that is frightening...

This reminds me of these clever little bug bombs on UnCommon:

http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=17977

Baby mobile!

Yeah, I agree with coffeespoons - I'm usually okay with typically 'scary' things, but I don't know. It's a real (albeit empty) grenade. Those things are used when people die and suffer. I don't know, if seems kind of lassaise faire to use them as decoration. That's just me and my home, though, personal perspective.

But.. aren't grenades bad feng shui?

No. I know it's Friday afternoon and you're struggling for ideas, but...no. And that goes for the DIY skirt-rose pillow as well.

why, why, why?

I don't see grenades -- empty or otherwise, natural or painted -- as homey and comfy. In fact, normal or not, grenades evoke war and death, even with flowers in them and around books. I prefer to celebrate the beauty of life instead.

To suggest that the meaning of a grenade is constructed doesn't pass muster. In my book, this goes right next to that explosively original individual who had a gas mask as a shower head.

This post spoiled for me all an entire week of good home hacks.

have had one for years, $8.99 is a bit of a ripoff.
guess i'm ahead of the trend on this one. hah!

it is kind of funny that people have their panties in a bunch about this though. no one has any vintage military/propaganda posters or anything? (those have to do with war, but from a design standpoint, some are quite fascinating) somehow grenades are different?

You can't put good home hacks to use because someone posted about grenades as decor?

This is so creepy and it could be incredibly offensive on so many levels - for the innocent civilians who were undoubtedly killed with these things, for the people who've served in the military and are familiar with its harsh realities, & with pacifists who don't need yet another reminder of the military industrial complex... Also a great possible way to bring birth-defect & cancer causing depleted uranium into your home!

Hmm...yeah, I'm kind of sicked out by this as well. Honestly, what if you brought something home that had really killed someone?

I think I could see this being used in a subversive way, maybe. Like painted light pink and used in some kind of an art installation or something. As home decorating, though, it seems really insensitive and gross.

I like the idea of planting a tulip or something pretty within.

I remember in the early 90s it was trendy for people to wear a bullet on a chain necklace. No one seemed to find it offensive at the time - I guess people and sensitivities have changed.

Perfect--
Just don't complain when you get stopped carrying a couple of these through Airport Security.

Better yet - just turn it in for scrap metal.

So I guess no one like Suck UK's gun vase either? Oh well. I dig the idea, Sarah. If they were painted crazy colors I'm sure they'd sell like hot cakes at Urban Outfitters.

How can the idea of turning something ugly into something beautiful be a bad one? What's with all the whiners tonight? For god's sake the world is a VERY violent place, and if you want to hybernate in your little pink bubbly world, by all means feel free to remain ignorant.

absolutely reminds me of artist Martin Cary Horowitz (http://www.martincaryhorowitz.com/) - and I think his gold-leafed grenades are amazing.

If these were used to kill people nothing would be left of them after they blew up.

I immed thought of the gun vase too. Yep remember the bullet too. Be happy these are used for something other than killing.

Okay so these grenades were obviously not used BECAUSE they are still intact and what a beautiful statement to put a flower in them. and I totally agree with Icanmakeit... Better with a flower in it in your living room than on the battlefield.

"Honestly, what if you brought something home that had really killed someone?"

Um, you mean like an out-of-control Toyota?

people are so serious, and that box the grenades are in looks pretty cool too.

How could you bring home a grenade that killed someone, they don't reassemble themselves.

I don't like these just because I don't care for the aesthetic anymore than I care for nautical or Adirondack style rustic. That said I'd like to own real guns, so my complaint is mostly that they look cheesy and nine dollars is mad overpriced.

Also I think it'd veer into a contrived Hot Topic sort of territory very quickly.

Firstly, off the bat- I'm entirely against the idea of war. I'm a hardcore pacifist.

We can all agree that from a design and engineering standpoint, grenades are aesthetically pleasing (if not interesting). But you don't hear about people throwing fits when they're portrayed in other mediums (Tshirts, CD covers, etc...). You also don't hear people throwing fits when they have other old war memorabilia in their homes. Heck, some people (I'm looking at you, deep South) display their *working* firearms proudly on gun racks in their homes.

Furthermore, why are grenades not okay, while animal products (leather upholstery, antlers, etc...) are? Those things were actually once alive.

Finally, what about crucifixes in a home? Yes, I absolutely get the religious symbolism, but at their root core, they're an ancient Roman torture and killing device.... nobody complains about them.

This is whole post boils down to beauty being in the eye of the beholder.... and you know what? I agree with one of the above posters, if these were painted in pretty pastels, they would sell for an absurd price like hotcakes at Urban Outfitters.

Haha, people are getting so serious! I'd paint them hot pink or white and use them as decoration in my house!

I would love to have a couple of those. It would work for a project or two I have going.

OK--I get it--they didn't kill anyone! Oops. I suppose I didn't really think through that one. And yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I also didn't like the gas mask shower head (or whatever it was), and others did.

My husband's in the Army and brought a bunch home. So far we've used one as a fan pull and one as a toy for the cats. We have tough cats.

I have an old dummy grenade with the pin still in place. On the ring, there is a little informational note attached that reads:
'In case of ex boyfriend, pull'

I has been a paperweight off and on through the years. Once I'm done moving, i.e. find it in the boxes, I'll take a pic.

'For god's sake the world is a VERY violent place, and if you want to hybernate in your little pink bubbly world, by all means feel free to remain ignorant.'

I don't live in a little pink bubbly world, thank you very much. I'm a nursing student - I've seen people who have been stabbed, beaten, raped, shot, neglected (elderly), car accidents, entirely non-malicious but still violent accidents (ladder falls, saw accidents, et cetera) you name it. I have a friend who's going into the Air Force. I'm from the Philippines, and there are many struggling people well below the poverty line there. I come from a family who suffered and barely scraped by alive during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. I have a friend who had to flee the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. The stuff I've seen her go through and the things she's told me (and my family has told me) inspires incredible respect for them.

I am extremely aware that the world can be a VERY violent place. I have respect for that and it is my life's work to heal that violence in people's lives, one person at a time, even if it's just a little, tiny bit.

So that's why when I see things like grenades (and bullets as necklaces/belts, and idealized war images), I find it abhorrent *for my own style*. I do not insulate myself from it in my own home, either - I have cut-outs of articles regarding homelessness, war, AIDS-prevention, books on these subjects, and other items around my home, to remind me to do my damned best in school. However, *I personally* find written pieces and tasteful photographs much more respectful of the subject than using grenades to decorate. It is the way I perceive it, and I totally understand that other people will perceive it differently.

I fully understand the artistic sense of turning an image of violence into a thing of beauty, and for those people? Rock on. However, just because I find it unsettling FOR MY OWN DWELLING SPACE does NOT mean I - and the others who share my opinion - are ignorant of the realities of the world, ffs.

*steps off soapbox*

That was such a rant I don't even want to begin... except to say... omg you have way too much time on your hands..

Nicely said, fenrisdelapena. I'm never going to be able to see an instrument of death and destruction as a "fun decor item." I can't just close my eyes and forget what those grenades were designed and made to do. And I think it trivializes that pain and suffering to paint them pretty colors and use them like a throw pillow.

pulls the pin and drops one into this comment section...

let me guess, you two are fans of the slow kids getting trophies for participation.

Cover them in glitter and voila!! instant christmas tree decorations!!

I thought "huh... cool" when I saw this on the main page, and then thought about clicking on it when I saw how many comments would be posted.

It never disappoints me :)

the whole trying hard to be super ironic/witty/cool is really getting lame.

If I had the motivation I'd cut the stem off of a martini glass and then use the grenade for a new base. Grenade martini glasses would be sweet.

@ modestalmond
I agree with you. I don't like animal products used in homes (I'm vegan), crucifixes, weaponry displays, etc.

I'm going to try not to be so super ironic/witty/cool

it didn't work.

But seriously, I do love the passion people have towards their homes, their spaces, and for their families and friends. To each their own, as it should be. :) Your place should always be yours, small explosives devices or not.

I actually like the idea of painting them festive colors and putting them in a bowl, why not? It seems pretty pacifist to me. Pink colored grenade... They can be stenciled or you can pain pretty flowers on them too. I think I'll check out a local army surplus store, thanks for the idea.

I thought about this overnight, and I wonder if the commenters who so adamantly think that those of us who don't like this are idiots are people who have never experienced the horror such a device brings. I know that I have not witnessed these horrors, but it still bothers me. But reading a post from someone who has would, I would think, put things in perspective. But apparently it only increased the need to insult other perspectives.

I do believe that it's much easier to be lighthearted about a bowlful of pastel grenades when you've lived a life free from such terror. Correct me if I'm wrong. Fire away.

Aside from anything else, these objects are just overflowing with bad karma (for those who believe in such things).

Puella I think you hit the spot. As someone who as a child saw grenades & other weapons being used as weapons and not as decor I find this extremely distasteful. My skin crawled when I saw that photo.

Please, let's be a little more sensitive to other people's life experiences, not everyone has lived a life free of war & violence.

the way I see it, these may have been made for war, but these ones weren't used. they escaped their destiny, and for that, I think there's a neat symbolism...

I like real weapons as decor more than I like these. And I would own more weapons than I'd display. I do not believe weapons are inherently bad ugly horrible things to have around the house.

I think if you need to take design/construct/(our own distinctly human ingenuity by the way) this seriously you need help. This is not a debate on your personal history, issues, or otherwise relavents in this arena. If this is your only emotional spout, look elsewhere... (shrink) in a magical land called "pink bubbly world."

Steps off his soap box. Damn, my feet are still dirty.

I remember finding these at the Army/Navy surplus in Vermont when I was a teenager. I bought one and brought it to debate rounds. We thought it was tough.

I wouldn't make a mobile, Juliescript...I had a roommate who hung things from the ceiling, and no matter how well you think things are hung, something is bound to fall. Ours was a sharp bottle opener that left a nice dent in a laptop one night...and thankfully not a skull.

But turquoise plasti-dip and use them for vase fillers...maybe with something zen like bamboo or an orchid growing out of them...could be sufficiently ironic. Grow flowers out of the relics of war...ultimate peace message. Also think if you could figure out a way to mount them right, they'd make nice hat/coat hooks...again with plasti-dip.

They would look fabulous painted different enamel colors and piled into a fruit bowl. You could also use them as bed knobs on an Ikea bed! Maybe there is some way to work them into a chandelier, or you could cast them to make light bulbs.

Never understood the attraction for guns, weapons, grenades as "design" on t-shirts, as ashtrays, on bedding, painting, tattoos. Maybe it's an american thing? (I'm Canadian)

When I see a weapon, whether real or pictured; I see violence and blood, not design.

I agree, Cyb.

FLScott--It would be easier to take you more seriously if you produced a valid comment rather than taking the opportunity to insult other people. And the more often you repeat the same insults almost verbatim, the less effective they become.

Yikes!!

...to add to my initial reaction to the idea itself, and reading some strong comments. What's the difference between someone owning wartime guns...like a Civil War gun or baronet, which has probably killed a few people during that war, for example? A lot of people are gun and weapons collectors. I can understand it's not for everyone and speaking for myself..I don't like guns and have no desire to own one, or any weapon. If someone has had personal experience with violence and this idea shakes them to the core...I can respect that, too. This topic is explosive...pun intended.

Baby mobile!

Actual LOL, Juliescript.

I must admit that while I appreciate the idea of a grenade housing as decor in principle, I'm kinda weirded out by the thought of having one myself. I don't know why; I have skulls and tribal weaponry as parts of my decor. I think it's just because grenades are so indiscriminately damaging.

That said, if I saw a grenade baby mobile for sale, I'd be sorely tempted :)

jeez people can be hoity! no one suggest putting beads in it to make a baby rattle. i'm sure someone has sold that..

go pitch a fit for swords on the wall or model airplanes and such. for true carnage examine most people's records with house plants. i think the intended sarcasm was just lost here; cover it with bright pink flocking and relax on your dynamite crate ottomans and remember that people who cry warmonger aren't probably invited to your house party anyway

I have always appreciated the "take a negative and turn it into a positive" stance. My first reaction was using these as a cluster to fill clear glass vases of all sizes and shapes. Yes they may need a bit of polishing and painting... but they could make a very striking design accent. I personally wouldn't prefer them in my collection, but with the right combination, they could be nice.