Last week I finished my first ever fairy door and installed it in my garden. I was inspired to take on this project when I came across the freestanding wooden door made by Urban Crafter.
A fairy door is a miniature entrance installed at a place where a fairy would like to reside, such as a tree. With the help of the imagination, fairy doors are portals into their mysterious and magical realm. The door is often erected as a welcome to the fairies.
The creation and installation of fairy doors is a growing tradition, especially in the UK and in the United States. From time to time, doors are installed in public places. For example, in 2005, a door was installed by Jonathan B. Wright outside the Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea in Ann Arbor.
It was the first public fairy door of the region. Mr Wright had already welcomed the fairies to his 100-year old house, when he walked past the café and thought it might be great to install a door there. While his idea was grand, he had not asked permission to install it and a week later, the door was removed and returned to him. A beautiful gesture that comes with an important lesson: before installing a door, make sure you have permission first!
I painted my fairy door with purple and dusty pink acrylic paint. Once dry, I decorated the door’s exterior with Kaisercraft’s nature and fairy-related wooden cut-outs.
First, I painted the cut-outs with gold acrylic paint and then glued them to the door with PVA glue. Finally, once completely dry, I sealed the paint with a clear varnish I purchased from Kmart. My door will need to be varnished from time to time to protect the wood from the elements.
I gave some thought as to where to place my first ever fairy door. In the end, I installed it alongside the nectarine tree in the garden. I am sure that nectarine fairies live already there and I thought they would appreciate it. They are certainly busy at the moment, taking great care of the tree, which is blossoming. From time to time, I will leave a keepsake, or an offering near the door as a thank you for their hard work and efforts.
If you love to create magic in your home and garden, I cordially invite you to join my Wonder Weavers Circle on Facebook. This is a place where fairy architects, enchanted and mini landscapers and many other wondrous artisans can meet, share and get tips.
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