garden fairy cottage

Do you remember being little and really truly believing the world was full of fairies and magic?  Well I do, and carrying on that beautiful fantasy is one of my favourite things about parenting. You could do this with older children as the project involves hot glue, but… my personal recommendation is to do it in secret and plant it in the garden at night to really bring the fantasy alive.

What you need:

• Lots and lots of really little sticks
• A piece of thick corrugated cardboard (a cardboard box off cut is ideal)
• Hot glue
• A piece of felt (optional)
• A touch of fairy dust

1.     Cut a length of card from an old box. Aim for approx. 50 cm long and 6cm thick. You can adjust this to make a bigger or smaller cottage as you like.

2.     Fold the piece to make a perfect square and tape together.

3.     Cut a 6cm piece in the middle of one of the sides. This will be your doorway.

4.     Measure a piece of felt against the cardboard strip you have cut and attach it with hot glue to one side of the card. You may need to lightly score the felt at the corners so that it folds with the cardboard. You can do this with a scissor blade or scalpel.

5.     Flatten the piece slightly and begin by attaching the sticks a few at a time with hot glue to the two front faces of the square next to the opening you have cut. Take care to make sure the sticks are level at the bottom so that the cottage stands evenly.

6.     When you have done both sides chose a slightly larger stick and glue it to the two side of the front wall you have created. This will rejoin your square and complete your doorway.

7.     Carry on attaching the sticks a few at a time to the remainder of the box. I tapered the length of my sticks so they were higher at the front and lower at the sides and back but you can feel free to be creative here.

8.     When you are finished attaching all the sticks, find a place in your garden and decorate the cottage with small flowers stones and leaves. I planted a few mini succulents near mine because they grow very easily and I’m not much of a gardener!

9.     Wait for the fairies to arrive!! Ours only comes at night but we know when it has been because it sometimes leaves us tiny notes and glitter ;)