Welcome to the enchanting world of DIY fairy gardens!
My DIY fairy house is made with a combination of natural materials, a recycled plastic bottle and a prefab fairy door.
As you shop at the craft store for materials you will be inspired by lots of different ideas! Let my tutorial be your guide toward making your own fairy house - but be sure to experiment with your own collection of natural materials and craft supplies to make it uniquely your own!
Creating your own fairy house is a fun way to infuse magic into your outdoor space, making it a whimsical retreat for these magical creatures.
Looking for more DIY fairy garden crafts?
In this tutorial, I'll guide you step-by-step on how to make the best DIY fairy garden house.
I'll teach you how to transform a recycled plastic bottle together with clay and small pebbles into a whimsical haven illuminated by a solar-powered garden light. That's right - This fancy fairy house glows in the dark!
Dive into this fun project that can be the centerpiece of your other backyard fairy garden ideas. This house will work great in both an outdoor fairy garden as well as indoor fairy garden or even as a night light.
Let's embark on a magical journey and bring your imagination to life with this captivating DIY fairy garden house tutorial.
Because this isn't just any fairy house! This is a fairy house made from recycled materials AND it's solar powered! 🧚🏡✨
Thank you to the sponsor of this great project! Back in 2016, SolarCity sponsored this fun DIY fairy garden tutorial. If you want your solar capabilities to go beyond your fairy house to your people house, be sure to check them out (tell them I sent you!).
Our tutorial has been updated several times since then. Most recently in February 2024.
How to Make the Best DIY Fairy Garden House
it's solar-powered so it glows in the dark!
DIY Fairy House List of Supplies:
Some of the links below may be affiliate links where a purchase made after clicking will support this website without costing you extra!- Tiny picture frames (check the doll house section of the craft store or dollar store!)
- FolkArt Multisurface Paint in Steel Grey
- Translucent plastic bottle*
- Solar powered garden light*
- Scissors or craft knife
- Mod Podge Collage Clay in Vanilla**
- Prefab fairy door for front door
- Small stones or beach pebbles
- Q-tips or cotton swabs
Do you have odd craft materials you think will work for this project? It's a good idea to get them out now even if you don't end up using them. That way everything will be ready to go in your craft room!
*In order for this project to work for you, the diameter of the top part of the solar light must be 1-2 inches bigger than the diameter of the bottle or hard plastic container you are using. Choose your light and bottle accordingly.
** An IMPORTANT note about clay:
This tutorial was originally created in 2016 using a kind of decoden clay called Mod Podge Collage Clay. This product is no longer on the market.
Because the base of your house is a recycled plastic bottle, Fimo, Sculpey or traditional oven bake polymer clay is not a good substitute for the decoden clay.
From my research, I believe the next best option is another kind of decoden clay such as list one, which is listed as being nontoxic.
Solar Powered DIY Fairy House Directions:
DIY Fairy Garden House STEP 1: Prep the windows
To make the windows of my fairy house, I used some miniature picture frames I found in the bargain bin area of Michael's.
The particular frames I bought were pink (the only color they had). To help them coordinate with the fairy door, I started by giving them 2 coats of grey paint and letting them dry completely.
Alternatively, I think you could also make frames using a resin or fondant mold by filling the mold with hot glue slowly emitted from a hot glue gun into the mold so as not to cause bubbbles.
Don't have anything similar at all? Try drilling out the centers of wood slices to serve as windows.
DIY Fairy Garden House STEP 2: Prep the recycled bottle
To make the base of the fairy house, I used a bottle I had from an iced coffee beverage. It had a narrow neck and wider bottom so I used some heavy duty scissors to cut the top off.
DIY Fairy Garden House STEP 3: Assemble the fairy house
I gathered these supplies for this step of constructing the fairy garden house (clockwise from top): Mod Podge collage clay (remember: this is no longer made. Use another brand of "decoden clay" instead), small stones, painted frames for windows, fairy door, and prepped plastic bottle.
The decoden clay is like a combination of whipped clay and adhesive that is the consistency of frosting.
Start by drawing a line of decoden clay on the back edges of the fairy door so you can adhere it to the bottle to serve as the front door of your little house.
It's ok if the clay squishes out from the edges of the window frames and front door.
Then, starting near the edge of door, apply some decoden clay to the plastic bottle. It's not perfectly smooth - and that's ok! You're about to cover it with lots of small stones.
Following the outline of the front door, press some of the stones into the decoden clay.
For these first few stones I prefer to find ones with flat stone backs. Press the flat back into the clay and along the door to build your stone house foundation.
Continue adding decoden clay and stones along the outside edges of the door and windows.
Once you have the stones pressed around the window frames, use a cotton swab to wipe away excess clay poking into the inside of the window frames.
Once the door and windows are outlined, keep going to fill in the other areas on the plastic bottle with more decoden clay and small stones until the whole bottle is covered like a little fairy cottage.
Once done, set the tiny house aside so the clay can dry.
Mine took about 12 hours in a room with a fan to completely set - but some brands of decoden clay will say that depending on the thickness of the clay and the humidity in your area, it could take as many as five days to dry.
If you aren't sure, let your clay dry longer.
DIY Fairy Garden House STEP 4: Add the roof
This is my favorite part: To make the roof of the fairy house, I unscrewed the top off of a solar powered garden stake.
Once the clay on the fairy house is dry, set the solar roof on top!
Because I wanted to be able to access the underside of the roof as needed (like for swapping out the battery on the light), I chose not to glue the roof onto the house. It fits quite nicely just being set on top, though!
If you decide you would like to glue your lid on, do that now and let the glue dry.
Set your fairy house in your container fairy garden or somewhere in your own backyard to gather sunlight.
Once night falls, take a peek as night falls and you just might see the glow of the little fairies staying up late into the evening!
I hope you have been inspired to make your own fairy garden house!
I'd love to see how your stone houses turn out - if you make this project yourself, the easiest way to share with me is by tagging me when you post photos on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok - I'm @CreativeGreenLiving everywhere!
If you love this DIY Fairy House craft tutorial, be sure to pin it to save it for later!
PRINTABLE SOLAR LIGHT DIY FAIRY HOUSE DIRECTIONS
Yield: 1 Fairy Garden House
Estimated cost: $18
Best DIY Fairy Garden House
Welcome to the enchanting world of DIY fairy gardens! In this tutorial, we'll guide you step-by-step on how to make the best DIY fairy garden house using a combination of recycled and natural materials. 🧚🏡✨
prep time: 5 Mperform time: 30 Mtotal time: 35 M
materials:
- Tiny picture frames
- Multisurface Paint in Steel Grey
- Translucent plastic bottle
- Solar powered garden light
- Decoden clay
- Fairy door
- Small stones or beach pebbles
tools:
- Q-tips or cotton swabs
- Scissors or craft knife
steps:
- Paint mini picture frames to make fairy house window frames.
- Cut the top off bottle to make main body of the house. Be sure the solar light will be able to rest on the top of the bottle without falling in. If the size is wrong, choose a small bottle or a larger light.
- Adhere the fairy door and window frames to the plastic bottle with the decoden clay.
- Spread more decoden clay on the bottle and apply stones or beach pebbles to the clay. Continue adding decoden clay and stones until the house is full and it looks like a little stone cottage.
- Allow the decoden clay to dry at least one full day until completely set and dry. This may take several days depending on the brand of clay and the ambient humidity in your home.
- Once the clay is set and dry, twist the top off of a solar garden path light. Add the light to the top of the house to serve as a roof.
- Add your new fairy house to your outside fairy garden, your mini fairy garden inside or even use as a nightlight in your child's room.
NOTES:
In order for this project to work for you, the diameter of the top part of the solar light must be 1-2 inches bigger than the diameter of the bottle or hard plastic container you are using. Choose your light and bottle accordingly.
Copyright 2016, Creative Green Living
Did you make this project?
Tag @CreativeGreenLiving on instagram and hashtag it #CreativeGreenCrafts
Want more garden crafts made from recycled plastic bottles?
Check out 25 Garden Projects from Plastic Bottles
About the Author:
Carissa B is a lifelong crafter and mom of two creative boys. Her goal is to empower families to make easy projects and healthier choices that are beautiful and delicious!
The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she is an award-winning writer and most recently won the ShiftCon Media "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019.
She is also the author of several books including Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020). Follow her on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or join the Creative Green Living Community Group on Facebook.
The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she is an award-winning writer and most recently won the ShiftCon Media "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019.
She is also the author of several books including Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020). Follow her on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or join the Creative Green Living Community Group on Facebook.
Do you like this post? Subscribe to our newsletter!
Sponsored post disclosure: This post was sponsored by SolarCity. For more information, see my full sponsored post and review policy.
This is so cute. Perfect for my garden. Going to copy this. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMariz
You want to check out Wall NJ Maid Service information
Love this idea. Can't wait to make one myself! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI've bought all the 'ingredients' to make the fairy house but have read that the collage clay isn't suitable for outdoor use. Have you had any problems with yours or have you kept it indoors? Thanks
ReplyDeleteI haven't had an issue with it so far but it also hasn't rained very much and I have it in a sheltered spot. You can clean it with a damp cloth so I think some water is ok but if it is ever in standing water, I think it will dissolve
DeleteMaybe try giving it a couple of coats of a spray on varnish made for outdoor items (before attaching the solar light) for added protection.
Deletegreat
ReplyDeleteGraet
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try clear drying bathroom caulk. That should be fine for outdoors.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear back about how that turns out!
DeleteWhere did you get your solar powered garden light?
ReplyDeleteI ordered a box of them from Blinq - which is an inventory clearance site - but you can find similar ones at Target, Walmart, Home Depot, or on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2n7tGws.
DeleteIf you don't want a whole set, you can usually buy them individually for $3-$5.
I wonder how it would be if sprayed with a non-yellowing clear coat a couple of times would work. I am thinking of making this little house. It looks like fun to do. I have made turtles and lighthouses out of terra cotta pots and trays. Thank you for this cute idea.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth trying! Or maybe do 2-3 coats of the Outdoor formula Mod Podge?
DeleteI love this idea! I have all of the supplies however I am struggling with finding a bottle that will work. Do you have any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteIt depends how wide the top of the solar light you have is. If it is wide like mine (maybe 5-6 inches), try an iced coffee, Orange juice or large hand soap or shampoo bottle.
DeleteGreat! Thank you so much! I am going to try those ideas out!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing
ReplyDeleteI cannot find the mod podge collage clay. Is there and alternative for it?
ReplyDeleteI think any brand of white "decoden clay" would work
Delete