How to Build a Fairy House Using a Shoe Box

Fairy houses make the perfect homes for the fairies in your home, whether they are real, imaginary, or even tiny fairy statues. While you can easily purchase a fairy house at a store, a handmade one will definitely be more special and unique. All you need is a shoe box, scissors, glue, and a bit of creativity!

Find a usable shoe box. The size, shape, and color of the box don't matter. A box with a lid is ideal, but if you don't have one, that's fine too. You can use a piece of cardboard to make the roof and floor of the house.

• Some shoe boxes have a lid attached at one edge. If your box has this kind of lid, cut it off first.
• Some craft stores sell "photo boxes" that resemble shoe boxes. These make excellent fairy houses!

Take the measurements of the length, width, and height of the box. These measurements are necessary for creating the roof, floor, and walls. Use a ruler to measure and write down the following dimensions:

• Length: the longest side of the box.
• Width: the shortest side of the box.
• Height: the vertical measurement of the box, from the top opening to the bottom.

Cut the box lid along its length to create a piece that fits the depth of the box. Remove the lid and cut it in half along the length, using the depth measurement of the box. Scissors will work for cutting the lid, but a utility knife will do the job as well.

• For example, if your box has a depth of 10 cm, cut a cardboard piece that is 10 cm wide.

Cut the long side of the box lid and leave the two side edges intact. The shoe box lid has three dimensions like the box itself: two short sides and two long sides. After cutting it free from the box, the cardboard will have one long side and two short sides. Cut off the long side but keep the two short sides on each edge.

• The two short sides will serve as flaps to attach the roof to the box opening.

Fold the cardboard piece horizontally to form a V-shape. It doesn't matter which side of the lid (inside or outside) faces outward. Make sure to fold the cardboard so the two short sides match perfectly. After folding and pressing the crease, unfold the cardboard to create a V-shape.

• This piece of cardboard will act as the roof.

Attach the roof to one of the long sides of the box. Stand the box on its long side. Place the roof on top of the box and use tape to secure the two edges of the roof to the sides of the box.

• You can use glue if preferred. Hot glue is most effective because it dries quickly. Clear glue can also be used, but tape is necessary to hold the edges of the roof in place while the glue dries.

Use another piece of cardboard to create a back wall for the roof, if desired. Position the house on the cardboard with the open side facing up. Trace the shape of the roof and cut out the triangle shape you just drew. Attach it to the back of the roof using tape or glue.

• The back wall of the roof will be positioned on the same side as the bottom of the box, while the front of the roof will align with the opening of the box.

Cut the remaining part of the box lid to create the second floor of the house. Place the house upright on the remaining piece of the box lid. Use a pen, pencil, or marker to trace the floor plan, then remove the house. Cut out the rectangle shape you traced with scissors or a utility knife.

• Try to keep at least two sides of the box lid. These edges will form small flaps that make it easier to attach the floor.
• If the remaining box lid isn’t large enough, use another piece of cardboard. A cereal box is an excellent material for this.

Use glue or tape to attach the floor panel to the middle of the box. Attach the rectangular floor panel to the shoe box. Make sure the upper and lower floors align properly, then secure the two edges of the floor with glue or tape.

• Use tape to fix the other edge of the floor to the box.
• If you didn’t leave side flaps, you can apply tape along the two short sides and one long side of the floor panel, then attach it to the box. Press the tape firmly against the walls of the house.

Use extra cardboard to build more walls if you like. Draw a rectangle on the cardboard, based on the height and depth of the room. Cut out the rectangle, then apply strips of tape along the top, bottom, and side edges. Attach the partition to the room, then press the tape firmly so it sticks to the floor, ceiling, and back wall.

• The height of the rectangular partition should match the height of the room. The width should match the depth of the box.
• Do not add more than one partition per floor, as this will make the rooms too cramped.

Vẽ các cửa sổ và cửa ra vào theo ý muốn. Tốt nhất là bạn nên vẽ vào mặt trong của hộp, vì như vậy bạn có thể tránh các tấm sàn và vách ngăn. Nếu thấy khó vẽ, bạn có thể lật úp chiếc hộp, sau đó vẽ các cửa sổ và cửa ra vào lên mặt sau của hộp.

• Dùng bút mực hoặc bút lông để có thể nhìn rõ các đường vẽ.
• Để thêm chi tiết cho ngôi nhà, bạn có thể vẽ một ô trang trí hình chữ thập trên cửa sổ!

Dùng dao trổ cắt các cửa ra vào và cửa sổ. Bạn có thể đặt trên tấm lót cắt vải để cắt, hoặc chọc lỗ trên mỗi góc của cửa sổ và cửa ra vào, lật chiếc hộp lại và cắt từ lỗ này sang lỗ kia.

• Nhờ người lớn giúp làm bước này nếu bạn còn nhỏ.
• Chừa lại một cạnh dài thẳng đứng của cửa ra vào. Như vậy, bạn sẽ vẫn đóng mở được cánh cửa!
• Đừng lo nếu bạn có lỡ cắt phạm vào ô hình chữ thập trên khung cửa sổ. Bạn có thể gắn lại sau bằng những chiếc que.

Dán giấy bao phủ bên ngoài ngôi nhà, nếu thích. Giấy scrapbook (giấy in họa tiết hai mặt) là tốt nhất, nhưng bạn cũng có thể dùng giấy gói quà, giấy lụa hoặc thậm chí giấy vẽ trong xây dựng. Cắt giấy sao cho khớp với các mặt hộp và dán vào bằng hồ khô.

• Nếu bạn mua hộp đựng ảnh ở cửa hàng thủ công, có thể mặt ngoài hộp đã được trang trí sẵn. Nếu thích họa tiết trên hộp thì bạn không cần làm bước này.
• Nếu không có hồ khô, bạn có thể dùng cọ phết một lớp keo lỏng lên hộp để dán.

Sơn các bức tường bên ngoài ngôi nhà nếu bạn không muốn dán giấy. Sơn acrylic thủ công là thích hợp nhất, nhưng sơn tempera hoặc sơn áp phích cũng tốt. Bạn có thể sơn màu lên toàn bộ ngôi nhà hoặc chỉ cần sơn các họa tiết.

• Hộp đựng ảnh ở cửa hàng bán đồ thủ công thường đã có màu sắc của nó. Nếu thích màu sắc của hộp thì bạn không cần phải sơn.
• Rắc một chút kim tuyến lên bề mặt tường trước khi sơn khô để tạo hiệu ứng lấp lánh!

Paint or cover the interior of the house to add a decorative touch. Painting is the easiest way to achieve this, but you can also apply scrapbook paper or gift wrap on the walls. If you prefer paper, be sure to measure the walls first, then cut the paper according to the measurements and glue it with dry paste.

• You can use white glue to stick the paper. Use a brush to apply the glue to the walls and smooth the paper flat.

Install a wooden craft stick floor to make it resemble a real floor. Cut the craft sticks to match the size of the house and glue them to the floor using hot glue, white glue, or clear adhesive.

• The craft sticks have rounded ends. Be sure to cut off both ends!
• You can also use coffee stirrers or even scrapbook paper with a wood-like design as an alternative.

Add shingles or wooden sticks on the roof to give it a realistic look. Gather enough craft sticks, moss, or pinecone scales to cover the roof and glue them using hot glue. Avoid using clear glue or white glue as these take too long to dry and might cause the materials to fall off.

• For a rustic appearance, you can glue the craft sticks horizontally or vertically to cover both sides of the roof.
• To add a natural touch, you can glue pieces of moss onto the roof. Moss bags can be found in the craft store’s flower section.
• If you prefer a traditional roof style, you can glue pinecone scales in rows, overlapping like fish scales, starting from the bottom edge and working your way up to the peak of the roof.

Decorate the windows with curtains, borders, or magazine cutouts. First, install the windows using paper or cellophane, then create the window frame. Here are a few ideas:

• Cut transparent or light blue cellophane into squares and glue them behind the windows to create the effect of glass.
• Glue magazine pictures behind the windows to make the fairies smile.
• Attach craft sticks around the window to create a frame. You can also add decorative cross patterns if you like.
• If you don’t have craft sticks, you can replace them with foam board or use decorative tape.
• Cut fabric scraps into rectangles and glue them on both sides of the windows to make curtains.

Finish the door with a coat of paint and a door handle. If you already have a door, don’t forget to decorate it as well! Apply a quick coat of paint or scrapbook paper to the door. Once the paint or glue dries, use hot glue to attach a door handle on the side edge of the door.

Create a staircase using craft sticks or small twigs. Choose two craft sticks that are slightly longer than the height of the ground floor and a bundle of smaller sticks, each about 2.5 cm long. Place the two longer sticks parallel to each other, then glue the smaller sticks between them to form the stairs.

• Hot glue works best for this, but you can also use clear adhesive or liquid craft glue.

Use seashells or stones to make a path. Place the fairy house in a garden or a larger box lid. Use seashells or small stones to create a path leading to the house. You can also use other materials like buttons or pebbles to decorate plant pots.

• If you plan to place the house on a larger tray, consider filling it with soil first.

Use thread spools or wine corks to create furniture. You can repurpose items you no longer need or buy new supplies from a craft store. Here are some ideas for decorating the furniture set:

• Make a tablecloth from fabric scraps or paper.
• Use buttons or bottle caps to make plates. The sewing thread spools are perfect for creating cups.
• Paint the wine corks with mushroom-like colors to make them look like poisonous mushrooms!
• Use pieces of moss to create cushions for the chairs.

Repurpose matchboxes or soap boxes to create other furniture items. Find a few cardboard boxes, such as soap boxes or matchboxes. Paint or cover them with paper, then decorate them to look like wardrobes, ovens, or other household appliances.

• Use a felt-tip pen to add details like drawers or oven doors.
• Attach beads to serve as handles and knobs. You can replace beads with push pins.
• Buttons make excellent materials for creating stove tops.
• Glue beads at the bottom of a matchbox to create a miniature bed.

Use household items to create bedspreads and blankets. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a fairy and view the world from her tiny perspective. Imagine being only a few centimeters tall and looking around. What objects could you use to make a washbasin or bedding? For example:

• Use pieces of moss to create pillows and mattresses.
• Cut fabric scraps or old t-shirts into rectangles to make blankets and bed linens.
• Larger bottle caps or seashells can be used to create washbasins or water basins.

Complete the project.

• Use small twigs or craft sticks to make furniture.
• Leave candy in the house to entertain the fairies.
• Don’t leave the fairy house outside in damp or rainy weather.
• Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any fairies. They are very shy and great at hiding!

• Shoe box
• Cardboard (additional)
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Ink pen, pencil, or marker
• Hot glue, clear adhesive, or craft white glue
• Acrylic craft paint, tempera paint, or poster paint
• Paintbrush
• Fabric
• Pine cone scales, bottle caps, moss, small twigs, etc…
• Beads, buttons, seashells, small stones, etc…