Fairy Gardens

Fairy gardens are magical spaces of make believe. They are miniature gardens that invite fairy friends to come and live in your world. Whether they are set at the bottom of a tree or planted in a favorite container, these miniature environments promote imagination, creative play, and nurturing behaviors.

Fairy Garden 
Click for a larger view of this natural, homemade fairy hideaway constructed from natural materials found around the house, complete with a swing set and resting spaces.

You're never too old or too young

Fairy gardens can be static or interactive, and offer opportunities for engagement and creation for all ages. Try these variations:

Children: Small figurines are fun for playing pretend in the garden, and the tiny movable pieces help children practice fine motor skills.

Adults: Try to give a garden a makeover for each season. Making fairy furniture is a good winter craft. If you have children,  consider moving the pieces around each evening, as if the fairies came out to play overnight. See if your children notice the changes! 
 

There’s no one way to create a fairy garden, but most follow these general steps:

Fairy Gardens

Planning: Discuss with all participants, what should your garden look like?

Placement: Where will the fairies live? Perhaps in your garden, in a container on your porch, or on a windowsill in your home?

Style: What materials are available? Will the fairies live in a colorful, gem-filled world? Or a more natural environment full of repurposed twigs and stones?

Construction: Put on your builder’s cap to create the garden’s features. You might want to use a small spoon or shovel, or some glue, or you might prefer to have construction be done only with small fingers.

Installation: Set up your fairy world.

Play: Fairy gardens are for all ages and there’s no one way to use them.

“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”C.S. Lewis

Fairy Gardens

Make a Natural, Homemade Play Area

Construct a fairy hideaway from natural materials and found objects from around your house including:

  1. Twine
  2. Small knife
  3. Cutting board
  4. Hot glue gun & glue sticks
  5. Twigs & sticks
  6. Bark pieces
  7. Moss, lichen, dried grasses
  8. Acorns, seedpods, etc…
  9. Rocks, pebbles, stones
  10. Gems & geodes
  11. Shells
  12. Bottle caps
  13. Glass pebbles
  14. Painted ceramics
  15. Recycled birdhouses
  16. Small wooden figures
  17. Wood scraps
  18. Snow globes
  19. Action figures
  20. Garden trinkets
  21. Board game pieces
  22. Fabric scraps
  23. Toy cars or trains

 

Fairy Garden Supplies 
Click for a larger view.