Surprise Boxes, Gnomes & Rottweilers

Sometimes the best part of the story is the part that wasn’t supposed to happen in the first place.

What was supposed to happen is that I was supposed to be part of another Surprise Box Challenge hosted by my friend Terrie over at Decorate and More With Tip……

What was supposed to happen is that I was supposed to be sent a box of random items by my friend Mariah from Worcester Run and I was supposed to make things for my home out of the items regardless what they were. I had to use each item that was included in the box.

That means that when I found out who was sending me my box of goodies I got slightly terrified. It was the same friend who had sent Terrie a can of chicken broth last year as one of the items to make something out of. I wasn’t sure I could be as creative as Terrie was when she made the cutest bell from the can!

I slowly and fearfully opened my box and found the following items inside:

• 4 clear ornaments with screw on bottoms
• 1 package of small silver bells
• 1 roll of narrow lace
• 1 package of small red ball ornaments
• 1 package of mini bottle brush trees
• 1 plush stuffed gnome in bright green

I was very relieved to see that pretty much everything in the box was quite simple to use but I was a slight bit concerned about the gnome. It really wasn’t the sort of thing you’d find roaming around my home so I knew I had to completely revamp it to make it work here.

I’m pretty sure I was thinking all this in my head but it is slightly possible I might have been doing a bit of my thinking out loud. I have been known to do that a time or three.

In any case my faithful companion, Hope, must have either read my mind or heard my muttering and decided to come to my aid.

I can’t think of any other reason that my tiny little 90 pound Rottweiler who never bothers with any of the kids stuffed animals that are always laying around the house, would suddenly become obsessed with this particular gnome.

But that’s exactly what she did! I found her laying happily in the middle of my living room rug, with the aforementioned gnome between her rather substantial paws, happily gnawing away on him!

After grabbing the gnome away from her and giving him a short trip to the spa, I had him back to basics and once again put him high up out of reach and went about my day mulling over what I was going to do with this rather unlucky gnome.

Several more times throughout the day I discovered Hope had managed to locate and retrieve “Gnomey” and was playing with him again and eventually the spa trips weren’t doing any good anymore. I was getting more creative each time I hid him away but it seemed that she felt this was a new game called “Gnome on the shelf” and that she was to sniff him out each time I hid him.

And sniff him out she did!

Alas, after searching any Dollar Tree stores within a reasonable proximity of my house and coming up empty handed each time, I had to admit defeat and confess to my friends what happened to the poor green gnome but assure them that at my home I currently have the happiest Rottweiler you’ve ever seen just so long as she has her best toy gnome with her at all times. She is completely obsessed with this gnome so I guess you could say I took a small stuffed gnome and “made” a dog toy out of it!

Back to the rest of the box and what I did with the items….

First I took an old piece of sheet music and I cut it to fit into a small oval frame I had laying around.

Then I took the spool of lace, cut it into a variety of lengths and glued it onto the music in the shape of a tree. Some buttons acted as the pot for the tree and a star for the top.

Next I turned my attention to the clear ornaments…..

I removed the tops and bottoms of the ornaments which were a gray plastic, and I spray painted them in a gold color.

When they were dry I put the tops back on them but left the large bottoms off for the moment…..

I planned to put some tiny things inside the ornaments and create some mini snow globes but I realized the depth of the base would mean that my items would be sitting too low. I took some modeling clay, rolled it out and used the ornament as a template to cut out a circle. I hot glued it into the upside down plastic base and then glued in my tiny items.

More modeling clay formed hills for sledding etc.

At the very last I tipped them upside and put a little bit of faux snow inside the ornament before screwing on the base with the decorations attached.

And just like that I had some tiny snow globe ornaments.

I used some of the bottle brush trees that came in the box for one of them as well.

I also put some of the tiny red ball ornaments from the box, some greenery and a couple bits of twigs inside one of the ornaments…..

So by this point I have my gnome dog toy, I’ve used the clear ornaments, the red ball ornaments, the lace, the mini trees and all I had left were the little silver bells.

At once I had an idea….

I grabbed the bells and a small plastic candy cane I have had laying around for years.

I started hot gluing the bells all over the candy cane.

If I was doing this again I think I would spray paint the candy cane in a silver FIRST and then put the bells on. That would allow you to make it a bit more sparse but still have none of the red and white showing.

You just have to keep adding bells until you get the coverage you like.

And then you can tuck it in here or there all over your house. You could add it to a wreath, hang some on your tree, tuck it into a garland or centerpiece.

Almost anything really.

Pin For Later

The Other Surprise Box Participants

I wasn’t the only one who got a box of random surprise items. Below you will find all my blogging friends who participated in this challenge as well, including Jodi from The House House who I sent a box of goodies to.

You’re gonna have a wonderful time checking out what they all did with their items!

Decorate and More with Tip

Worcester Run

Sweet Southern Grace

Patina and Paint

The House House

Stilettos and Shiplap