Step By Step Guide to Creating a Fairy Garden

Step by Step Guide
How to Build a Fairy Garden!  

Some of you may be asking, what exactly is a fairy garden? Basically, a fairy garden is a miniature garden complete with small items and plants, meant to entice fairies to come visit your home, and possibly move in!

Dating back to the eighteenth century, fairy gardening has been a very pleasing and consistent part of gardening in European countries. Many of the traditions that we celebrate here in America, have roots that come from fairy lore.

Hanging a horseshoe over your front door is said to keep the fairies out of your home, as they hate iron.
Picking a four-leaf clover not only brings you good luck, but it is said to protect you from any spells a mischievous fairy might try to cast upon you. 

In general, fairies are very happy and free spirited individuals, who love a good laugh.

Creating a garden for them with things that they love, is a great way to entice them to visit you and maybe even bring you luck! It is also a great way to get outside and creating the garden with your young ones or other family is a wonderful bonding experience. 

So, where do you start?
Let's begin.

STEP ONE
Choose your Container and Soil

Here I've chosen a copper square container with a depth of 2.5 inches. I've also chosen a potting soil containing organic peat, which will give the soil more nutrients and air.

STEP TWO
Preparing The Soil

I placed a piece of burlap in the bottom of my container to help with draining. It will also help to retain some moisture so the plants don't dry out too fast. 

STEP THREE
Choosing Your Plants

I picked out Live Moss, a dried moss that only needs water to bring it back to life! I also picked out a small fairy plant, Dee Dee's Box Honeysuckle. 

STEP FOUR 

Installing Your Plants

I first picked the corner where I wanted my Honeysuckle. Squeezing the container, I was able to pop the roots and dirt right out, and plant it in my container, up to the stem, adding extra dirt around it. I then took sheets of the dried moss and laid it out over the dirt to resemble grass. I then used a spray bottle to thoroughly soak the moss and Honeysuckle. 

STEP FIVE
Adding Accessories! 

I picked a small house since I have a small container, some stepping stones, and a bench. Of course you will want a fairy, or in my case a gnome!
Get creative! Once you have a basic start, you will be surprised at the ideas you can come up with for your garden.
Most importantly, just have fun! There is no set rules in fairy gardening, and the fairies will appreciate your own unique and magical touch.

How to make paper snowflakes.

Take a regular sheet of computer paper.

Fold a corner down to make a triangle.

Cut the extra off.

Take one of the corners of the triangle and fold it straight down.

Take the other corner and fold it down to match the right side, making a new triangle. 

Cut the extras off the bottom.

Cut designs in the triangle. You can do whatever you like!

Unfold the paper carefully and enjoy!

     Thing One really enjoyed making the snow flakes. I had to help him with the scissors, but he didn't mind.
   We will definitely be making more of these!

Spa Day and Popcorn Strings

        Yesterday was my spa day; lunch, pedicures, and massages! I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful friend to do something so nice for me. I was gone from noon to 7:30 pm! Pops and the boys were on their own for a good 7 hours. Pops said everything went great, and that I should go out more often since I don't do much for myself. I'm also lucky to have such a good husband!
     The massage was wonderful. So wonderful that we are going back tomorrow!
      I think it just might have to be a once a month thing!

   

I've been looking for crafts and different activities to help keep Thing One busy now that we're going to be inside all the time. Since it's the holidays it's the perfect time to make different crafts!
One thing that I seem to remember making as a kid was popcorn strings for the Christmas Tree. It's pretty easy, and can take up a whole afternoon if you let it!

First, pop some popcorn. I like using the seeds; it's more fun for the kids, and the popcorn will be plain.

Then tie some thread to a needle. Have your string be as long as you would like your popcorn string to be.
Push a piece of popcorn through the needle and down the string. 
When you get to the end, tie the end of the string around your piece of popcorn so it wont fall off.
Continue to thread more pieces of popcorn until your string is full.
Cut the needle off the thread, and tie that end around the last popcorn.

Thing One got bored with the popcorn strings pretty fast since he couldn't do it himself, but Saydee and Virgil had their attention on me the whole time!

When your strings are done, place them on the tree!