Better Gnomes and Gardens

February 19, 2014 immrfabulous

Charity Ask:

Take a plain ceramic & unassuming gnome and turn it into something fabulous.

And next week (February 27 – March 2) at the Calgary Home and Garden show, my ‘tricked out’ gnome will be up for auction. Over 60,000 visitors to the show will have a chance to bid on their favourites to benefit Grow Calgary; Canada’s largest urban agricultural farm run by a dedicated group of volunteers on a 9-acre parcel of land just west of Canada Olympic Park.

So how did I transform my gnome into, hopefully, an object of desire?

Well it all started with a steak knife…

Living in a modern downtown condo, I’m lacking a few things: Outdoor space.

As such I wanted to create something for others in my position and turn my little guy into ‘Home Decor’

My Home-y Gnomie!

Soon after I started I realized I was not only lacking a garden, but tools as well. So off to a hardware store I went and returned with a Dremel; this project suddenly became a lot easier.

I started by sawing off the tip of his cap and sanded it down to a smooth finish.

Then, using the drill bit, I carved out a round hole in the the top and another in the bottom.

Next, I matte lacquered the gnome and drizzled him top down with a silver acrylic paint.

Then it was then time to install the hardware; a lamp rod. After cutting the wires and having to call in professional help to splice the cord back together, the project was almost complete.

But first I had to cut and adjust the wire frame of the custom silver lined lamp shade that didn’t fit on the mix matched base.