The Best Fairy Garden Ideas For Your Backyard

How to Create a Fairy Garden Outdoors

Fairy gardens are a hot trend for gardeners of all ages. Whether it be their childlike, whimsical nature, or just the beauty in these miniature scenes, gardeners across the globe have found the art of crafting these fairy sets to be really, really fun. 

A fairy garden is precisely that--a garden intended to "attract" (or at least look like they could attract) magical fairies through the use of tiny homes, plants, and accessories. These gardens can be indoor or outdoor and typically contain live plants which can be easily maintained.

The fascination with fairies has roots back in Celtic lore, which stated that these mythical creatures were worth attracting. The idea is that if you are nice to fairies, in turn, they will bring your good health, luck, and prosperity. So, how do you go about attracting a fairy to your garden? By providing them with a peaceful and welcoming setting, equipped with a home of their very own and ample seating for them to relax and stay awhile.

So, whether you're (really, truly) interested in attracting fairies for good luck--or just love the idea of creating a fairy garden, you've come to the right place. In this article, we're going to detail some of the best fairy garden ideas we've found on the internet as well as how to create one for yourself.

Best Fairy House

The best fairy houses are the ones that express every ounce of your creativity. One of the best features of fairy gardens is that the options are limitless, and it is a way for you to make your visions come to life however you see fit. Your ideal little fairy garden can take the shape of a cobble-stoned cottage or a twig-tied yurt. Some might opt for an intricate castle or a more modern take with a camper van. Whatever tickles your fancy, just roll with it and let your creativity run wild!

We've scoured the internet to find some of the best ideas for fairy houses to help get your creative juices flowing. Here are some of the favorites that we've seen.

Flower Pot

A flowerpot is an excellent way to make an outdoor fairy garden quickly and easily using materials you likely already have at home. This whimsical DIY Terra Cotta Pot Fairy Garden idea takes one pot with a broken entryway. Use this pathway to fill with different levels of soil, layering more of the broken terra cotta pieces for a stairway effect. You can add ground coverage foliage or other small plants for even more texture. At the top, you'll find a fairy house situated as a focal point.

You'll see a wide variety of fairy gardens made in a flower pot, some with a spiral staircase and others made with multiple broken banks. The look can be as simple or intricate as you like, matching any possible garden theme you may have.

Twinkle Twinkle

There is debatably nothing more fairy-like than small twinkle lights, so it only makes sense for you to find a way to incorporate these into a fairy garden. Solar Lights in the Fairy Garden are a great way to add these twinkly features without having to worry about a power source. Let the battery backs charge up during the sunny days, and once the sun goes down, you can immediately reap the benefits and experience the magic.

Line the parameter of your fairy garden with these lights, have them running across the garden, or find any other creative way to string this lighting throughout your fairy garden. Using these solar lights will also help you to be able to enjoy your fair garden even in the darkness of night and early morning.

Door to Your Imagination

The ultimate Miniature Fairy Garden Filled with Magic is a unique fairy garden design that forgoes the fairy home. Rather than a traditional house, this fairy garden style has a door leading to nowhere other than where your imagination takes you. Your entry will store serve as the focal point of your fairy garden but has a much smaller footprint, allowing for that much more decor around your garden.

Another significant aspect of this creative design is that it allows you more flexibility to change the layout of your fairy garden as you see fit. With a single door rather than an entire four-walled structure, you are free to move it around your space to see what your fairy friends like the best. You can also move things around as your plants begin to grow and take form. This design lets nature do the talking while stile providing a haven fairy garden for the mythical creatures.

Cup of Fairy Tea

Do you have an ornately painted teacup laying around the house that you can't for the life of you figure out what to do with it? Well, rather than getting rid of it, you can create a Teacup Fairy Garden out of it and let your little fairy friends enjoy this hidden treasure. If you don't already have a teacup of your own, you could very quickly thrift one at your local second-hand shop or check out some garage sales in your area. Since you aren't looking for a whole set, you're likely to find some pretty great pieces with a matching saucer and all.

You could even consider using a teapot. Another garden favorite of ours is this Antique Green Watering Can, an excellent spot for a fairy garden. Any fair would be more than thrilled to call his home in your garden with a perfect vintage look.

Beachy Keen

Whether you live close to the beach or just wish that you did, a Beach Scene Fairy Garden is one way to live vicariously through these magical creatures. Rather than the traditional soil found in most fairy gardens, you can opt for sand which almost immediately turns your fairy garden into the beachy scene of your dreams.

Another simple addition to beach up any fairy garden scene is adding small picket fencing and shells across the parameter. Less tends to be more in beach scene fairy gardens, so try to opt for more simple greenery and accessories. A hand-painted surfboard or beachy sign is the perfect finishing touch.

Cute Little Cottage

This beautiful little Cottage Fairy Garden blends the garden aspect with a hidden little fairy house. The materials list for this cottage fairy garden includes a simple, inexpensive wooden birdhouse, twigs, dried pods, flowers, moss, a small terra cotta tray and pots, and a hot glue gun.

If you're not interested in crafting a fairy home yourself, you can always opt for a cottage-style birdhouse like this Stone Cottage Bird House. This cottage comes with its window box filled with beautiful red flowers and an adorable little white rocking chair on the front porch with a handcrafted look. This cottage makes for a great focal point of your garden and is sure to be a statement piece.

Garden Greens

What better way to treat the fairies of your garden than by providing them with a garden of their very own. The Miniature Fairy Gardens can be made using varying containers, with the primary theme focusing on the gardening aspect for your fairy. You can provide your fairies with miniature gardening tools to help them make the garden of their dreams.

Small fruits and vegetables can help enhance the garden and entice your garden fairies to live off their land. If you're unsure where to find mini fruits and veggies, they can easily be handcrafted using molding clay and some paint. Feel free to change up the theme of your fairy garden with the seasons, adding things like pumpkins in the fall and bright florals in the spring.

On a Tree

Trees are notable features of gardens, but sometimes large trunks can feel like underutilized space. Thankfully, you can craft up a fairy garden on your tree to help make a happy home and add some creativity to this otherwise plain area of your garden. There are countless options for creating a fairy home on a tree. Check out some of these Fairy Garden Trees to help spark your creativity.

Generally speaking, fairy gardens on trees usually consist of a door and some amount of windows, allowing natural light in your fairy home. You can get creative and all sorts of decorations and make the front porch as elaborate as you like. Add minor lighting fixtures, and don't forget about the seating! Those garden fairies love to be able to rest and relax and enjoy their garden and yours.

Enchanted Forest

Nothing says enchanted forest-like mushroom decor. This Enchanted Forest Fairy Garden looks like something you would happen upon yourself naturally in the depths of the forest. Tiny pebbles that are making a cobblestone walkway add to the mysticism of this fairy home and the added pops of color in the plants of the garden.

These Little Fungi on Stone Garden Statues are a perfect way to integrate an even more natural mushroom appearance in your fairy garden. This set, in particular, comes in three with varying natural colors, textures, heights, and finishes. These handcrafted mushrooms are the perfect sculpture additions to your fairy garden.

How to Make Your Very Own Fairy Garden

A fairy garden is the perfect whimsical addition to any garden space. Best of all, a DIY fairy garden is a great craft project for children and adults of all ages. The idea behind the ideal quiet DIY fairy garden is to create a miniature garden landscape filled with small trinkets to attract fairies into your yard. Thankfully, these projects are relatively simple, and you can customize them as you see fit. Here's how to get started on building a fairy garden of your very own.

1. Pick Your Materials

Before you get started with your fairy garden, you'll want to gather your materials ahead of time. Here's a quick list of some materials you will likely need, but remember you want to get creative which means you can feel free to utilize whatever materials you see fit.

• Container with drainage holes
• Potting mix
• Pebbles, small gravel, or glass marbles
• Twigs, small plants, or flowers
• Miniature garden decorations (fairy house, mini table, mini chairs, fencing)

2. Choose a Theme

Once you've gathered some of your essential materials, you'll likely have a theme already in mind. If not, now is an excellent time to pick one out to help keep you focused on your design. You can choose a fairy garden theme that will match your existing decor or make something unique. It's up to you to decide what will be best at attracting these magical creatures to your garden.

Some fun themes you might want to consider utilizing may include:

• Beach
• English cottage
• Forest backdrop
• Treehouse
• Wooded wonderland
• Fairy city
• Castle
• Fairy home
• Tree interior

3. Sketch Your Layout

Next, you'll want to sketch your layout to get a good idea of where you'll place all of your items. Included in the design of your fairy garden should be where you plan on your garden being. You can easily have your fairy garden indoors and outdoors. Just make sure that the container you've selected will fit the space properly.

As you begin the layout process, you'll be able to pick up any other materials needed to help fill your theme. If you're having a hard time finding things around the home that match your fairy garden theme, you can check out your local nurseries or craft stores. Otherwise, check out some online stores to fill your space with majestic items.

4. Select a Container

You can get creative when it comes to designing your fairy garden, even down to the primary container you plan on using. We recommend finding a container that either has drainage holes or that you will be able to drill drainage holes since you will likely be using live plants in your fairy garden.

Try to find a container that is at least six inches deep and over 14 inches in diameter. While this might sound large, you'll want plenty of space to work with and accommodate all of the features of your fairy garden. Some fun and exciting ideas for fairy garden containers include:

• Terra cotta pots
• Terrariums
• Glass bowls
• Baby tubs
• Large bowls
• Wooden boxes
• Wagons
• Wheelbarrows
• Tin buckets
• Flower pots

5. Build Your Fairy Garden

To be extra accommodating to any garden fairies, you'll want to ensure you add a lovely cozy fairy house. You can use bird houses or any other miniature-sized homes you can find in your local craft store. You can even craft up a little fairy house yourself using items found around the home.

When selecting the proper soil for your fairy garden, you should always opt for composted soil that is jam-packed with organic matter. To help give your fairy garden that truly alive look, try to find dirt with tiny bark pieces or add some in yourself. Again, you'll want to make sure you have proper draining in your garden, so add a layer of gravel to the bottom of your container. You can also add a layer of charcoal to help ensure the freshness of your soil year-round.

6. Add Life

You can help bring your fairy garden to life by adding live plants. You'll want to consider where your fairy garden will be located when determining which plants to use. Indoor versus outdoor plants can be very different, and the amount of natural sunlight and exposure to the natural elements. Miniature plants in varying textures and colors add a pop to your landscaping and help develop visual interest. Be careful not to overcrowd your fairy garden, but add lovely hiding places for your fairies in specific areas throughout their gardens.

Some of the best plants for fairy gardens should be two to three-inch plant pots with small leaves and are low-growing. These plants are easy to maintain and help to add to the aesthetics of this miniaturized garden. Here are a few great plant options for your fairy gardens:

• Rosemary
• Licorice plants
• Ivy
• Small bonsai trees
• Succulents
• Tiny violas
• Calendula
• Primroses
• Miniature roses
• Wooly thyme
• Ornamental strawberry
• Baby tears
• Ferns

7. Accessorize

Accessorizing is where you get to let your creativity take charge. You can find all sorts of fun little trinkets to decorate your fairy garden by making them yourself or finding them online. Here are a few top hits for fairy garden accessories:

• Fairy house
• Fencing
• Little benches
• Small mushroom stools
• Animals
• Lanterns
• Pails
• Watering cans
• Birdbaths
• Birdhouses
• Trellises
• Chairs

Don't be afraid of crafting some of these fairy accessories yourself! You can use sculpting clay to prepare your very own picnic table or string popsicle sticks together with wire to make attractive fencing. Your creativity should know no bounds with your fairy houses. If you can dream it, you can do it!

Where to Buy Supplies for Fairy Gardens

The world is your oyster when it comes to designing the perfect fairy garden. The idea is to take whatever you can dream up and turn it into a magical reality in your garden. Since your options are nearly limitless, your resources for finding the perfect supplies are too. So, to help you to get started, here are a few ideas.

Go Foraging

Take a step outside into your yard and see what little treasures you can find. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to happen upon a unique piece that will become the focal point of your fairy garden. Otherwise, you can pick up small pebbles, wood pieces, or any other materials that speak to you. You'll never know where you can find a place for them in. your fairy garden.

Local Second Hand Shops

If you have a hard time getting inspired, take a trip down to your local second-hand shop. Talk about treasures galore! Browse through the isle of china, glassware, or any other section that catches your eye. Whether you find the perfect little cottage or someone of kind garden accessories, you're sure to find something to add to your fairy garden at a reasonable price, to boot!

Facebook Marketplace

You can also take to online marketplaces to start getting your creative juices flowing. Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp are great places to browse through items in your local area. If you're unsure where to begin your searches, you can try filtering by "free" things first. From here, you can start doing more refined searches. Try looking up dollhouse supplies to see if you can find a cute little park bench or small picket fence to add to your fairy garden.

Happy Gardens Store

Another place to get inspired is the Happy Gardens Store. Here you can browse through countless handcrafted items that are sure to get you started on the right foot in your fairy garden adventures. The nearly endless birdhouse selection is a great place to start looking for the fairy house of your dreams. Any fairy would be lucky to happen upon this Stone Cottage Birdhouse in your fairy garden.

About Happy Gardens

At Happy Gardens, you will find an online collection of crafty and thoughtful garden merchandise and decor perfect for any outdoor space. So, if you have been endlessly searching for the beautifully crafted birdhouse, ideal wall art piece, or charming rain chain, you'll find what you're looking for at Happy Gardens. You'll be delighted to see that each of our products on our site has been carefully handcrafted with love specifically for your happiness.

You'll find our unique collections at Happy Gardens include a remarkable variety of top-rated, beloved products. Some of our bests include eye-catching spinners, artistic rain gauges, unique garden ornaments and statues, and so much more to decorate any outdoor space. We also have a brand new line of merchandise for you to check out, offering fun and exciting gifts readily available throughout the year. You can find the best wine glasses, coffee mugs, and tote bags for the garden enthusiasts in your life.

Find out the latest and greatest about all of the Happy Gardens products by joining our mailing list. It's as easy as entering your name and email address, and you can immediately look forward to adding some fun to your newsfeed. For even more garden inspiration, you can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

We're here to help! If you require assistance in selecting the perfect fairy garden elements or designing the ideal layout for your outdoor decor, never hesitate to reach out to us via chat.