How to Build a Fairy House

Legend has it that you can attract fairies to your home by creating a fairy house, a butterfly-shaped house placed in the garden... Even if you don't believe in fairies, this is still a creative project that can warm the hearts of anyone who loves miniature toys and charming decorations for the garden. It’s also a fantastic craft that children can participate in.

Visualize in your mind a fairy house. Fairy houses can be short and chubby, tall and slender, simple and rustic, elaborate and grand, round and soft, angular and striking, etc. First, decide what kind of house you like before you begin designing.

Sketch the fairy house on paper. Think about where to place the windows, doors, pathways, and chimneys. Remember that the details of the house should be movable by hand, so don't go overboard!

Decide on materials for the fairy house. You can use milk carton, birdhouses, cardboard, wood, or twigs to build the house structure. You could even transform a dollhouse into a fairy house. Keep in mind that you will decorate the house later; even if you don’t like the house's appearance, you can always redecorate it.

Collect materials from the forest or garden. Look for leaves, moss patches, twigs, pebbles, acorns, dry grass, and other natural materials to decorate the house. If you're planning to use glue, make sure the materials are dry. Glue won't adhere to wet materials.

Build a base for your fairy house (optional). If you plan to place a fairy house indoors, it might be a good idea to create a foundation to set the house on top of. Use old cardboard or a piece of wood, and decorate it to mimic the exterior surroundings of the house. Add some moss to create the effect of grass, branches for tiny trees, and use pebbles to represent rocks. You could even set up the fairy house in a potted garden.

Decorate your house with whatever you can find. After building the basic structure of the house, you can add doors, vines, and more. The rustic, natural elements will make the house look more realistic. You can use both sides of birch bark for decoration. Don't forget to include some landscaping as well!

Done.

• Be sure to add everything necessary for the fairy that you can imagine. Start by thinking about things like clothes, food, chairs, sofas, tables, etc. Then, imagine what the fairy might need. Perhaps sprinkle a little fairy dust here and there? Be creative!
• If you plan to build a fairy house in the forest, garden, or yard, stick to using natural materials you find, such as seashells, leaves, branches, or fallen tree bark, or items washed ashore like bottle caps, sea glass, or bits of rope.
• Avoid using plastic, tape, thumbtacks, glue guns, or anything that could harm wildlife or make the fairy house unsustainable. Small animals, birds, amphibians, and even door-guarding elves might get stuck or hurt by staples, glue, or tape.
• You can create a small pond for the fairies to wash their feet... just make sure it's not too big, or it could get their wings wet.
• Create a swing for the fairies.
• Sprinkle some glow-in-the-dark powder on dark stones inside the house to add a touch of mystery.
• Remember to place the fairy house in a peaceful spot, like a corner, under bushes, or a secluded area. Avoid disturbing the fairies with loud noises.
• Don't stare at the fairy house all day. Fairies are quick-moving, delicate creatures that are often very shy, so give them some space and peace.
• Create little gift packages.
• Place the fairy house in an area filled with flowers and set a seashell with rainwater beside it.
• If you'd like to place the fairy house in a bedroom, put it by the window where sunlight can shine through, allowing the fairies to enter.
• (Optional) Set up a sign that says 'Welcome All Fairies'.