Enchanted Fairy House

April 18, 2011

small hands big art,

A World of Imagination
If the thought of tackling all of your spring home improvement projects is a little too daunting, try scaling down and working in miniature. Recapture the magic of childhood by handcrafting an enchanted fairy house with your child. These tiny charming abodes are easy and fun to create with mostly household items and materials collected from nature, and will open up a magical world of wonder and enchantment in your child’s imagination. Create just one or a whole village!

You Need:

A small box for the fairy house. Preferably, use a box or where the lid can be removed for access to the inside of the house. Small milk cartons work well if you cut the top off to form the roof. Cut windows and doors out of the box. As an option, you can buy an inexpensive little papier mache box in the shape of a house with a removable roof at the local craft store.
Small piece of cardboard to form the platform for the house and surrounding garden.
Tempera paint in various shades to paint the interior and exterior of the house.
Soft paintbrush
White school glue
Items gathered from nature, such as rocks, pebbles, shells, moss, leaves, trailing vines, pinecones, acorns, vines, flowers, & twigs. Look for items that will emphasize the miniature size of the fairy house when placed next to it (such as large pinecones, oversized leaves, etc.). For a more lasting effect, you can purchase dried moss & leaves from the local craft store.
Small do-dads to use as furniture or toadstools – thread spools, bottle caps & lids, small containers, etc.
Scraps of fabric, yarn jewels, & other odds & ends to decorate the interior.
Glitter (Fairy Dust)

How to Do It:

Start by painting the cardboard base green & brown to create a natural colored garden environment for your fairy house.
Glue the bottom of the fairy house onto the cardboard.
Paint the inside and outside of the house as desired. Sprinkle with glitter while wet and decorate with jewels if desired. Allow to dry for approximately 30 minutes, then start decorating the inside with furniture.
Decorate the outside of the fairy house by generously glueing all the natural materials such as moss, pinecones, pebbles, etc. Get creative with this step to make your fairy house extra inviting! How about creating a sparkling garden path leading to the front door, and a “welcome” sign!
Sprinkle with fairy dust as needed and place is a special secluded spot in your home or garden.
Believe.