Guest Author - Debbie Striker
Creating Fairie houses can be fun for the entire family. They add a little magic touch to any area. The biggest things you’ll need to create your Faery house are your imagination and patience. Gluing the sticks to the side of the box can take a lot of time, but it is time well spent!
Supplies:
Cardboard box (any size you like)
Stick and twigs collected from you yard
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Sharp knife
Optional:
Rocks
Glitter
Glass globs or other decorations
Spray paint
Acorn caps
Other decorative features you like
To prepare your box, you may want to spray pain the outside in whatever color suits your fancy. Although the entire box will be covered with sticks, the cardboard will peek through in places. This is completely optional and if you are using a brown box it really isn’t necessary.
Mark and cut your door and windows. You can either make the windows simple holes, cut different shapes or make them fold back so they can open and close. The door can be rectangular or any shape you’d like. Again, it can fold open or simply be a hole that marks the entrance.
Start with one side. Begin gluing your sticks and twigs on the side of you box. Start on one corner and work you way across to the other end. Varying your stick widths and heights will give you a wild, natural look. I like to let the sticks ends go up above the top of the box at varying heights. Work your way around until all the walls are covered. Be prepared to go back and layer the sticks a bit to cover the areas between your first layer where the box is still showing. Now you have your basic Faery home. You can stop here for a rustic home or go wild adding decorative touches.
Tips and Tricks:
* Sticks aren’t flat and straight - don’t expect them to be.
* Using larger sticks will cover you surface more quickly, but will also leave more gaps to be filled in by smaller twigs. The choice is one of personal preference and what you’d like you finished house to look like.
* Low temperature glue can allow younger kids to help with the project.
* Hot glue tends to leave “strings” for this project, I encourage them! They give the house a looks of spider webs and morning dew.
Let your imagination run wild. Your Faery house can be as elaborate or simply as you like. You can even use another piece of cardboard as the “ground” around you house and add moss, rocks and other “landscaping”. Enjoy your new creation and keep an eye out for little inhabitants!
