Gnomes That Need A Home

Rehoming Gnomes while Traveling

This June for 🌈 Pride Month, I wanted to show my lovely FairyFindr Fam some talented LGBTQ+ folks to watch, follow, and support! Today’s Pride Month Artist Spotlight post is highlighting Karl @gnomes.thatneedahome on Instagram, on my FairyFindr page (before it was taken down) and the name caught my eye! It turns out he makes tons of custom and hand-painted gnomes and leaves them around, for folks to take home and adopt, during his various travels! In this interview we will learn a bit more about Karl and showcase his various custom gnomes and experiences of joy brought to those who find the little gnome friends that he creates!

(Karl working on painting a few different gnomes in his workshop studio)

Hello Karl, thank you for joining the FairyFindr blog today as we discuss your hobby of repainting and rehoming gnome gents as you embark on your travels! Please tell us more about yourself, where you’re from, and how the FairyFindr audience can connect with you if they want to! Social links, website, etc

• Answer: Well to start I don't repaint gnomes. They are all handmade by me and my friend. We purchased latex moulds them from places off Etsy from Sweden, UK, Czech Repulic, etc. or made latex molds from figures we liked that we found online or in our travels. I think we have a few dozen molds now.

We fill them with concrete and then after they cure we paint them. None have really ever come out the same. We just paint what we feel like. The pic with the person with the thumbs up is my friend Steve who does this with me.

Then when we travel we leave them behind with a tag that notes that they should be taken home using a haiku. The tag says “I’m small, wear a hat. I’m the gnome you can take home, how would you like that?” with the instagram on the back - gnomes.thatneedahome

This all started as my kid was finishing high school I had more free time and thought about what I wanted as a hobby. When I was in 7th grade I did a painting of a gnome (it was art class and the project was to take a small picture and make it larger and paint it how you liked) and always liked it. My mother made the frame for it and have it hanging in my home (I still have it and it's the profile pic for the instagram account).

(Painting from 7th grade hanging in my house)

I wanted a hobby that didn’t take up too much space in my home (ie I didn't want to start collecting spoons and then have a room full of spoons in a couple years). I like to travel and camp so the idea of leaving something behind would be fun. So now we make and paint gnomes and bring them with us when we travel and leave them behind to adventure on. So while I might paint and have a dozen finished ones at home when we go on a trip they are coming with us. It's nice when the people that find them send pictures of the gnomes in their new homes or on adventures with them.

(A gnome that went to Chapman University in California)

We want to bring a little joy and adventure to the world when people find something special and one of a kind in their travels. Before we leave them I will take pictures or silly videos of the gnomes playing in the place I am visiting. People have said to me I could sell them, but I have no interest in that, its more fun to leave them for people to find and have a unique experience. Maybe they will tell their friends and they will be on the look out for a gnome looking for a home.

Can you share a memorable story of someone finding one of your gnome creations?

• Answer: I’ll share a few. Once when I was in Houston, Texas, I had a gnome with me on the table during lunch. The server noticed it and she the said she liked gnomes and showed me her gnome tattoo on her wrist (pictured below) and it had a blue hat like the one I had with me. I gave her the gnome and she was overjoyed. It was meant to me since her tattoo matched the gnome. How random?!

Another time I visited the Barnes Foundation (a museum in Philadelphia, PA) and left a gnome there. The person that found it took it to her home town in New Hampshire and left it for someone else to find. The person who found him in the town was so happy and loves her gnome.

We have left gnomes in Disney, Universal, the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park, campgrounds, museums, wherever we travel and I like the joy they bring the people who find them. It's funny, but usually it's not the first person to notice the gnome that takes them home. Sometimes I will just leave it and walk away, sometimes I will watch for a little while. Usually a few people will notice it, read the card and still just leave it there. But they always find a home.

(This gent has a whole new family with @madebyalig, Mauna Kea Visitor Center)

Tell me about what it’s like connecting to magic and folklore as a man and adult and the beauty of connecting to that part of yourself as an adult man.

• Answer: It's always nice to find a little magic in your day. Discovering a gnome and taking it home has never made anyone mad lol.

What materials do you typically use to customize and makeover the gnomes?

• Answer: We have a wide variety of paints to choose from but we use various painting techniques, I have glitter and stones and paint to decorate them with. Just depends what I feel like as I am doing it. Sometimes I do ones on a theme for a while. I did ones with latin phrases on them, colleges, pride, Christmas (below) etc. just depends on my mood.

(A gnome given to people we met while visiting Yellowstone

around Christmas and they have sent pics of him

in their travels and he's been all over

Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming etc)

How do you decide where to leave the gnomes? Is there a specific process or strategy behind it?

• Answer: Not really. I try to leave them in public spaces so people know they can take it home. I try for a place that isn’t super obvious because gnomes are little guys that you have to be aware of the details of your surroundings to be seen.

(A gnome aboard the Hylcon -Galactic Star Cruiser at Disney)

Have you ever received any feedback or messages from people who found your gnomes? If so, could you share some of your fave reactions by them?

• Answer: Yes, I’ve received many pictures from people that have found them and that always makes my day.

Do you have a favorite gnome design or theme that you enjoy creating the most?

• Answer: Well, some of the designs are more cheeky than others. One gnome is naked lounging with a beer, he's a happy guy. But the one that everyone loves the most is a happy gnome who's in a bondage harness with his hands behind his back. I don’t leave this one in public obviously but many people have requested it and I made a couple for the heads of the prom committee one year and have sent a couple to followers I got to know on instagram who had found one of my other gnomes.

(The Bondage Gnome: An all-time fave of most of Karl's gnome art fans!)

(I don’t know who I gave this to, I was at at

convention and they asked about the gnome

while we were on the escalator and they said

how much they liked it and just gave it to them)

How long does it usually take you to customize and repaint a gnome?

• Answer: That depends. The smallest gnomes are 4-6” and I can paint that in about 45 min depending on how much I decide to embellish it. Other gnomes can weigh 5-7 pounds and be about 12-18” tall and are larger and have various clothes or parts that might be hours of work to complete. But I don't really notice, we will spend hours in our workshop painting and I don't notice the time and I’ll be working on a few at a time to give an area of one time to dry and pick up another to work on.

(Karl's workshop studio made out of a shed in his backyard!)

What challenges, if any, have you encountered during your gnome-making and leaving adventures?

• Answer: Getting the consistency of concrete right can really make a difference and we spend time using an old back massager to vibrate them to get as many air bubbles out so they have a nice smooth surface. When it comes to leaving, it's making sure no one sees me leave it so people don’t say “hey you forgot this” and unfortunately, once or twice an employee of the place I was visiting took it to what I assume was a lost and found. But I hope someone in the office likes the gnome and takes them home.

Have you collaborated with other artists or gnome enthusiasts in your projects?

• Answer: Actually yes. Sometimes friends or others want an extra one for them to leave behind and be part of the fun. So below is the bondage gnome I made for you and one for your garden to the left. The other two are for you to find a place to leave behind in your travels. Have fun!

OH MY GOD I'm honored and super stoked to receive such a thoughtful gift, thank you Karl! I can't wait to show you all where the gnomes end up in my home and fairy garden and two for me to leave behind for others, I can't wait!

(4 gnomes gifted to Alex the FairyFindr by Karl @gnomes.thatneedahome)

(A gnome ignoring a Stormtrooper)

Are there any specific locations or countries that you haven't visited yet but would love to leave your gnomes in the future?

• Answer: Anywhere I go really.

What’s the furthest away one of your gnomes has traveled from where you left it?

• Answer: I left one in Yellowstone, which was picked up by a retired couple who took it all over as far as Hawaii and sent pictures from their travels.

How do you come up with ideas for new gnome designs? Do you have any sources of inspiration?

• Answer: If we see something we like we will make it into a mold for the future. Recently we saw a gnome doctor bought it and made a mold from it. We made a few and when we go to the doctor we give one to the office and a couple to neighbors who are doctors.

(description, place, design inspiration, who adopted them etc)

Have you ever received any negative or controversial reactions to your gnome art or leaving them around in public spaces? How do you handle such situations?

• Answer: Not really. For instance, I don’t leave them in a museum but by the door or park outside. Gnomes make people happy. Sometimes when I’m taking a picture of it with art or outside or making a silly video people will ask questions and when they show an interest in it i just give it to them.

(The Alexander McQueen exhibit at the LA County

Museum of Modern Art. Who has the better hat game?)

Are there any other forms of art or creative endeavors that you're involved in apart from gnome customization?

• Answer: Not really, maybe when I retire.

Do you have any plans to expand your gnome-related activities or turn it into a larger project or social movement?

• Answer: Not really this makes me happy. But I have family members paint their own for home or paint and travel and leave them so that is fun.

Are there any particular stories or incidents related to your gnome art that have had a profound impact on you?

• Answer: Just the many times people are so happy to find a gnome.

Have you made any cool connections or friends through this hobby?

• Answer: A couple people I am still in contact with after they found a gnome and maybe I will get to meet them in person someday.

(A gnome relaxing in Hawaii)

Have you ever considered conducting workshops or teaching others how to customize gnomes?

• Answer: That might be fun. Maybe someday. My family and friends like to paint one when they visit. It's very calming and therapeutic.

Are there any specific messages or emotions you aim to convey through your gnome creations?

• Answer: That a little adventure can be anywhere.

How has your journey with gnome customization and leaving them around impacted your personal growth and outlook on life?

• Answer: It's fun to meet new people and bring a little joy into the world.

(A gnome lounging with a beer for a friend at Christmas who you can see was very happy to meet him)

Do you have any favorite travel destinations that hold a special place in your heart due to the gnome adventures you had there?

• Answer: I’ve left some while attending conventions. Once a follower realized i was there so I gave them a gnome. The following year i saw them and they made me feel like a rockstar when telling their friend their story of how they got the gnome in their home. The friend was excited so I game them the gnome i was holding and they were ecstatic.

Have you ever encountered any unexpected challenges, obstacles, or lessons while leaving gnomes during your travels?

• Answer: Usually the TSA lol. Anytime I have one in my carry on I get extra screening. I’ve had to explain what a gnome is and assure them it wasn’t a weapon. When it's in my checked bag I often get a little card that says my bag had extra screening. I don’t mind. On a long trip I might take a dozen. I’m sure it looks odd going through a scanner.

(A gnome visiting Pemaquid Point lighthouse in Maine)

Are there any plans or initiatives you have in mind to involve more people in the joy of finding and creating gnomes?

• Answer: I’m not sure. I’m just enjoying myself for now, if it becomes too routine i’ll find a way to liven it up.

Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring gnome artists or those interested in leaving their creative marks in unique ways?

• Answer: Enjoy yourself and do it for yourself. I don’t have a goal in mind like more followers, I just make them because it makes me happy. Sometimes I think my hobby is silly (and it is) but when it makes people happy it can’t be all that silly.

(A few gnomes in the process of being painted in Karl’s workshop)

Lastly, what are your future aspirations and dreams related to your gnome art? Where do you see yourself in the next few years in this hobby?

• Answer: I’ll just keep doing it because I like to travel. I sometimes call them reverse souvenirs. I bring stuff for other people to find and take home. Then if I want to bring something home I always have space because I leave with less than I came with.

FairyFindrs, let's give Karl a big FairyFindr Fam welcome and go send him a little message to say Hi on Instagram, he loves connecting with other gnome enthusiasts!

✨✨🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️🍀🍀 ✨✨🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️🍀🍀 ✨✨🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️🍀🍀 ✨✨🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️🍀🍀 ✨✨🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️🍀🍀

Please leave a comment or message below and let us know how YOU got started in your magical or fairy related artwork or creative avenues! We can’t wait to hear your stories!! If you want to be a part of the blog and do your own magical interview of your dreams. Please feel free to find all our links on our LinkTree or connect on our FairyFindr Website, OR email me at FairyFindr@gmail.com 

May the gnomes bless you,

Alex the FairyFindr // Marvelous Magical Miniatures