Gnomes are fictional creatures identified by their subterranean and small size. These imaginable creatures are believed to have originated from the Greek. Yard gnomes are usually placed in the yard and some people use gnomes to keep memories of certain people of happenings in their lives. Some people also treat the gnomes as distinct spices which have their own rights. Yard gnomes were first made in the ceramics rich Grafenroda town in the mid 1800s. Back then, the gnomes were used as decorative structures, were designed on local beliefs, and sometimes could be believed to help in securing ones yard.

After sometime, the gnomes decorating character diffused to other countries and people turned decorating their yard with gnomes as a hobby. At some point, gnomes were used to represent some heroines who fought in the World War II and several people took the gnome producing culture and enhanced it to suit their life style as well as work as a source of income to them. It is estimated that there are approximately 25 million Yard gnomes in Germany only with other countries still upholding the gnome culture.

In using the traditional production means, yard gnomes are made molds which compose of clay slurry, after the gnome forms and takes a certain shape, it is removed from the clay and placed in a specific place to dry. A kiln is then used to heat the dry gnome till it's hard enough to sustain the environmental conditions such as rain and snow, the gnome can then be decorated depending on what one wants and placed in the intended location. In the modern situation, gnomes are made from resins of schwau and other material that have the same components as the schwau.

The history of yard gnomes dates back to 1800's when Sir Charles Isham bought some gnomes from a trip in Germany and placed the in his gardens. Although only one of the gnomes remains, the gnome retention culture has remained and people still place gnomes on their yard either is different occasions or throughout their daily transactions. Often, yard gnomes are targets used in pranks, it is believed that some people still collect together gnomes and act as to send them back to their origin. Mostly, yard gnomes are depicted to have a beard and wear red hats, people also believe that gnomes some pipes are made performing several activities such as farming, fishing, squatting and looking after animals among other activities.

Humorously, some people design more complicated yard gnomes which can be used to act as real people; some will have the gnomes in their yard staged in a manner as if they are performing the regular yard activities such as sweeping while other minor gnomes are playing along the yard. This have raised controversy in some places as people claim that Yard gnomes sometimes make the yard design look unprofessional and destructing some eye-catching zones of the yard. Some people also associate gnomes with suburban and working class yards. Yard gnomes can on the other hand be quite decorative if well made and strategically placed to portray a specific message.