How to gnome someone

Gnoming is the practice of secretly placing a small handmade gnome on or near another person — on their desk, in their coat pocket, on the rim of their coffee mug, in the soil of their office plant, on the dashboard of their car. The person finds it later and, ideally, smiles. That’s the whole thing.

It’s a quiet reminder that joy can come from very small objects, that life is mostly ordinary days, and that ordinary days can be improved by a tiny ceramic figure wearing a ridiculous hat.

The five rules

1. Place, don’t announce. Set the gnome down. Leave. Don’t hover. Half the joy is the discovery.
2. Be kind, not clever. A gnoming is a gift, not a punchline at someone’s expense. If your gnoming reads as a critique, find a different bit.
3. Don’t cause a problem. Never place a gnome where it could be mistaken for missing inventory, trash, or hazard. Not in food. Not in the path of moving things. Not on items the person can’t easily wash, return, or carry.
4. Make it findable. A gnome left somewhere it will never be discovered is just clutter. Aim for a spot the person uses daily.
5. Read the room. Gnoming a stranger is rarely a good idea. Gnoming an anxious person at a tense moment is also rarely a good idea. Pick someone who will laugh.

Good places to gnome

• The corner of a coworker’s monitor on a Monday morning.
• The lip of a clean coffee mug — see Coffee Companion.
• On top of a friend’s books, where they bookmark.
• Tucked into a houseguest’s overnight bag for them to find when unpacking at home.
• In the soil of a desk plant. (Indoor only — outdoor planters need a sealed gnome.)
• On the dashboard of a familiar car you have permission to be in.

Places to never gnome

• Anywhere food is prepared or served.
• In children’s toys (small parts; choking hazard).
• In a stranger’s belongings.
• On items that need to pass through security checkpoints, mail, or shipping.
• Anywhere a manager will have to file a report about it.

What about the receiver?

Most people who get gnomed keep the gnome. Some line them up on a windowsill. Some re-gnome them onward to a third person, which is excellent and how a small tradition spreads. There is no obligation either way.

Ready to start?

The Starter Gnoming Kit is exactly what it sounds like — six gnomes, one small instruction card, one linen pouch. Or pick a solo drop for a single, well-aimed gnoming.