Earth day is only a few
days away! We usually celebrate by doing some kind of recycled craft, but this
year we wanted to do something a little different. The Easter Bunny brought
each of my girls a little fairy door in their baskets. Of course with the weather
drawing us outside to play we couldn't resist creating a fairy garden in our
own back yard!
Despite what you see on
Pinterest, creating a simple fairy garden doesn't require a lot of time, or money. I find miniature garden supplies at craft stores like Michael's
and Joanne's, and I've found some cute affordable pieces at the Family Dollar
and the Dollar General. The beauty of these little gardens is you can add to
them over time so you don't need to invest a bunch of money up front to create an adorable fairy garden.
Here is what you will
need to get started:
First, decide on
location. Are you going to create your fairy space in an existing garden, or create a shallow
dish garden? Once you decide on location you can start the build.
Gems- everyone knows fairies love anything
shiny! The more colorful and shiny your gems, or rocks are the prettier your
scenery will be. You can get these at any dollar store. We happened to have
several handfuls of them already.
Moss- if you are making an outdoor garden you can
skip this part if you find a nice grassy area. We used some moss to cover the
gray dirt in our garden bed. It was messy to use, but does add some nice color.
Tiny fairy doors- this is the most magical part! The kids
believe this is the portal to another realm where fairies live. It is how they
transport their magic to our world.
Here are some fun things
to add in to your garden:
Tiny fixtures- we picked up a tiny bridge in an after
Easter sale. This was apparently made for the Easter Bunny's tiny garden, but
for less than $2.00 it was a perfect fit for our garden.
Tiny signs- anything with a whimsical saying, or
depiction of fairy life is totally worth any price! It adds character to your
little garden and almost appears as if someone is actually living in it.
Tiny tea sets- any table sets that look like there's been a
cozy moment is simply a sweet addition!
Colorful flowers- build your fairy houses in gardens, potted
plants or any place you have colorful blooms. If you don't have any, or you are
building your fairy house inside you can simply use silk flowers for lasting
color.
Look around your house for any tiny items that may make a cute addition. I'll bet your kids already have a bunch of rocks they've collected, or tiny animals, fairies or creatures they can add. Making this little project your own, and spending the time with your kids making it, is what makes it so special.
Have you designed a
fairy garden before?
Roxanne Ferber is The
Whatever Mom, a none judgey twin mom and freelance writer. When she isn't
writing about crafty things, art and local travels for Hudson Valley Parent you
can find her writing her own blog at www.thewhatevermom.com where she shares
her real life struggles with parenting.
Other articles by The Whatever Mom