Free Printable Build A Gonk / Build A Gnome Paper Template

Looking for an easy winter papercraft project? Download our Free Printable Build A Gonk template and get started today!

This charming little gonk (AKA gnome) is fun for all ages to make, and helps to improve cutting and pasting skills while having some festive Holiday fun!

Don’t have time for this printable now? Be sure to tap the heart icon in the bottom right of the screen to save this post for later!

Free Printable Build A Gonk

Introducing – Gordon the Gonk!

I’m sure you’ve seen those cute little characters, with their noses poking out over their long beards and tall hats, that seem to be everywhere at this time of year.

I’ve always called them gonks, you may call them gnomes! And they are SO cute!

I thought it was high time that I made a buildable gonk template, so here is Gordon the Gonk!

If you are a regular on my blog you’ll notice that my buildable characters have a cute chubby style.

And if they are animals they are anthropomorphic, which basically means that they have human traits – like standing on two legs instead of four.

I introduced my cute chubby roly-poly Christmas and Winter characters several years ago, and the set currently includes 22 characters.

I’m continuing to add new characters that I hope you will love as much as the others!

Gonks stem from Nordic and Scandinavian mythology. They are meant to be a mix of a gnome and a hobgoblin. In the original folklore, these curious little creatures were said to take a liking to barns or houses in the colder seasons. If families treated them well, they were said to protect the family and give them good luck. If the family did not respect the mighty little gonk, then they were said to play tricks on the family! Source

The Christmas and Winter buildable characters are part of a wider set of other characters that are a fun free activity to do at home, in an activity group or club, during homeschool, or in the classroom!

I’ve provided the links to all of my other buildable characters at the end of this blog post.

I’ve created two sizes for this cute free printable paper Gonk: 

• Regular size, with all of the pieces on one sheet of paper and creates a character around 4″/10cm tall. (This is the image above – it is not the download though!)
• Large size with the pieces spread over several sheets. This creates a character around 12″/30cm tall.

You’ll find the Color and Build A Gnome (Gonk) over in the Purple Pumpkin Printables Shop.

Where Are The Downloads?

• The two sizes are two separate downloads.
• You will find the download links further down this page surrounded by a purple box.
• Tap the purple download buttons to save the file(s) to your device.
• I’ve provided two paper sizes – A4 and US Letter (8.5″ x 11″) – use the size that is appropriate for your printer.

The free printable Christmas papercraft is really fun – not just for kids, but for adults too!

I love constructing buildable characters after I’ve designed them! A digital representation is shown below.

How To Use the Build a Gonk Printable

The regular-size printable is for children that are more skilled at cutting.

The large size should be a lot easier for younger children. 

Or you can cut them out for them.

Of course, you know your children, so will know what suits them best!

Included in this printable paper Gonk craft are the following pieces:

• Hat
• Body
• Beard
• Nose
• Arms
• Jumper
• Boots

Once cut, place the pieces in the correct order to figure out where everything goes before sticking them in place.

You can stick the pieces together with a glue stick, or sticky tape.

I like using this roller glue as it is so easy to use and has less sticky mess!

For an extra crafty dimension, why not mount the character onto a larger piece of paper and use other craft materials to embellish it?

For example, glitter, furry fabric, craft foam, or tissue paper to name a few.

For more fun, family winter activities, check out 25+ Fun Winter Activities for Families from our friends at Twinkl.

Other Ways To Use This Printable!

• You can use a laminator and laminate the pieces if you like and use them over and over again.
• Why not use split pins to construct the characters instead of glue so that the character becomes moveable!
• Or you could use popsicle sticks and regular size characters to make little puppets for winter role-playing or storytelling.
• You could attach the characters to some ribbon or string and hang them as bunting around the room for a holiday party!
• Or why not number each of the pieces and turn it into a fun game with dice? Throw the dice and each time a number is rolled, you take that piece – the first one to complete their character is the winner!
• Most of all, just have fun with this winter printable!

Download your chosen printable from the list further down the page (they’re surrounded by a purple box), and print onto thick paper or thin card. Cut the pieces out, then build a Gonk (or a Gnome)!

Other Christmas & Winter Characters in This Series

You could mix the different elements for fun to create completely new characters!

Free Printable Build A Gonk Downloads

Printable Christmas Escape Rooms

Escape Rooms have exploded in popularity over the past few years, but why not bring the experience to your home this Christmas with a printable Escape Room? The games can be printed and set up in just 20 minutes, so you can get on with the fun.

Christmas Party Game Ideas!

We love the kits from Lock Paper Scissors, and with their Magical Escape Room Christmas Box, which contains 4 of their best escape room adventures, you can save BIG!

In fact, at just $49, you save 60% – that’s a discount of $76, to be precise. Amazing value!

The four kits included in the box are (which you can buy individually if you prefer):

• Envy Murder Mystery – A 1920s Gatsby-style murder mystery game of debaucherous luxury and deadly feuds. Get ready for a night of velvet gloves, blood-stained.
• Lost Mummy – Get ready to unearth Egypt’s ancient secrets as your crew investigates the mystery of the Lost Mummy.
• Rebel Revolt Spy Mission – Your crew of specialists will need their wits about them if there’s any chance of breaking into the evil government’s W.A.R. facility.
• Escape Room Z – Your living room’s about to be invaded by the living dead. What do they want? Your pizza, of course…

But that’s not all! You’ll also get these bonuses:

• The Christmas Party Pack– a limited-time bonus kit instantly decks your halls in festive, peppermint mocha style. Just print a few charming table decorations for serious, holly, jolly vibes.
• Bonus Card Game – made by gamers, for gamers! (You can even make your own!) Make sure to grab your Christmas-exclusive extras before they disappear into the mist…
• Christmas Treasure Maps – you can create a charming scavenger hunt where X marks the spot! Use it to add an extra dash of mystery to your holiday celebrations…

Other Buildable Characters!

We have lots of other buildable characters that you may like to download:

• Build An Animal Series
• Build A Person Series
• Build A Halloween Character Series
• Build A Christmas Character Series
• Build A Star Wars Character Series
• Build A Disney Character Series
• Build An Olaf

Our free printable buildable characters are an excellent activity for kids of all ages, whether at home, at an activity group or club, during homeschooling, or in the classroom!

Our printable paper dolls help kiddos with their cutting and pasting skills and allow them to be creative with other materials, such as sticking on fabric or sequins or using glitter glue.

This post is part of my long-running Create the Holidays series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Since 2012, I’ve shared free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays. While I don’t officially run the series anymore, seasonal inspiration will still be here! Browse past Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) years: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

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