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Home and Garden on Female First
I love crafting with my two young children and always turn to Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. We recently had fun creating our own fairy garden and are happy to share our 10 top tips for creating your own.
1 You need to decide if your fairy garden is a grown up project or something to make with children. If the latter, make sure you include them in the planning stage as they will think of things you never will.
2 Find a quiet spot so your fairy garden can evolve and grow, you can help define the edges by using small pebbles or a miniature fence to create a border.
3 If you don't have too much outside space consider using a tub or container, this means you can move your fairy garden if necessary but it also helps to protect it from animals.
4 Gather your materials. Natural or recycled are good. We raided the treasures we picked up at a recent trip to the seaside which included sea glass and shells and used them to make paths and borders.
5 Go one step further and add a fairy house. Again use natural materials such as branches tied together, a collection of stones, an upturned flower pot or wooden bird box.
6 Make sure there is a water feature as the fairies will need a source of water. We used a large sea shell but you could include a bird bath which will help attract the birds.
7 If your fairy garden is going to be a permanent feature think about plants and flowers which could attract birds, butterflies and small animals. You can create depth to your fairy garden with a mixture of plants and even add a piece of trellis to help tall flowers grow (or cover an ugly piece of fencing!).
8 Think about including lights to light up your fairy garden at night. You can buy glow in the dark paint and make your own painted stone path.
9 Add miniature furniture such as chairs, a bench, a bridge or even a washing line. You could use dolls house furniture or, of course, make your own.
10 Don't forget to include treats to attract birds. You can make a homemade bird feeder with a few ingredients, string berries into a garland or thread popcorn on a string.
Make sure to have lots of fun with your fairy garden. Extend the fun by adding seasonal elements such as a hammock during summer, pumpkins at Halloween or decorating a small tree for Christmas.
Don't be afraid to seek inspiration from what others have done, and definitely keep a Pinterest board!
Jenny Kearney has been blogging at the gingerbread house since 2005 and is a huge fan of Pinning seasonal craft ideas to her Pinterest boards. You can follow her at http://pinterest.com/jennymakes