Fairy gardens are all the rage. They’re an easy way to bring a little bit of magic into your child’s life. This fun tradition stems from a mix of cultures, particularly from Ireland and Japan. Both folklore talk of tiny creatures that inhabit forests and that giving them shiny trinkets will give you luck. Some also believe that Japanese bonsai and zen gardens were a starting point for fairy gardens.
Since then, people have been investing in their own tiny gardens. These gardens require a lot of care and love. Usually one starts with a door or window, and works up from there to create small streams, paths, and other natural elements to expand upon their fairy garden.
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I talked to a local fairy garden artist, Amy, the owner of Clever Creations about the best way to begin your fairy garden journey. Amy, who lives in Ypsilanti, has always been someone who created, but when the fairy doors of Ann Arbor were becoming popular, she found a niche with creating fairy gardens. She uses a wide range of materials, including old teacups and glow in the dark clay, and mentions that repurposing vintage items gives them a new life.
Amy said the start of your fairy garden is all about the right spot. Wander around your front or back yard and see what calls out to you. “You’ll know when you walk around your yard, you’ll find a spot that feels like the right spot.” From there, you can start with a door. Use clay or Popsicle sticks, twigs, things you find in nature. “The fairy’s don’t care.”
You can continue to add from there. Mushrooms, pennies, glitter or even notes to the fairies are all great ways to add to your garden. Fairies like shiny things, so truly, anything that inspires you will do. If you’re looking for a more natural look, twigs, rocks and moss are all a great start. Some examples of expanding your garden are adding paths with rocks, using glass to make waterways or adding windows.
Amy has a site with lots of amazing items you can grab for your starter garden. She’s especially proud of her mushrooms, which come in 32 colors and multiple varieties. And for only $4 a piece, they are quite a steal. You can also buy a tea cup kit, which costs $25 and has a variety of options.
Amy features gnomes and fairy babies on her site, and goes out of her way to use a variety of skin tones. She herself is biracial, and grew up noticing there weren’t a lot of toys that look like her. She wanted to fix that, and remarked that seeing a child recognize themselves in gnomes and fairies is incredibly special. “I love when a little human comes up to my table and sees one that looks like them.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to create. You can pick a theme for your fairy garden, or start simple, as Amy said, and just get a door. You can invest overtime, and decide what kind of fairies you want in your garden. I, myself, started with just a door in my front lawn, and it’s been lovely seeing people walk by and point it out. I hope that it spreads a little bit of magic throughout Chelsea, where I live.
You can catch Amy at Celtic Fest as the featured artist, or at Ypsi Pride this summer. In the meantime, good luck creating your amazing fairy gardens! I hope to see them as I wander through Washtenaw County.
