FAIRY GARDEN FUN –IT’S EASIER (AND CHEAPER) THAN YOU THINK

 

Fairy garden picture
Fun is a fairy garden

 

Three beautiful little granddaughters after spending decades as the lone female in a family of five.

Can you think of any better reason to celebrate with the creation of a fairy garden?

What could be more glamorous, or fun?

Making a fairy garden was an especially fulfilling project.

The beauty is it keeps providing fun as the Goddesses of Glee get older and appreciate it even more.

The first step was deciding where, exactly, to put it.

We chose a place close to where we usually have our summer barbeques but far enough away so we can still have a conversation.

We opted to set the fairy garden straight into the ground rather than a container favoured by many fairy garden creators. The area is about 4 square metres.

The next step was clearing. It’s funny as we’re in the process of getting rid of all our lawn.

Hubby is not a fan of mowing and we’re not dedicated enough at consistent watering to really maintain one.

But the fairy garden has a lawn, of course. Guess who uses scissors to cut it? More about my crazy obsessions another time.

So we cleared the land (well, Hubby did) and created some ‘hills’ and ‘valleys’.

The best way to describe it is with some excerpts from the Blurb book I made for the Goddesses to commemorate the fairy garden – Fun Fairytales.

 

THE BEGINNING OF A FAIRY GARDEN

 

Fairy garden picture
Easy and fun to make the magic happen

 

“There was much excitement when this magical place was being built. It’s possible the most excited people were the architects – Grandy and Queen Courtney”.

The fairy garden “started as a lump of dirt, artfully landscaped by the resident digger, Grandad Mark, but as the architects went to work all kinds of magic happened”.

A palace appeared for one Goddess, while a valley was named after another. Then a lake, named after the third Goddess, became a haven for ducks and frogs.

“Soon the princesses realised what a special place this is and now look forward to meeting there for magical play.

“There are other fairies to play with as well as dragons, leshies (they are tree protectors), owls, scarecrows, angels, wizards, gnomes, and even the Seven Dwarves, as well as the ducks and frogs who live in the lake.
“There are tree houses to explore, castles and a wishing well and even a waterfall.

“When they feel like working, there are plants to tend to and grass to rake and cut.

“When the princesses feel like resting they can sit at their own special table for tea parties or have fun fishing in the lake which is full of interesting creatures.

“Or they can spend time reading the wonderful letters left to them in their own fairy mailbox

“The princesses own footprints magically lead the way to this adventure land”.

Once the fairy garden was landscaped and turfed it was just a matter of a few creative afternoons with one of the DILS (daughters in law) and collecting items already dispersed around the yard to decorate.

I occasionally add some flowers in pots but these invariably get removed as the Goddesses get more interested in gardening so I may lay off that until they are a bit older.

 

HOW TO MAKE A FAIRY GARDEN THAT DOESN’T COST YOU AN ARM AND A LEG

 

fairy grrden picture

 

I’m a bit of a collector of stuff and I had a lot of broken pottery from my dragon making days so filling the garden was easy.

I also pick up bargains when I see them.

Much as I love the beautiful items sold at fairy garden speciality places, my budget can’t afford this luxury so I improvise and the Goddesses are more than happy with the result.

I used a funny little container (the kind some restaurants use to hold their salt and pepper shakers)  that I found in an op shop as a little table.

I turned it upside down and glued a square of Perspex on top.

The stools around it are old kitchen drawer knobs painted with nail polish to look like toadstools.

One of the palaces was an old pottery bird feeder spray-painted pink.

Little mosaic tiles are brilliant for pathways while blue marbles glued to a strip from a plastic tablecloth were used to form the river.

The lake was made by glueing lots of blue marbles to an old, shallow, oval-shaped dish I had.

The frogs in the lake are those cheap plastic ones you can buy in bags at the cheap shop. The ducks are just novelty erasers.

The little tree-houses were tiny tea boxes covered in sticks.

The pathways between tree houses are made from coloured matchsticks glued to wire strips.

The stepping stones “the princesses own footprints” were made by mixing cement and putting in foil pie dishes.

When the cement was starting to set we had the Goddesses put their feet in the cement to make their footprint, then decorated with beads.

With a little imagination, it’s easy to transform old things you’re no longer using, or op shop finds, into magical items fit for any fairy garden.

If you’re looking for fairy landscaping inspiration, visit Homedit here.

For step by step instructions to make the waterfall and slide as well as a fun fishing game for the lake, and a beautiful wishing well, click here.

For more fabulous fairy garden ideas, visit Happy DIY Home.

Wishing you magical fairy fun, and a gleeful week, Tamuria

 

Comments

  • What fun! I can’t to hear more of your adventures. I absolutely loved this! I know all about being the only female in a family of five and I just had my own little beauty 10 months ago and she even came with a brother! I cannot wait to do something like this for her when she gets older. I am going to use that cement idea early. I’m thinking of a new footprint each year to commemorate our own little faerie prince and princess! I hope you add a pin it button soon ! really want to pin this one, but I did start following you on Pinterest! Can’t wait to read more (I signed up for email too!)

    • Rena, congratulations on twins – wow, double the love! I love the idea of starting the cement footsteps right away – I hadn’t thought to do that. So glad you signed up, I’m about to publish more fairy garden crafts this morning and I have pinned the first one. 🙂

  • I absolutely adore your fairy garden, Tami. Your granddaughters are blessed! It reminds me of the changes that Prince Charles made to one of his properties including planting Easter Lilies and a refurbished tree house for his grandson.

    I think yours is prettier!

  • Love the creativity you used to make this fairy garden for your grandchildren and of course most importantly….for you. As a huge fairy lover (and someone who believes in them too), I think this is a wonderful way to introduce children to the world of elementals and to engage their imaginations and connection to other worlds for as long as is possible! Love the blue marble path and how you use old things and recreate new things from them. I would love to be close enough to visit and join the magical happenings in your fairy garden, Tami! Great fun to read about too.

    • It’s so much fun to keep the magic alive in our lives – adults and kids and it can act like a buffer when life becomes too challenging.If Australia is ever on your travel plans look me up – fellow fairy believers are always welcome. 🙂

  • Oh, what an amazing garden you created here, Tami! I so love the little dolls having a fabulous time in the garden – I can so imagine them sipping tea and chatting about their day.

    A wonderful project to engage the entire family too 🙂

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