 These days, there’s a new favorite medium in my tool kit—air-dry clay! The more I work with this product, the more inspired I am to create things with it. It’s so organic! Anyone who enjoys baking can relate to the satisfaction of feeling their fingers push into soft dough, shaping and reshaping it until they achieve just the right texture and form. I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance as I experimented with this clay material. And, since this is a new fascination for me, I simply HAD to include something clay in my new handcrafted fairy houses! Two new projects need a final whimsical flourish, and I immediately thought of miniature clay mushrooms. What could be more magical?!
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 Whoever thought I’d build a miniature medieval house? I certainly never did…But, I did it! A few years ago, I had an idea for a half-timbered-style house. (How very ambitious of me!) A few sketches were made, and then nothing…for a couple of years. Last year, I finally dusted off the idea, reworked the drawings, and set to work building a stylish medieval home for my resident fairy. The Inspiration for this design came from images of half-timbered buildings from places like England, France, and Germany. Photos of The Shambles (an iconic street in York, England) provided plenty of fodder for my imagination. Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my design process and materials used to create this newest handcrafted fairy house! A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process  It all started fifty years ago with a Fisher-Price bi-fold castle, complete with a drawbridge, dungeon, and a moat featuring a menacing painted alligator. The seeds of fascination were planted, and the love affair with castles began. If only my four-year-old self could see me now! Of course, I was going to build my very own enchanted castle…That was always in the cards. Certain things are simply inevitable! So, call this one a passion project. Today’s blog post is for those who share this passion (or for the merely curious). Are you ready for a behind-the-scenes look at the design concept and materials used to create this whimsical fairy castle tower? Hang onto your dragon…Here we go!  Frog figurine image by S.Herman & F.Richter from Pixabay. Summer is in full swing with its lush greenery and gardens exploding with vibrant blooms. The butterflies and bees are spoiled for choice in their never-ending search for pollen and nectar! This is the perfect time of year to create an enchanting fairy garden! Whether starting from scratch or adding to your existing Neverland, you too are spoiled for choice with garden accessories! I recently shared a blog post chock full of magical fairy garden decor and I had so much fun finding those items I decided to create another blog post with even MORE! So without further ado, let’s get to it!  Image by eduardogonzalezgarcia on Pixabay. Summer is in full swing! And you know what that means…Gardening! One of the most fun ways to bring a personal, whimsical touch to your yard is to carve out a spot for a fairy garden. Whether you’re a kid in an adult’s body or are looking for ways to entertain kids and grandkids, a fairy garden provides the perfect dose of escapism from this crazy world we live in! I’ve been trolling through Amazon (among other sites) searching for inspiration for a fairy garden destined to materialize in my raised garden bed. The myriad of options has my head spinning! But a few stand out…And—who knows—maybe some of them will end up in my garden this summer! Are you looking for inspiration as well? Read on for my top 20 fairy garden items from Amazon!  Image by 2000holmes from Pixabay. Summer weather is finally here and my garden is coming along nicely. This year the plan is to use my raised garden bed for herbs and wildflowers, with the idea of creating a small fairy garden once everything comes into bloom. I can’t wait to design a magical hiding spot for the local fairies underneath the vibrant summer flowers!  Herb garden in a raised flower bed. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2020. It’ll be a few more weeks before I have that lush, fragrant flower garden. In the meantime, I’m doing some research for inspirational ideas. It’s been a minute since I’ve created an outdoor fairy garden (I usually create indoor fairy gardens with faux florals) so this will be a nice change of pace.  Fairy cottage by Di's Studio Designs. If you’re new to fairy gardens, you may feel overwhelmed with all the possibilities. You may have questions and don’t know where to start. If this is you, read on! This blog post will help you break the process into small chunks, allowing you to create a successful plan for a whimsical fairy garden that will last all summer! Amazon finds to add a little woodland charm to your home  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. If your home is your castle, the fairycore decor trend is for you! Fairycore is more of a state of mind than a trend. You don’t have to completely immerse yourself in a room straight from a Grimm’s fairy tale; that would be too cliche. But a subtle reminder here and there, a decorative detail that catches your eye as you enter a room, is enough to awaken the subconscious inner child who still believes that magic exists in this chaotic, unpredictable world. And even if fairies aren’t quite your thing, a little woodland magic might convince you otherwise! For the true believers among you and future converts alike, here are 21 home accents that will help you add a touch of fairy woodland magic to your living room…  Image by Cosminxp on Adobe Stock. Soft moss a downy pillow makes
And green leaves spread a tent, Where Faerie folk may rest and sleep Until their night is spent. The bluebird sings a lullaby; The firefly gives a light: The twinkling stars are candles bright, Sleep, Faeries all, Good Night. Elizabeth T. Dillingham, "A Faery Song"  Image by Maryna on Adobe Stock. If you enjoyed one of my latest articles, “8 Flowers that Attract Fairies to Your Fairy Garden”, here are six more fairy flowers for your garden! Interest in fairy gardens has been growing for quite a while now, and the trend shows no sign of stopping any time soon! The act of creating a fairy garden awakens the inner child, providing an escape from the problems of the mundane and sometimes stressful world around us. And it’s a gift that keeps on giving! Once you create the garden, it becomes a refuge where you can escape from it all and let your imagination out of the box. I have been experimenting with my fairy gardens, and—being a lifelong lover of fairy tales—it got me thinking about the types of flowers fairies might like in their garden. I’m sharing some of my research with you to help you on your way to creating a fairy-friendly garden!  Bluebells image by Andy Evans on Adobe Stock. Even if you don’t believe in fairies, a beautiful garden full of fragrant flowers bursting with vibrant blooms feels enchanting--don’t you think? To my mind, fairies are more than tiny winged or magical creatures. They represent the idea that the natural world is brimming with wonders, wonders we miss while living our busy lives. But take the time to go deeper, and you'll find magic all around you. Fairies and flowers have long had a close association, as this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson beautifully illustrates: The Flowers
“All the names I know from nurse: Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse, Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock, And the Lady Hollyhock. Fairy places, fairy things, Fairy woods where the wild bee wings, Tiny trees for tiny dames-- These must all be fairy names! Tiny woods below whose boughs Shady fairies weave a house; Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme, Where the braver fairies climb! Fair are grown-up people's trees, But the fairest woods are these; Where, if I were not so tall, I should live for good and all” Robert Louis Stevenson  Image by ajcabeza on Adobe Stock. What would you say if someone were to ask you to describe a fairy? Would you envision tiny winged humanlike beings small enough to fit in the palm of your hand? Sure...this is the image conjured up by the modern mainstream. If you look up the word fairy, you’ll find descriptive terms like diminutive, magical, feminine, imaginary, and supernatural.  Image by Yuliya on Adobe Stock I love the month of March for two reasons—spring and St. Paddy’s Day. Most years, I try to find some cerebral topic to write about for St. Paddy’s Day as a way to embrace my own Irish heritage respectfully…but this year, I thought we’d just have a little fun! No sense in taking ourselves too seriously, right? This year’s topic is fun facts about the little green men. No, not aliens…Leprechauns! What do you know about those little green goblins called leprechauns? Today, I thought I’d give you ten fun facts you can share at that St. Paddy’s Day party!  Succulents and coleus planted in my outdoor fairy garden. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2020. As a child, I loved everything related to castles and fairy tales. The irresistible pull of the unseen world wormed its way into my psyche and never let go. The sense of wonder I felt when I imagined worlds full of magical folk like fairies, elves, gnomes, and talking animals was perhaps a way to escape a troubled childhood.  Doorway of my fairy cottage. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2019. So, fairy gardens…Where did this charming gardening trend come from? I asked myself this very question as I worked on my annual spring gardening and faux floral projects. For the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with fairy houses and fairy gardens—both for indoor and outdoor use—but until now, it never occurred to me to consider the origins and the meaning behind the miniature garden trend. So I did a little digging (no pun intended), and here’s what I learned…  My spring Fairy Cottage and indoor garden with whitefaux florals and fairy lights. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. I’m officially obsessed with handcrafted fairy houses and indoor fairy gardens! They are now staples for my seasonal decor! I take advantage of every opportunity to switch out the miniature decor and faux florals to reflect the seasons and—sometimes—holidays. So far, I have two styles, but I have a few ideas for some new designs (finally), which I plan to work on in the next month or so, so stay tuned!
I don’t know why, but miniature worlds fascinate me. I think it was preordained that I would one day design a fairy house. I mean, why wouldn’t I?! And so it was a couple of years ago I came up with a hair brained scheme to design two distinctly different fairy houses, with the main goal to use them in indoor fairy gardens or as part of a vignette. The design concept for one of these miniature houses was inspired by images of old English and Irish cottages, with their rough hewn walls and thatched roofs. The second fairy cottage (pictured below) developed out of childhood memories of enchanting illustrations in fairy tales. The vision behind these designs was to create miniature houses for use with faux florals and seasonal decor that can be refreshed as needed and illuminated with either LED candles or fairy light strands, creating a magical little focal point on a table. Since Spring has certainly sprung, it is now time for my home—and my fairy gardens—to transform into something more suitable for the season! This year I wanted to give my indoor fairy gardens an updated look, and that means new florals and freshly painted bases.  Fairy Cottage indoor fairy garden by Di's Studio Designs. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. Isn’t there something strangely satisfying about creating miniature little worlds? Who doesn’t love tapping into that world of childhood wonder, imagining a world of mystery beyond our reach? If you’ve been following my blog, you will remember the indoor fairy gardens I created last year. (If you missed it, you can read about it here.) That fun—albeit challenging—project resulted in two beautiful displays that now grace my living and dining rooms.  Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2019.  “Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.” Eugene O’Neill
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated with fairy tales and mystical worlds. I would spend my time in quiet reveries, letting my imagination go wild, thinking about secret little worlds that exist under our noses, and we don’t even notice! Little people, fairies, even animals, living in hidden nooks and crannies, under leaves, in tree stumps, under rocks, and in worlds in miniature where magic is the norm, and the inhabitants are surrounded in ethereal bliss—this to me was heaven! |
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