Do your kids love to play make-believe? Do you ever find yourself wanting to escape into their childlike world of wonder and whimsy?
Today I want to encourage you to do just that! Here’s how to create magical memories building a fairy house and fairy garden with your child!
A must-have ingredient in every happy childhood is wonder. Wonder is what transforms a walk in the woods into an exciting, epic exploration and few things brings out wonder like fairies and other whimsical creatures! Fashioning a fanciful dwelling for fairy fun is such a memorable way to spend time with our kids that they’ll remember for years to come.
To create your own fairy home, you’ll want to gather your choice of items to construct your fairies’ dream dwelling. Some ideas include:
Ideas for Materials
- Leaves, grass and moss
- Flowers, acorns, rocks
- Tiny animals
- A set of toadstools
- Miniature birdbath
- Seashells
- Small pieces of wood, baskets, or other natural containers
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Extension cords (if building outside)
- Wood glue
- Polymer model clay
- Twine (for swings or clotheslines)
- Fake fur or fabric scraps
- Small dollhouse items
- Tiny rustic furniture
- White wood picket fence
- Potting soil and tiny plants for a fairy garden
Preparation Time
20 minutes+ to gather supplies
Activity Time
45 minutes+, depending on how elaborate you decide to make your house and garden. Once you start designing together, you’ll probably find that the time flies because get lost in the fun.
Creating wonder can take a little time and imagination on the part of the parent, but it won’t take too much money. We found most of our fairy house decor on clearance at Hobby Lobby and a few other natural items around the yard. We are just getting ready to add miniature plants that will do well both indoors as we wait for Spring, and outdoors when the weather warms up enough. My girls can’t wait to plant a mini garden to grow up around the perimeter of their fairy house.
There is no right or wrong way to design, however! Perhaps you decide to help your kids build a fairy house right into the tree line of your yard. Or maybe you want only a fairy house or only a fairy garden. This is the fun part where you claim complete artistic license! Anything goes 🙂 We once went to a little garden event showcasing fairy house creations in a local park. The best part was that every single one looked completely different – each were intricate and captivating in their own way.
Gather Supplies and Create a Fairy Garden
Let’s talk about supplies for any and all directions you could take this! First, find a large basket or other container to use for the house itself. Natural, rustic looking containers are perfect for fairy houses. If you decide to add small plants for a garden area, you can line the inside with plastic and poke holes for drainage. Fill your container with potting mix and miniature plants to line the perimeter of your fairy home.
Once you’ve settled on a theme for your design, collect your plants and objects. No need to go to the store if you’d rather not – you and your kids can forage your yard for little items to construct your house. Look for a variety of natural materials and/or decorative craft items that suit your vision for your dream house.
The little details are what make fairy homes extra special. Create to your heart’s content! Cover the floors with sands, leaves, or moss to create soft padding. Make a hammock from the fronds of a fern or a piece of stocking and add scraps of fabric for curtains. Turn an upside-down teacup or saucer into a table and use acorn caps as bowls. You can even add “wallpaper” made of dried leaves, leathers, or hand-made paper.
If you want to add furniture like what we added (shown below), you can either use doll furniture or make your own. Polymer model clay is the perfect product to use to build your own details such as door hinges and a door knob on a craft stick door.
Protect your special creation in Winter by bringing the container indoors and setting in a sunny corner or a heated garage. You may need to replace some plants in the Spring if you did decide to add a garden to your fairy abode.
We’ll soon be adding some miniature Spring plants to line the perimeter of our fairy home! A few plant ideas that may be the perfect fit in a fairy garden include:
- Dwarf heronsbill
- Brass buttons
- Lobelia
- Sedum
Don’t forget to grab the camera – You’ll want to remember these magic moments!
We love adding to the charm with reading on the subject. Some of our gardening favorites include: Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars, Fairy House, Gardening in Miniature, The Lightlings
Have you ever built a fairy garden house before? Let us know if you’ll be building one this Spring or Summer! You might even want to invite your kids to write a story about the adventures of their own fairies. For more on gardening with kids, check out this post on how to grow a love for gardening in your kiddos – no green thumb required 😉
What an adorable idea! My son will most likely turn his into a pirate garden 😉
Love that idea!
Really, this is so cute. I love it. Makes me with for a little granddaughter, but like Stroller Savvy says, we can make it a pirate fairy garden. That is a great idea.
So fun! Love the pirate fairy garden idea 🙂
great idea. i saw one of these on pinterest that was made out of broken pots. it was very cool. i’m going to try to make one of these this summer with my granddaughter. i think it will be fun:)
Awesome! Hope you have so much fun!
I love this! Seems so fun and whimsical.
Yes! That’s what I love about it too 😉
I love this! I wonder if my 17 year old daughter would be interested in doing this with me! Gonna have to find out!
Love that! I know I would have at her age 😉
This is so cute! I don’t have kids, but I want this garden for myself 🙂
Ha! I would too – kids or not 😉
Whenever we go to a park or playground we make a fairy house with whatever we find. Thanks for posting. Hello from Thrifty Thursday.
I love it! So fun!
I cannot wait to make this with my 5 year old daughter! I’m going to surprise her with the supplies and let her imagination flow!
This comment made my day! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Thanks for the great idea! This will be a fun summer activity for my three girls!
Fabulous!
Absolutely adorable. I love how you’ve provided the directions. I’ve seen many miniature fairylands or terrariums and haven’t done one yet, but you’ve reawakened the kid in me. My girls (and maybe my son) will love doing this.
Great to hear this!
First, I would like to say how beautiful and whimsy your gardens are. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas. Your creativity just flows. I have the exact same fairy house and I want to add the the succulents to the roof like you did. Could you please share your step by step instructions. Thanks.
This is so adorable! I love the idea!