Pixie Pebbles

We're always trying to come up with new ways to use Pixies Dust. While beach combing one day the idea of the Pixie Pebble jumped into my head. They are so much fun to make and are a great little treasure to leave as a gift for your fairy or maybe, if you're lucky, your fairy will leave some for you!

Here's what you need:

Pixie Dust (aka glitter)

For a softer, mossier look, you can use flocking powder - see the light pink stone in the bottom of the picture.

Hot Glue Gun -I have tried many glues and hot glue gives the best results hands down.

Start by pouring a generous amount of
Pixie Dust  into a small dish.

Next grab your hot glue gun and make
a little "puddle" of glue in the center of the
 Pixie Dust. Be careful not to touch the
sides of the dish.

Wait about 10 seconds for the hot glue
to smooth out into a pebble shape. Don't worry
if you have some little strings sticking off,
they can be cut off later. Pour Pixie Dust on top of

the smooth glue and give the dish a tiny shake.

Wait about 5 minutes and then uncover your treasure!

Tips and Tricks Thursday!

It's Thursday again! And here is an other quick tip:

Start a fairy door journal!

 You can recored your fairy stories, thoughts and messages and maybe your fairy friends can leave you messages and stories of their own! They may even us is as a guest book and visiting fairies, gnomes and pixies can sign in whenever they coime for a visit!

Here are some really cute fairy door fan photos of their setup and cool journals!

(p.s. these fairy doors both belong to boys!!  Not just for the little ladies, don't forget!!)

We love all the trinkets and

fun stuff used for decoration!

Have a fairy nice day!

Second Hand Gardening Continued

There are so many things that you can find in a thrift store that can be made into treasure. I grabbed a few forks and a baby spoon and set to work.

I took two forks the same size, twisted their tines, wired them together then added some glass bead leaves with the wire to make this fairy tree.

To make the Fairy Throne, I bent the spoon, poured a little glue in the base and sprinkled it with purple flocking powder. I finished it off with twigs (for legs) and a star. Now the Fairy royalty has a place to sit in our garden!

How Cute Is This?

Pirates and Pixies is not just about pixies and gnomes and such. We do love our pirates and they have not been getting the love they deserve!!  So today the How Cute is This? has:

These cuties are available here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48045460/crochet-pattern-marco-the-pirate

and here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/41750428/mermaid-crochet-pattern

and because no matter how we try we cannot resist:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/36561208/happy-amigurumi-tree

and

http://www.etsy.com/listing/41780852/sammy-the-gnome-crochet-pattern

We all have our weakness, Right?

Nature Walk Mushrooms

Mysterious and inviting the mushroom seems to be a symbolic link between our world and the fairy realm. I love making mushrooms out of various mediums and this idea came to me on a nature walk with the kids. They are very simple. Grab a few fat sticks - no need to cut a tree, there are always plenty on the ground already. I cut mine to size with a hand saw then rubbed the bottoms on sandpaper to make sure they stood up ok. Gather a pile of rocks, shells or whatever you can find and using a good gooey glue assemble your mushroom.

Tips and Tricks Thursday!

Welcome back to Tips and Tricks Thursday!

So your door is up and the kids are having fun discovering it and maybe you are leaving little surprises for them. We hope so. So what else can you do?

How about using your fairy door to get your kids to clean their rooms? 

If your kids are generally neat, (first off...congrats!!) then have the fairies leave them a note that says how much they appreciate them keeping the doorway clear and the floor clean.  Positive reinforcement works wonders!

If your kids are like a little on the messy side, then make your first note about clearing the doorway and perhaps the fairies could suggest that they are weary of the obstacle course and would love some open room for a fairy ball, a gnome homecoming or a troll track meet...whatever you think they would like.  All you need to do is encourage them along and watch the magic happen.

 Don't forget to leave a follow up note from their little friends to thank them for all their hard work! 

Try it!

Second Hand Garden

A quick trip to the local thrift shop provided the makings of these fairy garden extras.

This polka dot creamer was too cute to pass up. I used a ceramic tile drill bit and put a small hole in the bottom and then screwed it into the tree (with a small screw to avoid hurting the tree). These birds have one of the cutest homes in the garden!

                                                                   

A small gold flower pot turned upside down and a cute little saucer make the perfect feeder for the birds and chipmunks.

This fairy/bird bath is made of another little saucer and an old cake stand base. I added a few glass pebbles and some pixie dust to attract the wee folk.

How Cute Is This?

We know it's not really hat season but seriously...How cute is this?

It's the perfect gnome dome cover....Right?

Get it here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47435061/cute-swirly-ice-cream-hat-any-kid-size?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=gnome+hat&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Need we say more?

Mushrooms With A Secret

NEW TO OUR SHOP
We've created this secret mushroom with the Tooth Fairy in mind but we quickly found out it has many uses! Set this little mushroom next to your fairy door and your have your own little mailbox to the fairy world.

The mushroom cap easily lifts off to reveal the hidden compartment in the mushrooms stem. It's the spot to place that lost tooth. The Tooth Fairy can roll up a dollar (or two!) and put them in the mushroom in exchange for the tooth. You can also use this secret compartment to leave little notes or gifts for your fairy. Watch out, your fairy may leave you little gifts too. A few m&m's, some fairy dust or maybe even a few little gems - you never know what you'll find! To make these adorable mushrooms attractive to the Wee Folk we add our own blend of herbs to the mushroom top so they smell wonderful. Our magical herb mix (aka Gnome-Nip) includes rosemary and lavender. We hope you have as much fun with these as we have.

We enlisted the help of some experts when making these cute little mushrooms.

Tiny Bird's Nest

These tiny bird's nests are super cute and easy to make. Here's what you do:

Start with the dough - I made the same salt dough I made in Kindergarten

1 cup salt

1 cup flour

1/2 cup water

Mix all 3 ingredients, knead well, adding small amounts of water if needed.

To make the actualy nest, grab your garlic press and push the dough through. You made need to gently lift the handle to add more dough in there isn't enough squeezed out.

Loosely form the dough into a circle and roll out a few eggs and place in the nest. You can let the dough air dry or bake it in a 200 degree oven checking every 15 minutes or so.

Once the dough is completely dry and cool paint the eggs light blue and then finish off with a clear sealer. These cute little nests can be used as favors, decorations for the garden or if you place the eggs just right - place card/recipe holders! Have fun crafting!

~*~ Fairies in the Garden ~*~

Inspiration for your garden can come from many places...

 

We are fortunate enough to live close to Willow Oak Flower and Herb Farm. From Flower Fairy "Teas" to a winter fairy walk, this place is amazing all year long. Springtime is absolutely magical. They have amazing vintage flowers and every herb you can imagine.

It is a treasure trove for fairy fans - fairy gardens, villages and lore are all around. If you live in the Maryland/DC area you won't want to miss this gem. For more information visit their website : http://www.willowoakherbs.com/

                                                                                   

                                                                                     

How Cute Is This?

Need some decoration for your new fairy terrarium? Or just for general cuteness? Then...

How cute is this?

I can totally picture the tiny little gnome ladies on laundry day!!

Get this one here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45024835/miniature-gnome-mushroom-clothes-line?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=gnome+laundry&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Or make your own!!

Crafty Friday ~ Garden Stones

Super cute and easy to make, these garden markers are sure to brighten up your garden. Here's what you'll need:

Smooth stones - seashells work great too

Permanent ink stamp pad, Stazon is our favorite (Did you know they make metallic colors now too?!?)

Mini alphabet stamps - these were purchased for $1.00 at A.C. Moore's

Make sure your rock is clean and dry and stamp away, it's that simple.

 You can label your plants, create a meditation/inspiration garden or simply write your name. You don't just have to place these in your garden or terrarium. You can make place markers for a dinner party or make them into "wishing" rocks or good luck charms.  Mother's Day is coming up, wouldn't it be cute to have the kids paint a little picture on a rock them stamp their name under it? Go ahead, get crafting!

Tips and Tricks Thursday!

Here we are...around to Thursday again! So you've gotten your fairy door, picked out a spot and hung it up...now what?

Well, if you have kids then the fun has just begun!

Sometime during your first night, why not leave a note from your fairy friends and a little sprinkle of glitter by the door? Then you can let your child find it in the morning and we bet they will LOVE it!! (Ask a friend to write the note if your kids know your hand writing or print it out in a fancy script or calligraphy font from your computer.  Roll it up with a little bit of twine and you are good to go!)

Now that you have started a conversation with your fairy friend, you can have your child right a note back to leave by the door that night, or a picture or a even a  little treat!

Sneak in a little writing practice (it can't hurt) and get that imagination flowing!!

More next week! Have a great day!

Make Your Own Fairy Terrarium

Want to make your own Fairy Terrarium? It's super easy.  Start with selecting your container - there are so many possibilities here - an old fish bowl, a glass hurricane lantern (with a base of course), a tea cup....  pretty much anything that allows you a clear view of your miniature garden. Terrariums can be as big or small as you want.

Once you have selected your container here's what you will need:

small gravel

horticultural charcoal (found at most plant stores)

orchid  or fir bark

soil

miniature plants - I used mini African Violets, Irish Moss, Club Moss, Angel's tears and Sedum

Gently place the gravel in first. Mix a bit of the charcoal with the bark then add a this mixture as your next layer. Finally add soil and plants. Give it a little spritz and your finished! Be sure to place your new garden in a sunny place but out of direct sunlight. Remember to make it a welcoming place to the fairies add a rock for them to sit on or a few pine cones, some little glass gems or even that cut clay mushroom from yesterday's post.

If you are feeling extra crafty check out Martha Stewart's adorable Fairy Terrarium (she has even added lights!!):

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/fairyland-terrarium

How Cute Is This?

Fairy Gardens come in many shapes and sizes...

They don't all  have to be big weekend projects, they can be sweet little terrariums...like this one! Nothing super fancy or exotic but a mossy oasis for your fairy friends to visit. A low maintenance plant like moss is  perfect for the fairy garden enthusiast who doesn't have green thumbs! (Please keep in mind those are not real mushrooms...real ones are not such a great idea...take our word for it!)

But really, How cute is this?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45332186/fairy-garden-moss-terrarium?ref=sr_list_29&ga_search_query=fairy+garden&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title

Anyone who orders a fairy door from us this week will get a fairy dust neckalce as an added bonus! A cute little ribbon ties around your neck so you can carry fairy magic with you everywhere you go!

Freebie Friday! Part 2!!

As promised, here are the rest of the Fairy Gardening Templates:

Here is the Container Garden Planner:

And here is the Plant List sheet:

Good Luck with all your Fairy Gardening!