to make them, but rather tell you how you can make them. As you probably know, I’m a big fan of vintage Christmas decor. In fact, if I could only buy vintage Christmas decor (or vintage-inspired pieces), I would.

A couple of years ago, I started noticing these Christmas Pinecone Elves (some people call them gnomes) at local antique stores and on eBay, Etsy, and other sites. I also noticed their price tag. The vintage ones can sell for $40 or more each! That’s a bit out of my budget, so my collection of these little guys remained non-existent.

Then last year, I discovered this fabulous shop called Smile Mercantile that sells kits so you can make your own. Vintage-inspired and a craft project? Count me in! I ordered the kits last year, but as things go, the holiday season came and went before I got around to making them. So when my mom was visiting last week, I thought it would be the perfect little craft for us to do together. I had two kits, one for each of us.

Coupon Code

Before I go any further, I should mention that this isn’t sponsored in any way. I purchased these kits (and a few other goodies) myself. That said, I did reach out to Smile Mercantile to see if I could get a discount code for you, and they agreed! You can use code ELF at checkout to save 15% on one purchase. This coupon is good through 12/25/25 and combines with their free U.S. shipping on orders over $75. Just note that it can’t be used during other sales throughout the season.

How to Make

These were such a joy to make. My mom and I had a blast, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out. There are two kits. One is more colorful, the other is red and green.

They’re really easy to assemble. The only slightly tricky part (and even that’s not too bad) was putting together the hats. My only tip is to use a low-temp hot glue gun, as recommended. I bought this one and loved it. It’s adjustable for low and high temps, and the precision nozzle makes gluing so much easier.

While we followed the tutorial as written, there’s plenty of room for creativity. You can swap out colors, change up the faces, or give your elves different little accessories to hold. Have fun with it! Maybe make one to match each member of your family. How cute would that be?

As I searched for more vintage Christmas elves online (still hoping to find a deal), I realized that many of the old ones have nearly the same build as these, which makes them look wonderfully authentic, minus the 40 years of dust, of course. I also noticed that a few vintage versions use the pinecone itself as the body, which you could also try. I followed the kit tutorial this time, but I’m excited to go a little more rogue with my next batch. Yes, I’ve already ordered more kits. (Fair warning: they do tend to sell out at some point during the season. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Additional Craft Kits and Ideas

It’s also worth mentioning that Smile Mercantile sells all the necessary supplies individually, so if you plan to make a bunch, you can purchase everything separately. I haven’t done the math, but if you’re doing multiples, I’m sure it’s a better value.

They also have so many other charming kits. One that I bought last year was for these lovely felt angels. I don’t see that kit on their site at the moment, but they do have a blog post with the full tutorial and supply list. And while you’re there, check out their other projects. I’m especially eyeing the feather tree, these pinecone snowmen on skis, and the retro paper Christmas candles. Oh, and if you’re a fan of vintage-style putz houses, they sell those too (unfinished), so you can create your own little Christmas village. I definitely want to try that! *adds to cart* Go poke around their site. I guarantee you’ll be inspired! 

Anyway, if you find these little guys as whimsical and adorable as I do, give this project a try. I hope you enjoyed this non-tutorial tutorial and feel inspired to make a set, or maybe even start a whole collection, of these charming DIY Christmas Pinecone Elves. And if you’re ordering the kits, don’t forget to use the discount code mentioned above. Happy crafting!

More Christmas Crafts You’ll Love 

• Handmade Clothespin Snowflakes
• Vintage Bobbin Christmas Garland
• DIY Marshmallow Wreath
• Old Fashioned Popcorn Garland
• Painted Paper Plate Doves

Want more from Inspired by Charm? Join the IBC Mailing List for inspiration in your inbox! Follow along on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my processes. There’s even more inspiration on Facebook and Pinterest!