# Rifle-Bearing Backyard Guardians Combat Garden Gnome Protects with a Shoot-'em-up Attitude By Matt Ho | Published 2011-08-12 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/combat-garden-gnome References: [blog.makezine](http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/08/combat-gnomes.html) & [etsy](http://www.etsy.com/shop/thorssoli) If I were to ever considering getting a garden gnome for my house, I'm going straight to Shawn Thompson for one of his Combat Garden Gnome. To give you a little idea, garden gnomes were created because people believed during night time, these little guys will help out in the [backyard](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/worx-offers). My assumption is that it'd be using some sort of magical pixie dust to make grass go greener and flowers flourish; however, it doesn't appear to be the case with the Combat Garden Gnome. These guys are holding rifles and AK47s, which means that they're in the security business to blast away any [raccoons and unwanted critters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/raccoon-2-se) who stumble around at night. Buy a ton of these, build an army and I guarantee that no creature will mess with your plants again. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.1/10 - Popularity: 41% | Activity: 75% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Armed Garden Decor:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the garden decor industry by creating armed garden gnomes or other security-themed garden ornaments. - **Functional Garden Guardians:** Potential for disruptive innovation by designing garden gnomes or statues that have practical functions, such as deterring pests or providing surveillance. - **Humorous Home Security:** Disruptive innovation opportunity in the home security industry by introducing comical and unique products that combine humor and protection, like the Combat Garden Gnome. ### Who This Affects Most - **Garden Decor:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the garden decor industry by incorporating unconventional and eye-catching designs. - **Home Security:** Disruptive innovation potential in the home security industry by exploring unconventional and light-hearted approaches to protecting homes and properties. - **Outdoor Recreation:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the outdoor recreation industry by creating unique and entertaining products that enhance outdoor experiences, such as armed garden gnomes. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mythical Creature Garden Lamps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/elf-welcome-solar-light.md) - [Sculptural Surveillance Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sculptural-surveillance.md) - [Paintball-Shooting Security Cameras](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paintcam-home-security-system.md) - [Novel Home Security Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-security-concept.md) - [Heroic Bedtime Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bedtime-defenderz.md) - [Compact Campsite EDC Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portable-lamp-and-alarm.md) - [Unique Hybrid Mystery Figurines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/animal-x-vegetable-gachapon.md) - [Miniature Terrarium Keycaps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/terrarium-keycaps.md) - [Solar-Powered Floral Garden Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-tree-house.md)