EXHIBIT 10.2

                            GARDEN RIDGE CORPORATION

                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
                             1994 STOCK OPTION PLAN

                             Effective June 3, 1997

                                    ARTICLE I
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                                     PURPOSE

        The purpose of this Amended and Restated 1994 Stock Option Plan (the
"Plan") of Garden Ridge Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), is
to secure for the Company and its stockholders the benefits arising from stock
ownership by selected executive employees and other key employees of the Company
or its subsidiaries as the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"), or a
Committee constituted for such purpose, may from time to time determine. The
Plan will provide a means whereby (i) such employees may purchase shares of the
common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company
pursuant to stock options which will qualify as "incentive stock options" under
Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and
(ii) such employees may purchase shares of the Common Stock of the Company
pursuant to "non-incentive" or "non-qualified" stock options.

                                   ARTICLE II
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                                 ADMINISTRATION

        The Plan shall be administered by the Stock Option Committee (the
"Committee"), which shall at all times consist of not less than two members of
the Board, and all members of the Committee shall be "disinterested persons"
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"). All members of the
Committee shall be selected by (and serve at the pleasure of) the Board. Subject
to the express provisions of the Plan and the policies of each stock exchange on
which any of the Company's stock may at any time be traded, the Committee shall
have plenary authority, in its discretion, to recommend to the Board the
individuals within the class set forth in ARTICLE IV to whom, and the time and
price per share at which, stock options shall be granted, the number of shares
to be subject to each stock option and the other terms and provisions of their
respective Agreements (as defined herein), which need not be identical. In
making such recommendations and determinations, the Committee may take into
account the nature of the services rendered by the respective employees, their
present and potential contributions to the Company's success and such other
factors as the Committee in its discretion shall deem relevant.

        Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have
authority (i) to construe and interpret the Plan, (ii) to define the terms used
therein, (iii) to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to
the Plan, (iv) to recommend to the Board the terms 
<PAGE>
and provisions of the respective stock options, (v) to approve and determine the
duration of leaves of absence which may be granted to participants without
constituting a termination of their employment for the purposes of the Plan, and
(vi) to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the
administration of the Plan. All determinations and interpretations made by the
Committee shall be binding and conclusive on all participants in the Plan and
their legal representatives and beneficiaries. The Committee shall hold meetings
at such times and places as it may determine. Acts by the majority of the
Committee or acts reduced to or approved in writing by a majority of the members
of the Committee shall be the valid acts of the Committee. From time to time,
the Board may increase the size of the Committee and appoint additional members
thereof, remove members (with or without cause), and appoint new members in
substitution therefore, or fill vacancies however caused, subject to the
requirements that the members of the Committee shall be "disinterested persons"
as described above and that there always be at least two members of the
Committee. No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action, failure to
act, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan
or any transaction under the Plan.

                                   ARTICLE III
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                   SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN AND DURATION OF PLAN

        Under the Plan, the Board may, but only upon recommendation of the
Committee, grant to eligible persons incentive stock options (as defined in the
Code) and/or non-qualified stock options, to purchase up to but not exceeding an
aggregate amount of 519,176 shares of the Company's Common Stock (subject to
adjustment as provided in ARTICLE X). Shares subject to stock options under the
Plan may be either authorized and unissued shares or issued shares that have
been acquired by the Company and held in its treasury, in the discretion of the
Board. When stock options have been granted under the Plan and have lapsed
unexercised or partially unexercised or have been surrendered for cancellation
by the optionee thereof, the unexercised shares which were subject thereto may
be reoptioned under the Plan. No stock options shall be granted after April
2004.

                                   ARTICLE IV
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                          ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

        To the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws, all executive
employees and other key employees of the Company or of any subsidiary
corporation (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) shall be eligible for
selection to fully participate in the Plan; provided, however, that no member of
the Committee shall be entitled to receive a stock option under this Plan while
serving as a member of the Committee. Directors of the Company who are not
regular employees of the Company are not eligible to participate in the Plan. An
individual who has been granted an option may, if such individual is otherwise
eligible, be granted an additional option or options if the Board or the
Committee shall so determine, subject to the other provisions of the Plan.
<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE V
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                      TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF STOCK OPTIONS

        Each stock option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a stock
option agreement (the "Agreement"), the form of which shall have been approved
by the Committee. The Agreement shall be executed by the Company and the
optionee and shall set forth the terms and conditions of the stock option, which
terms and conditions shall include, but not be limited to the following:

               (a) OPTION PRICE. The option price shall be determined by the
Committee, but shall not in any event be less than the par value of the Common
Stock.

               (b) TERM OF STOCK OPTION. The term of the stock option shall be
selected by the Committee, but in no event shall such term exceed ten years from
the grant thereof. Each stock option shall be subject to earlier termination as
hereinafter provided.

               (c) TRANSFERABILITY. The stock options granted hereunder shall
not be transferable other than by will or operation of the laws of descent and
distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in
the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended ("ERISA"), or the rules thereunder. During the lifetime of the optionee,
stock options granted hereunder shall be exercisable only by the optionee, the
optionee's guardian or legal representative.

               (d) VESTING. The Committee shall have complete discretion in
determining when stock options granted hereunder are to vest; provided, however,
that the sale of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise of a stock
option by any person subject to Section 16 of the 1934 Act shall not be allowed
until at least six months after the grant of the stock option. Such
determination for each stock option is to be made prior to or at the time that
stock option is granted and shall be set forth in each Agreement.

               (e) TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. In the event of an optionee's
termination of employment with the Company for any reason other than death, all
stock options shall terminate to the extent they were not exercisable at the
date of the optionee's termination, but to the extent they were then exercisable
by the optionee, the optionee shall be entitled to exercise such options for a
period of 30 days from the date of the optionee's termination. Upon the
termination of an optionee's employment by reason of death, the optionee's stock
options shall terminate to the extent they were not exercisable at the date of
the optionee's death, but to the extent they were then exercisable by the
optionee, the optionee's estate or the beneficiaries thereof shall be entitled
to exercise such options for a period of one year from the date of the
optionee's death but not thereafter. Notwithstanding any other provisions of
this subparagraph (e), no stock option shall be exercised after the expiration
of ten years from the date such stock option is granted.
<PAGE>
               (f) OTHER CONDITIONS. At its sole discretion, the Committee may
impose other conditions upon the stock options granted hereunder, so long as
those conditions do not conflict with any other provisions of the Plan. Such
conditions may include, by way of illustration, but not by way of limitation,
percentage limitations upon the exercisability of stock options granted
hereunder.

                                   ARTICLE VI
                                   ----------
                             INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS

        The Committee, in recommending and granting stock options hereunder,
shall have the discretion to determine that certain stock options shall be
incentive stock options, as defined in Section 422 of the Code, while other
stock options shall be non-qualified stock options. Neither the members of the
Committee, the members of the Board nor the Company shall be under any
obligation or incur any liability to any person by reason of the determination
by the Committee or the Board whether a stock option granted under the Plan
shall be an incentive stock option or a non-qualified stock option. The
provisions of this ARTICLE VI shall be applicable to all incentive stock options
at any time granted or outstanding under the Plan.

        All incentive stock options granted or outstanding under the Plan shall
be granted and held subject to and in compliance with terms and conditions
previously set forth in ARTICLES II, III, IV AND V hereof and, in addition,
subject to and in compliance with the following further terms and conditions:

               (a) The per share option price of all incentive stock options
shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value (as defined below) of one
share of the Company's Common Stock at the time the stock option is granted
(notwithstanding any provision of ARTICLE V hereof to the contrary);

               (b) No incentive stock option shall be granted to any person who,
at the time of the grant, owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any subsidiary
corporation of the Company; provided, however, that this ownership limitation
will be waived if at the time the option is granted the per share option price
is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of one share of the Company's Common
Stock and such stock option by its terms is not exercisable after the expiration
of five years from the date such option is granted;

               (c) An incentive stock option shall not be transferable other
than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and shall be exercisable
during the lifetime of the optionee, only by the optionee; and

               (d) The aggregate Fair Market Value of all shares of Common Stock
(determined at the time of the grant of the stock option) with respect to which
incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by any optionee
during any one calendar year shall not exceed $100,000.
<PAGE>
                                   ARTICLE VII
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                            EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTIONS

        Each stock option granted hereunder may be exercised in such
installments during the period prior to its expiration date as the Committee
shall determine; provided that, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if
the optionee shall not in any given installment period purchase all of the
shares which the optionee is entitled to purchase in such installment period,
then the optionee's right to purchase any shares not purchased in such
installment period shall continue until the expiration date or sooner
termination of the optionee's stock option.

        The purchase price of the shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise
of a stock option shall be paid in full at the time of exercise in cash or by
certified or cashier's check payable to the order of the Company, or, upon
receipt of all required regulatory approvals, if any, by delivery of shares of
Common Stock of the Company already owned by, and in the possession of, the
stock option holder having a Fair Market Value equal to such stock option price,
or any combination thereof. Shares of Common Stock used to satisfy the exercise
price of a stock option shall be valued at their Fair Market Value determined as
of the close of business on the date such stock option is exercised, or if such
date is not a business day, on the business day immediately preceding the date
of exercise. Deliveries of cash, shares and notices to the Company shall be
directed to the Secretary of the Company.

        No stock option granted hereunder shall be exercisable unless the Plan
and all shares issuable on the exercise thereof have been registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and all other applicable
securities laws, and there is available for delivery a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the 1933 Act, or the Company shall have first
received assurance that registration under the 1933 Act and all other applicable
securities laws is not required in connection with such issuance. At the time of
exercise, if the shares with respect to which the stock option is being
exercised have not been registered under the 1933 Act and all other applicable
securities laws, the Company may require the optionee to provide the Company
whatever written assurance counsel for the Company may require that the shares
are being acquired for investment and not with a view to the distribution
thereof, and that the shares will not be disposed of without the written opinion
of counsel acceptable to the Company that registration under the 1933 Act and
all other applicable securities laws is not required. Share certificates issued
to the optionee upon exercise of the stock option shall bear a legend to the
foregoing effect to the extent counsel for the Company deems it advisable.

                                  ARTICLE VIII
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                        FAIR MARKET VALUE OF COMMON STOCK

        For purposes of the Plan, the term "Fair Market Value" on any date shall
mean (i) if the Common Stock is not listed or admitted to trade on a national
securities exchange and if bid and asked prices for the Common Stock are not
furnished through NASDAQ or a similar organization as described below, the value
established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, for purposes of the Plan;
(ii) if the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trade on a national 
<PAGE>
securities exchange or national market system, the closing price of the Common
Stock, as published in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, so listed or admitted to trade
on such date or, if there is no trading of the Common Stock on such date, then
the closing price of the Common Stock on the next preceding date on which there
was trading in such shares; or (iii) if the Common Stock is not listed or
admitted to trade on a national securities exchange or national market system,
the mean between the bid and asked price for the Common Stock on such date, as
furnished by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. through NASDAQ
or a similar organization if NASDAQ is no longer reporting such information. In
addition to the above rules, Fair Market Value shall be determined without
regard to any restriction other than a restriction which, by its terms, will
never lapse.

                                   ARTICLE IX
                                   ----------
                                 WITHHOLDING TAX

        Upon (i) the disposition by an employee or other person of shares of
Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option
granted pursuant to the Plan within two years of the granting of the incentive
stock option or within one year after exercise of the incentive stock option, or
(ii) the exercise of "non-incentive" or "non-qualified" options, the Company
shall have the right to require such employee or such other person to pay the
Company the amount of any taxes (including but not limited to any federal, state
and local income taxes, old-age, survivors, and disability insurance premiums
and taxes, medicare taxes, FICA taxes and any other withholding taxes) which the
Company may be required to withhold with respect to such shares.

                                    ARTICLE X
                                    ---------
                                   ADJUSTMENTS

               (a) ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION. Subject to any
required action by the Company's directors and stockholders, the number of
shares provided for in each outstanding stock option and the price per share
thereof, and the number of shares provided for in the Plan, shall be
proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued
shares of the Company's Common Stock resulting from a subdivision or
consolidation of shares or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the
Common Stock), a stock split, a reverse stock split, or any other increase or
decrease in the number of such shares effected without receipt of consideration
by the Company, and shall also be proportionately adjusted in the event of a
spin-off, spin-out, or other distribution of assets to stockholders of the
Company, to the extent necessary to prevent dilution of the interests of
grantees pursuant to the Plan or of the other stockholders of the Company, as
applicable. If the Company shall engage in a merger, consolidation,
reorganization or recapitalization, each outstanding stock option (or if such
transaction involves less than all of the shares of the Company's Common Stock,
then a number of stock options proportionate to the number of such involved
shares), shall become exercisable for the securities and other consideration to
which a holder of the number of shares of the Company's Common Stock subject to
each such stock option would have been entitled to receive in any such merger,
consolidation, reorganization or recapitalization.
<PAGE>
               (b) SIGNIFICANT EVENT. In the event of a potential merger or
consolidation involving the Company regardless of whether the Company is the
surviving entity of such merger or consolidation, a potential liquidation or
dissolution of the Company, a potential sale or other disposition by the Company
of all or substantially all of its assets, a potential sale or other disposition
by the stockholders of the Company of all or substantially all of the
outstanding Common Stock to one purchaser, or an underwritten public offering of
the Common Stock of the Company (any such merger, consolidation, liquidation,
dissolution, sale or offering being referred to herein as a "Significant
Event"), then the Company, upon obtaining approval of the Board, may (but shall
not be required to) waive any and all restrictions on the vesting of optionees'
rights under stock options granted pursuant to the Plan by providing written
notice thereof to the optionees. If the Company, upon obtaining approval of the
Board, elects to waive any such vesting restrictions, the optionees' rights
under their respective stock options shall vest in accordance with the terms of
such waiver, subject to the actual occurrence of the Significant Event. In
consideration for any such waiver of vesting restrictions by the Company, the
Company shall have the option (the "Termination Option") to require all
optionees to exercise their vested (determined after taking into account any
waiver of vesting restrictions) but unexercised stock options upon the
occurrence of the Significant Event, by providing written notice to all
optionees at least 10 days before the occurrence of the Significant Event. Any
exercise by an optionee in these circumstances may be conditioned upon the
occurrence of the Significant Event. If the Company exercises the Termination
Option under this paragraph (b), upon the actual occurrence of the Significant
Event, each stock option that is vested (determined after taking into account
any waiver of vesting restrictions) but unexercised as of such date shall
terminate. If the potential Significant Event does not in fact occur for any
reason, then any waiver by the Company of the vesting restrictions and any
exercise by the Company of the Termination Option under this paragraph (b) shall
have no effect, and the optionee's rights will be vested only to the extent that
they would be vested if no restrictions on vesting had been waived by the
Company herein.

               (c) CHANGE OF PAR VALUE. In the event of a change in the
Company's Common Stock which is limited to a change of all of its authorized
shares with par value into the same number of shares with a different par value
or without par value, the shares resulting from any such change shall be deemed
to be Common Stock within the meaning of the Plan.

               (d) MISCELLANEOUS. The adjustments provided for in this Article
shall be made by the Committee whose determination in that respect shall be
final, binding and conclusive. Except as hereinbefore expressly provided in this
Article, the holder of a stock option shall not be entitled to the privilege of
stock ownership as to any shares of Common Stock or other stock not actually
issued and delivered to the holder. Any issue by the Company of shares of stock
of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall
not affect and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to the
number or price of shares of the Company's Common Stock subject to any stock
option. The grant of a stock option pursuant to the Plan shall not affect in any
way the right or power of the Company to, among other things, make adjustments,
reclassifications, reorganizations or changes of its capital or business
<PAGE>
structure or to merge or to consolidate or to dissolve or liquidate or sell or
transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

                                   ARTICLE XI
                                   ----------
                          PRIVILEGES OF STOCK OWNERSHIP

        No person entitled to exercise any stock option granted under the Plan
shall have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder of the Company in
respect of any shares of stock issuable upon exercise of such stock option until
certificates representing such shares shall have been issued and delivered. Upon
exercise of a stock option, the person exercising the stock option shall be
entitled to one stock certificate evidencing the shares acquired upon such
exercise.

                                   ARTICLE XII
                                   -----------
                           CONTINUATION OF EMPLOYMENT

        Nothing contained in the Plan (or in any stock option granted pursuant
to the Plan) shall confer upon any employee any right to continue in the employ
of the Company or any subsidiary corporation or constitute any contract or
agreement of employment or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or
any subsidiary corporation to reduce any person's compensation from the rate in
existence at the time of the granting of a stock option or to terminate such
person's employment. Nothing contained herein or in any Agreement shall affect
any other contractual rights of an employee.

                                  ARTICLE XIII
                                  ------------
                           AMENDMENT OR DISCONTINUANCE

        The Board or the Committee may at any time and from time to time amend,
rescind, suspend or terminate the Plan, as it shall deem advisable, provided
that the Plan may not be amended more than once every six months, other than to
comport with changes in the Code, ERISA, or the rules thereunder. In addition to
Board approval of any amendment to the Plan, if the Board or Committee further
determines on advice of counsel that it is necessary or desirable to obtain
stockholder approval of any amendment to the Plan in order to comply with Rule
16b-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the 1934 Act, or any successor
rule, as it shall read as of the time of amendment, or for any other reason,
then the effectiveness of any such amendment may be conditioned upon its
approval by the affirmative votes of the holders of a majority of the
outstanding voting stock of the Company (voting as a single class) present, or
represented, and entitled to vote at a meeting duly held in accordance with the
applicable laws of the state or other jurisdiction in which the Company is
incorporated.

        No change may be made in, and no amendment, rescission, suspension or
termination of the Plan shall have an effect on, stock options previously
granted under the Plan which may impair or alter the rights or obligations of
the holders thereof, except that any change may be made in stock options
previously granted with the consent of the optionees.
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE XIV
                                   -----------
                  EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN; STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL

        The Plan shall be effective as of March 6, 1996, the date on which it
received the approval of a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
However, the Plan and all stock options granted under the Plan shall be void if
the Plan is not approved by the stockholders within twelve (12) months from the
date the Plan is approved by the Board. The Plan shall be deemed approved by the
holders of the outstanding voting stock of the Company by the affirmative votes
of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting stock of the Company
present, or represented, and entitled to vote at a meeting duly held in
accordance with the applicable laws of the state or other jurisdiction in which
the Company is incorporated. No stock option granted under the Plan shall be
exercisable in whole or in part unless and until such stockholder approval is
obtained.