DIY Fairy Gardens (2024)

Create magical DIY fairy gardens with these 25+ unique ideas! Unleash your imagination with enchanting designs and eco-friendly materials.

Welcome to the enchanting world of DIY fairy gardens, where magic and imagination come to oife! If you’ve ever dreamed of creating a whimsical wonderland in your backyard or bringing a touch of fairy tale charm to your home, you’ve come to the right place.

Everyone loves fairy gardens these days, and I get it 100%. They’re pretty cute and easy to put together.

But where did fairy gardens come from? And what do they symbolize?

I wondered this myself. Apparently they’ve been around for centuries in European countries, where they are well documented:

“Fairy folklore was and still is used in many places to explain the unexplainable, weather changes, health changes, and unusual natural phenomena.”
–Fifth Season Gardening

I guess what I’m saying is, anything that happens outdoors? Or in your life? That’s why it’s great to have one of these gardens around. You can blame it on the fairies!

Both kids and adults love making them, when it comes down to it. They’re very calming and mindful both to put together and to look at. You can use real plants also, so they become a way to cultivate a small garden (and teach kids to as well).

There are a variety of ways to make a fairy garden, and a variety of styles (teacup, terrarium, etc) – I’m going to show you a bunch of options in this post.

And that’s the thing: options. One of the most appealing aspects of DIY fairy gardens is their versatility. They can be crafted in a variety of sizes and styles, making them the perfect addition to any space – indoors or out.

From miniature container gardens to larger outdoor planting beds, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a fairy garden that reflects your personal tastes and preferences.

But don’t be fooled by their small size. They require plenty of creativity, attention to detail, and even patience (if you decide to make your own fairy garden accessories).

Here’s my advice to you on making your own fairy garden. First, get inspired by the ideas below. Then, treat it as an adventure! I usually start with my gnomes and then decide what adventure they want to have.

Do they want to go to the forest? The beach? What do they want to see while they’re there? It’s fun to tell the story, and select the plants and materials that go along with. Children love it too!

As you embark on your DIY fairy garden journey, remember that the most important ingredient is your imagination. As you watch your garden come to life, you’ll discover that the true magic lies not only in the final creation, but in the journey you took to get there!

If you’re ready to dive into the magical world of fairy gardens, take a peek at the list below. Then let me know your favorites in the comments! Do you have any tips for making a garden of your own? Let me know those as well. Happy crafting!

Both kids and adults will love these fairy garden ideas! Get a variety of creation options below.

Four Step Fairy Garden

Want to learn how to make a fairy garden the easy way? This DIY fairy house uses clay pots and takes only four steps! Click for the how-to.

Don't forget to check out our clay pot mushrooms too.

Mini Beach Oasis

Create your own beach fairy garden and bring a sense of seaside enchantment to your home or outdoor space. It’s so easy to put together!

Broken Pots

Photo Credit:Angie Holden

No need to throw broken pots away! Turn them into a cool garden with a staircase and a pool on the second level.

Spring Fairy Garden Wreath

Photo Credit:www.thecountrychiccottage.net

If you want to decorate with your garden, this wreath is the perfect way to do it. You've got mushrooms, gnomes, a door . . everything you need for spring decor.

Birthday Party

Photo Credit:mericherry.com

These cute and colorful gardens were done as a birthday party activity! They use a variety of craft supplies as well as recycled materials. I love the results!

Tiny Teacup

Photo Credit:seevanessacraft.com

A garden - in a teacup? It seems so "smoll," but it works! This is a cute idea for Mother's Day or just for desk inspiration.

How to Make a Fairy Garden Terrarium

Photo Credit:thegoodheartedwoman.com

This is a great idea if you'd like your garden to be portable! Also it's perfect if you'd like to use terrarium plants and have the system be self sustaining.

Circus Theme

Photo Credit:www.houseofhawthornes.com

Do fairy gardens need real fairies? Not necessarily! This one includes a clown, ferris wheel, and flag bunting.

Make a Magical Desktop Fairy Garden

Create a desktop garden with gnomes, woodland animals, and other forest accessories. Customize with glitter and embellishments. Perfect for remote workers!

Halloween Fairy Garden with Terra Cotta Pots

Learn how to make the cutest Halloween fairy garden with terra cotta pots and acrylic paint! Add ghosts, pumpkins, skulls, grave markers, and other decorations of your choice.

Gypsy Caravan

Photo Credit:acraftymix.com

I just about died when I found out this was made out of a lunchbox! It's the perfect place for your wandering little gnomes to find solace before they move onto the next destination.

Fairy Garden Table

Photo Credit:innerchildfun.com

This table is a never-ending project for the kids this summer! This space provides: 1) plenty of inspiration for imaginative playtime fun; 2) learning opportunities about various plants, and 3) fresh herbs for summer recipes.

DIY Fairy Garden Night Light

Photo Credit:www.thehowtomom.com

Bring a spark of joy and magic to any space with this garden. You can make it with your kiddos and use it as an actual night light for their rooms!

PS - don't forget to check out our mason jar nightlights too.

Spooky Pumpkin Terrarium

Photo Credit:diycandy.com

Learn how to make a spooky pumpkin terrarium for your Halloween decorating! Perfect for adding gnomes and fairies as well as any other holiday touches.

Fairy House With Twigs and Moss

Photo Credit:whatsonmyporch.blogspot.com

If you're looking to make a garden that's a bit more natural, this little fairy house uses twigs, moss, acorns, and many other natural materials.

Terra Cotta Pots

Photo Credit:www.salvagesisterandmister.com

I showed you one option for clay pots at the beginning of this post - this is another version! I love the natural elements including stones and moss.

Radio Flyer

Photo Credit:www.norinesnest.com

Not sure what to do with an old wagon? A fairy garden is a great idea! It's the perfect size, can stay outdoors, and you can move it around as needed.

Clock with a Swing

Photo Credit:acraftymix.com

What I love about this garden is that it just goes to show you - don't discount ANY container you find! Even if it was originally a home decor item. If it can hold dirt, it can be a perfect vessel for your fairy garden.

Dollar Store Fairy Garden Play Set

Photo Credit:thetiptoefairy.com

Not everyone wants to make a garden with plants! If you have very small children, you might want an option that's more like a sensory bin. This is that great option, using Dollar Tree supplies.

Go Vertical

Photo Credit:salvagedliving.com

Take your whimsical garden vertical with this natural setting, complete with an actual fairy garden and swimming hole.

Prince and Princess

Photo Credit:www.glitteronadime.com

Craft a dreamy fairy garden with your kids! Follow this delightful guide for a fun, affordable, and creative bonding experience.

Dinosaur Garden

Photo Credit:gluesticksblog.com

Remember Land of the Lost? That's what these darling, prehistoric garden reminds me of! Perfect for kids that love dinos.

Autumn Pumpkins

Photo Credit:hellognomedecor.com

Fairy gardens aren't just for summer. They can be maintained all year! I love this version with a pumpkin house.

Garden with a Gate

Photo Credit:Lucy Atkins

Make a beautiful garden with charming painted rocks and a sweet little arch for visitors to walk underneath.

Popsicle Sticks

Photo Credit:www.kenarry.com

Create a simple indoor garden for succulents with this cute terrarium. Most of the materials can be found in your yard or craft stash, including the popsicle sticks! I love how they were used to make signage, doors, and a bench.

Log Cabin Fairy House with Twigs

Photo Credit:fairygardendiy.com

Different types of fairies and gnomes require different styles of lodging! Learn how to make a twig themed log cabin with this tutorial.

Fairy Farm

Photo Credit:kidfriendlythingstodo.com

This is the "Green Acres" of fairy garden dwelling! Complete with a tractor, barn, weather vane, and hay bale.

Plastic Bottle Fairy House

Photo Credit:inhabitat.com

We love crafting with plastic bottles around here! You can use grout and pebbles along with natural materials to make a safe spot for gnomes and fairies.

Enchanted Fairy House Planter

Photo Credit:kidfriendlythingstodo.com

This is a fun fairy garden that isn't too hard to maintain - because the house itself is an actual planter.

How to Protect your Outdoor Fairy Garden

If you’ve spent time on your outdoor fairy garden, you’ll probably want to protect it from the elements! Here’s my secret for making it last.

If you enjoyed these DIY fairy garden ideas, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments! Then check out these other posts:

Clay Pot Painting • DIY Outdoor Games • Dried Flower Crafts • End of Summer Crafts • Painted Birdhouses • Paper Lantern Crafts • Pot Decorations • Rock Mushrooms • Spring Crafts for Adults • Summer Crafts for Adults • Unique Garden Crafts

FAQs

How to make a DIY fairy garden? ›

Add soil or sand, and build your garden using found objects such as pine cones, sticks and stones, or miniature decorative items you've made or purchased at a craft store. Stick with a certain theme, such as a cottage garden, the beach or the woodlands—or not!

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How do I attract fairies to my fairy garden? ›

Rocks—fairies are attracted to all kinds of shiny stones like agate, quartz, or crystal. Use them to decorate your garden and give the little ones a place to sit. Shiny things—fairies love to look at their reflection, so include shiny things like a mirror or a dish of water in your garden design.

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What are the rules for fairy gardens? ›

RULES OF THUMB

Don't use iron or nickel in the fairy garden as they will repel your fairies.
Fairies appreciate when you recycle, compost and garden organically.
Perfect playmates for fairies are fireflies, ladybugs and butterflies.
Fairies have an affection for honey, sugar and sweet cakes.

What is the quote about fairies garden? ›

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?

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What is a good base for a fairy garden? ›

Add your base layer

You can use a thin layer of rock at the bottom for additional drainage or just skip straight to soil if you have a pot with proper drainage already. The soil you use will depend on what kind of plants you are using. For succulents and other more tropical plants, we suggest using a more aerated soil.

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How do you make fake water for a fairy garden? ›

After you've finished gluing your stones, fill the base of your pond with hot glue, this will create the illusion of water. The more glue you add, the deeper your pond will look.

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What flower attracts fairies? ›

Primroses are another excellent fairy-attracting flower, which would be very appropriate around the hiding-place stones you set out earlier. Roses, which are a favorite of many gardeners, are beloved of fairies as well.

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What flower is associated with fairies? ›

Another Welsh legend explains why foxgloves bend and sway so gracefully. It has nothing to do with the wind, but that as the flower is sacred to the fairies, it has the power of recognising them, and indeed all spiritual beings who pass by, and that it bows in deference to them as they waft along.

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What colors do fairies like? ›

Fairies are often associated with light pastels, pinks and purples. But you can choose whatever colours you like for your fairy folk.

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Which two things do most fairy gardens have? ›

“The basic elements of a fairy garden are miniature plants, fairies and their friends [like dogs, cats and ducks] and accessories,” says Bawden-Davis. “Accessories run the gamut, from tiny watering pails to little rakes and hoes to birdbaths, benches, gazebos and gazing globes.

What crystal attracts fairies? ›

If you are looking to attract fairies, interdimensional Earth beings, and other natural spirits, we suggest you use Peridot. While if you are looking to connect with the ethereal beings, the higher spiritual planes, psychic visions, or past lives, we suggest using Sapphire.

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What does a fairy garden symbolize? ›

In literature and art, garden fairies serve as powerful symbols of innocence, wonder, and the magic of the natural world. Their presence in stories and paintings often evokes a sense of nostalgia for childhood, when the boundary between reality and imagination was more fluid.

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Is it good to have a fairy garden? ›

A fairy garden is actually a great option to place in hard to grow areas. Other than some small garden plants, most items that make up a fairy garden will be things that don't need to worry about direct sunlight or good soil. Fairy gardens are a great place to let your creative juices and imagination run wild.

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What are the five lines about fairy? ›

1) faries are very beautiful and gorgeous. 2)faries have magical powers. 3)faries can fly high and touch the skies. 4) they are messenger of God .

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Why do people have fairy gardens? ›

People build these little worlds for a variety of reasons: to pique or sate their curiosity, that of others, to bring the inside in, to play in a garden year round, to entertain children, and many more reasons.

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How to make a succulent fairy garden? ›

Fill your container with a potting mix formulated for cacti and succulents. Water sparingly, allowing the soil to completely dry out before watering again. Take care not to wet the leaves of your succulents. Place your miniature, succulent fairy garden in an area that receives plenty of sunlight.

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How do you make a fairy house at home? ›

To make a fairy house, start by decorating a piece of cardboard or scrap wood with pebbles, moss, or grass to use as a base for your house. Next, stack twigs like Lincoln logs to make walls for the house, using wood glue to keep them together. You'll also want to leave a hole for the door.

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Can you make a fairy garden with fake plants? ›

Fairy gardens with artificial plants don't really need soil so most turn to floral foam. It requires zero maintenance and lasts a lifetime. There are also other options like this FloraCraft Styrofoam Block Flower Arranger. It is very lightweight and easy to cut into the size and shape you need.

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DIY Fairy Gardens (2024)

FAQs

References