Why build fairy houses?  As Tracy Kane, author and illustrator of the Fairy House book series, writes: "the simple challenge of creating a fairy house gives children a unique activity that encourages them to go outside and connect with the natural world, nurturing care and respect for the environment." 

Legend has it that if you build a fairy or gnome home and bring it to your yard,  you just might attract a fairy or gnome.

  • Head out to your backyard, grab a grown up and hike through the woods or along the beach with a gathering basket
  • Natural materials are best to make a home– feathers, dry grasses, leaves, sticks, pebbles, shells, bark from a fallen tree, milkweed, moss, nuts, pods, acorns, berries, gourds, miniature pumpkins, pine cones. However you are not limited to such.
  • A true fairy houses should appear to be made mostly of natural components. Hot glue, acrylic spray, natural twine and other man-made items are okay for use
  • Please do not disturb any live trees or plant life for your home
  • Start with a strong foundation:
  • Platforms or man-made support materials are encouraged  for easier delivery and transport, we suggest concealing them with natural materials when installed on-site. 
  • Form the outside of the house
  • Houses may be any size and the theme of the house may be anything you wish.
  • After you line your foundation, pick out the main structure. A stump, driftwood, shells, twigs,  wicker basket or other  fairy / gnome friendly container. Make sure it will fit comfortably on the tray with room for add-ons (a porch) and embellishments (a garden or play area).
  • Create the enhancements. Start with the large outdoor pieces (doors, windows and paths) and then add the finer outdoor details like mailboxes, shrubs and swings.
  • Please do not use any items of value in the houses.
  • Decorate the inside of the fairy / gnome house
  • Once the outside is finished, build fairy furniture, shelves, beds and even tiny bathrooms and kitchens.
  • Lay down a floor of moss, and then add furniture you found, built or re purposed from other objects.