DIY Potted Fairy Garden

A few years ago, I was hanging out with my nieces when suddenly I was enchanted with pixie dust . They were watching the Tinker Bell movie that had just come out and I got sucked in right along with them. There was something about the little tiny miniature world that they lived in that captivated me and got me thinking things like, “Duh! Of course you’d use an acorn as a teacup if you were a fairy- pshhh!”.  Who doesn’t like a feisty fairy?

Marc Davis, original artist sketch

When it was time for us to leave the movie wasn’t over yet. So, of course you can understand why I went to a redbox and rented it for myself. Wait, you do understand, right? Anyway, my husband thought I was loony, but it was such an adorable movie! Fast-forward a few years and BAM- Pinterest. I swear this is all connected. You see, I started coming across these ridiculously adorable little fairy vignettes–basically fairies popping up in random places in your backyard,

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 on your baseboard…

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 Basically everywhere! My daughter was just a newborn when I found and pinned the PERFECT little fairy house and told my husband he better find a tree stump and hollow it out and quick!

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 Needless to say, that project will probably remain just-a-pin, or become a Pinterest-fail, or end my marriage. Whatever.

But recently I’ve seen these adorable little potted fairy gardens popping up in Pinterestland! And this one  inspired me to go for it because it was satisfyingly simple!

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I was like, BINGO- this is totally something I can do with my toddler! Does this show you how often I attempt a Pinterest project– my toddler is the same human that was a newborn when I pinned the hollowed-fairy-mansion. Anyway, it ended up being such a quick and fun little project to do with my daughter that I’ll show you how you too can make some magic happen in your garden this spring!

Here’s what you’ll need:

 – Some imagination (or “faith, trust and a little pixie dust”, as Peter Pan would say). Or, you could just get this adorable necklace from etsy to help!

 – A pot (large enough to pot some flowers and add some whimsical little elements alongside). I bought some really cool ones only to realize they weren’t big enough to hold the scale of pixie props I bought. So I just used the plain one that came with my fairy props.

 – Potting soil

 – Miniature furniture or props (you can buy them or I’ve seen tutorials on how to make some from twigs! I‘ve even seen tons of those chotchke little miniatures at thrift stores that would be perfect) I got my furniture in a little “fairy garden kit” from our local Ace Hardware, though- because I got a little crazy perusing thrift stores with a toddler. It happens.

 – Some gravel (or marbles, beads, shells, or twigs- this will be part of the “landscape”)

– Oh yeah, pick out some plants! I decided to choose 3 different types of plants that I could dink around with to get the look I wanted. One that would be used as more of a ground cover, or a lower-height plant. I used an Alyssum because it will get some flowers on it soon! Then I chose a flower with some height to it- but not too much, in order to keep it in the world of fairy height. A little yellow Marigold was just the ticket. Next I chose a succulent to add a sculptural dimension- I went with a “Vera Higgins Graptosedum”

 – Adorable toddler (optional… but the perfect pal for this activity- and she loved playing with the dirt!)

Ok, we’re all set!

Here’s how you can put it all together:

1. I put some gravel at the bottom of my pot so  the soil would have some drainage and help prevent root-rot (but you could use packing peanuts to keep it lighter, I just didn’t have any).

2. Fill it up with potting soil and leave a few inches of space until the brim- since the plants will take up some space.

3. Dig little holes for each plant you’re going to place (just do one plant at a time- you might want to change some positioning once you see how each plant settles)

4. Take your little plant out of its’ package, gently “massage” the ends where the roots are, to just break it up a bit so the roots will take hold to the new soil

5. Place your plants in their new little home and fill around them with more potting soil

6. Set the stage or make a path or create some boundaries with the gravel or marbles or whatever “landscape” material you choose). I made a path that lead to a garden bench and also lays beneath the bench to prevent the legs from sinking too far into the soil.

7. Place your fairy furniture- dink around with it, move things around and have some fun!

8. Explain to your daughter (or son of course, because I bet little boys would like it too!) that she can’t keep taking all of the fairy furniture out of the garden and hiding it because the fairy needs a place to sit and relax and have a garden party with her friends! But totally let her play in the garden!

And voila! Here’s my whimsical and satisfyingly simple little fairy garden!

My daughter LOVES watering the little plants because it just feels like this magical little world that she gets to take care of. And I can just imagine Miss Tinker Bell in all her sassafras glory flittering around with her friends. It’s the little things.

Oh yeah, and let’s just say I’m kind of excited about the new Tinker Bell “Pirate Fairy” coming out.

And I’m not even being paid to say that, but if someone wants to pay me for it, or send me a free copy of it, sure- I’ll be happy to accommodate your generosity. Think of a wonderful thought, any happy little thought.