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Projects with Kids
My 3-year-old daughter recently encountered her first fairy door and was completely enchanted. Now I'm so excited for the itty bitty magical crafts we can make together, although I’ll admit I was initially reticent to enter into the fairy world, nervous that it would involve too much glitter and frilliness. But upon closer consideration, it turns out fairies are a wonderful way to encourage kids’ imaginations, get them exploring outside and help them build empathy for a whole range of tiny creatures, real or imagined.
One of the best things about fairy crafts is that they seem to involve found and foraged supplies wherever possible. Have a lot of twigs in your front yard? Those can become a fairy ladder. Did your oak tree just drop a million acorns? Make fairy toadstools with just a little paint. Is your junk drawer littered with plastic beads? You’re on your way to the perfect DIY fairy wand.
If your child is ready to enter the fairy world, these DIY fairy ideas will help you make his or her dreams come true.
Fairy garden
While this mystical fairy garden involves a bird bath, you could easily create a similar scenario with a flower planter (like our very own tutorial) or even craft a temporary scene with a sturdy cardboard box. Curly Crafty Mom has the step-by-step for this sweet fairy house pictured above.
Fairy alarm
If you have bells and beads, you can make adorable and musical fairy alarms. Featured on Buzzmills, these fairy alarm bells would make a pretty addition to any backyard.
Fairy wand
Every fairy needs a wand and this tutorial from Artful Parent gives a great reason to reuse loose plastic beads.
Fairy door
My kids recently spotted their first fairy door and were utterly mesmerized for at least half an hour. You could blow their minds by installing one like this from Fireflies and Mudpies to surprise them. Then enjoy making more doors together.
Fairy crown
Fabric flowers are easily found in craft stores or even second-hand shops, and with a little ribbon, they become magical fairy crowns for your kids with these instructions from Small for Big.
Magic dragonflies
One of the loveliest aspects of fairyland is that fairies are friends with natural creatures You can introduce your children to this idea with a simple craft. These oak seed dragonflies on Filth Wizardry use natural materials. The kids will love hearing about these magical flying creatures.
Fairy masks
Creating fairy masks with your kids allows you to see what they envision fairies to look like in their own minds. Paper plates are an easy and affordable starting point, and the tutorial on Kids Activities Blog is equally simple.
Toadstools
Fairies will need some chairs and these toadstools made from acorns are the perfect-size seat for fairy buns! With a blog name like Twig and Toadstool, you know you’re in good hands.
Flower pot fairy houses
Flower pots make the perfect fairy houses, and when your child grows out of their fairy phase, they can be easily painted over and filled with flowers. Head over to Projects with Kids for the full instructions.
Pinecone fairies
Add a little felt to pinecones and you’ll have a whole fleet of fairies to sit on toadstools, play in flowerpot houses and trigger those fairy alarms for hours of magical and imaginative play. Red Ted Art has the scoop on how to make these cute pinecone fairies.
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2019, and updated in March 2022.
