Here at Audrey Press, we love the whimsical…
…the unique, the wonderful.
We love things that stretch the imagination of humans of ALL ages while offering up some much-needed WONDER in a sometimes noisy and confusing world.
So it makes total sense since we are super-fans of things like dragons as best friends or Willy Wonka activities filled with magic, that we would also adore fairies and fairy lore.
Fairies have been revered and feared, sometimes simultaneously, throughout recorded history. But ask any child about fairies and their eyes will light up with delight and curiosity at the thought of magical little beings inhabiting the surrounding woodlands and hills.
The idea of fairies among us may seem novel and new, but the belief that fairies exist dates back centuries in countries like Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. In the U.S., the state of Maine has cultivated a vibrant fairy culture including a permanent fairy house village on Mackworth Island.
It’s Time for some Fairy-Good Summer Reading and FUN
The legend has it that fairies are not very good home builders because everything they make blows away in the wind or falls down during changes in the seasons. Therefore, sprites are always on the look-out for places to live; which could be human-made fairy-friendly structures in the woods or even in our own gardens.
The rumor is that, if you make a little spot just for them, they will move right in. Fairy gardens and fairy house building are two activities that were virtually unheard of years ago but are now gaining in popularity as a fun, colorful, and whimsical way to express creativity and spend time outside.
What are Fairy Houses?
Fairy Houses are small structures for the fairies and nature’s friends to visit. This human-made house is constructed solely of elements of nature like sticks, bark, dry grasses, pebbles, and pine cones. Special care needs to be taken by fairy house builders not to destroy living things or introduce man-made products into their designs.
The responsibility of our earth is said to be very important to all fairies. Fairies are also attracted to happiness and beauty so creativity can range from a rustic to intricate “fairy mansions,” to whimsical and simple habitats built by children.
To best way to create a fairy dwelling is to find a quiet place away from roads and busy areas such as traveled walking paths and trails. The bases of trees are favorite places, as are stumps, logs, large boulders, or natural hollows in tree trunks. Using only nature’s supplies like fallen branches or sticks or cut brush, fairy house builders can create tee-pee-style abodes for fairy friends.
Decorating the inside of the house can be achieved by using items like leaves for beds or rugs, pieces of moss or wood fragments for chairs, acorn tops for footstools, flowers or feathers for decoration, pine needles for carpeting, pine cones for couches, berries from trees as fairy food, pretty rocks for stepping stones and seeds from trees as fairy food. Builders also need to be mindful to keep their houses small. If it is too big, no fairy would want to live there because it will be too obvious.
A fairy house is supposed to be anonymous and hidden so that it remains a mystery as to who made it.
Fairy Houses -vs-Fairy Gardens
Fairy gardening another fairy-related activity that is basically creating scenes and landscapes by using small plants and accents right within gardens or pots that are in your own backyard. The popularity of fairy gardens has grown steadily over the last five years and people seem to love them not only for beauty and creativity but as an opportunity to work with plants on a small scale. Fairy gardens are literally a living garden in miniature form. It also inspires limitless creativity for families, gardeners, and nature lovers.
The main difference between the two is that Fairy Gardens are meant to be highly visible and shared. They are also made up of many man-made products that are cute, colorful, and whimsical.
Like with fairy houses, there is no right or wrong way to create a fairy garden. Anyone who wants to construct their own fairy garden just needs to keep in mind things like scale and location. Plants should be chosen to reflect a fairies miniature world and indoor gardens may require different types of plants than outdoor because of sun/shade requirements. Adding color and texture to fairy gardens can be achieved with plants like Lady Fern, Creeping Wintergreen, tall grasses, mosses, clover, Coleus, Snow Rose, succulents, and even herbs like thyme, rosemary and lavender make for enchanting habitat for fairies.
So whether your fairy aspirations involve a hike in the forest or a walk in your own backyard, fairy houses and fairy gardens are two “very fairy” ways to encourage families to get outside and unplug for a while. Either activity also offers a creative way for kids to get to know about nature, use their imaginations, and enjoy the wonders of nature.
Books about Fairy House Building
Magical Miniature: Gardens & Homes-Create Tiny Worlds of Fairy Magic and Delight with Natural, Handmade Decor, is making fairy seekers giddy with glee far and wide!
This lovely book, The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker, enchants the mind and the senses with the thought that there are fairies in our flowers and gardens. These gentle and lovely illustrations not only depict the beauty of our flowers in the garden but were our launching pad for believing in fairies and all that ensued.
Tracy Kane’s Fairy Houses is an excellent kids’ book that teaches future fairy house fans how the story of forest fairies and house-building began.
Forest Secrets: A Fairy Houses Mystery (The Fairy Houses Series) by Tracy Kane keeps the fun and folklore going as well.
What outdoor fairy fun will your family enjoy this summer?
I love this!!! Thanks so much for the great reference books! It’s good to see Fairy Houses being appreciated….you know the saying….”Every time someone says they don’t believe in Fairies, one falls down dead somewhere.” Gotta believe! Take care, be well!?✌??????