Fairy Gardens

I'm not going to lie, I might be more in love with fairy gardens then our 4 YO daughter.  I know there were fairies when I was a little girl, but where were the adorable little cottages, so cozy and quaint nestled in the woodlands?  What about the cobbled paths that meander through patchworks of flowers?  Lucky for me, I have two little excuses to have a fairy garden!  I might just pack my bags and move into one!

There's just something so intriguing to little minds ( and big ones too) about all things mini.  That's what I loved so much about one of my favorite childhood books, Thumbelina.  I remember  laying in bed after reading it and imagining her sleeping in a bed made out of a walnut shell.  My grandmother used to tell us Little People stories.  Oh, how we loved hearing how they would turn a match box into a bed and a thimble into a cup!  Grandma found these adorable mini rabbits at Hobby Lobby last year.  Look how cute Mrs. Rabbit looks just back from gathering carrots for tonight's stew.   

We started our first fairy garden 2 years ago after we attended a fairy garden making class at our local community center.  It sparked our imaginations so much that we decided we would expand upon what we left class with and build a bigger garden in the back yard.  The Easter bunny found our first little house at Hobby Lobby.  We nestled it into a giant blue pot purchased especially for that purpose.  It is the perfect size for our daughter to stand at and arrange everything just so.     Hobby Lobby now has a partial aisle dedicated entirely to fairy gardens.  We purchased our rocks and some sea shells at Dollar Tree and some lush grass at our local nursery.  

 This thatched stone cottage is the newest addition to our fairy garden, purchased with the money grandpa gave Miss 4YO for making goals at soccer. Like our first house, we found it at Hobby Lobby. We kept this one simple by tucking it into an existing flower pot we have on our back porch.

The main reason Little Miss purchased this house was because the door opened, providing a place for Mr. Dinkles and Mrs. Winkles to stay.  I love how she instantly starts to create stories as soon as she steps into the fairy world.  

Look at the detail!  Really, I want to move in! 

We also found this cute bridge on the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby.  Mr. Squirrel loves it!

And the rest of the bunnies are super excited about the new yellow slide for themselves and all their woodland friends to slide down!  (also purchased at Hobby Lobby)

Mrs. Rabbit had to make sure the slide was safe for all her children.  

Here's a simple little fairy garden made out of an old bird house we glued moss to.  Mr. Gnome said it keeps the house cooler during the summer months.  

And here we have a carrot house tucked into another pot. 

Love this little gate and stone wall piece from Hobby Lobby.  Flags up!  Somebody check the mail!

Here are a few of the supplies that we have on hand to help our imaginations run wild. We love acorns!  The tops make perfect sinks, cups, bowls, and birdbaths.  We turned one into a teapot by bending and gluing a little piece of a stem to it.  We also love collecting little twigs.  They can be bound and stacked as firewood.  Or glued together to create chairs and tables.  Since our first fairy garden our 4 YO looks a little closer at things in nature.  Where someone sees a leaf she might  now see a boat or an umbrella.  Where someone sees a pinecone she might see a Christmas tree.  

Daddy cut these wood rounds for us.  We might use them as a path, patio or even a table.  

The fairies, bunnies, and gnomes love these Dollar Tree shells.  They use them to decorate their cottages and paths. 

We found these adorable mini pumpkins in the dollhouse section of Hobby Lobby.   There are a ton of good things for fairy gardens there.  Don't forget to use your 40% coupon when purchasing from either the fairy garden or the dollhouse sections.  They never go on sale.  

Lastly, we love this little picket fence.  Throw it and a little house into a flower pot and you have an instant fairy garden!  

Our fairy garden has opened our eyes and minds to nature.  It is the perfect vehicle for creating stories and letting imaginations run wild!

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