If you're in search of a whimsical way to dress up your planters or garden beds, a fairy garden might be exactly what you need. Follow these steps to create your very own fairy garden.

1. Start by Choosing a Spot for Your Fairy Garden

First, choose the best spot for your fairy garden. For indoor fairy gardens with live plants, you'll need a spot near a window that provides adequate light. For outdoor fairy gardens, look for a spot in your garden where the fairy homes or accessories can be fully admired without being in the way. The amount of sunlight the spot gets will also help you determine the best plants to include.

2. Then, Pick the Perfect Container

Planters and other mediums like terrariums, large pieces of pottery, upcycled wheelbarrows, tree stumps, and birdbaths serve as the perfect foundations for fairy gardens to help them stand out. When selecting a planter or another medium, consider which plants and accessories you'll be using. The depth of the container should be deep enough to accommodate the roots of the plants and wide enough to fit any of the fairy houses or accents you want to include.

Tip!

We also love incorporating pieces from fairy gardens into everyday spaces. Think of spots that need a little whimsy, like a window box planter or the area beside a pathway. Just tuck a miniature house or a fairy tale figurine into a window box planter and admire your addition each time you walk by.

3. Decide on a Fairy Garden Theme

Now that you've picked out a spot and a container/base for your fairy garden, consider what type of scene you want to create. A theme will help you design a cohesive fairy garden that tells a story. Here are some fun potential themes to consider:

• An enchanted woodland
• A hidden swimming hole
• A quaint fairy village
• A haven for tiny garden gnomes
• A fairy playground
• A mushroom-covered fairyland
• A fairy tea party
• A holiday-inspired fairy village

4. Plant Your Fairy Garden With Suitable Options

If you're incorporating live plants into your fairy garden, it's important to consider which plants will work best in terms of size, lighting needs, and care requirements. Here are some examples of plants that will add to the magic of your fairy garden:

• Succulents (types like Hens & Chicks)
• Irish Moss
• Ferns
• Herbs (especially thyme)
• Dwarf Trees or Shrubs
• Foxgloves (said to attract fairies)
• Creeping Jenny
• Baby Houseplants (for indoor fairy gardens)

After selecting plants and planting up your fairy garden, use landscaping pebbles to polish the display and prepare the space for fairy houses!

Tip!

Faux plants are another great option for fairy gardens because they're affordable, don't require any care, and won't outgrow the fairy garden. Faux plants are also ideal for low-light spaces or making fairy gardens with little ones.

5. Position Statement Pieces First

After you've filled your fairy garden with plants, it's time to decorate! We recommend starting with the fairy houses/cottages as these are the pieces that will act as the anchors for the display. Depending on the size of your fairy garden, play around with layout and experiment with using upturned planters or garden stones to elevate fairy houses to different visual levels. Once you have your fairy houses where you want them, you can focus on smaller decorative accents.

6. Then, Focus On Little Details

The small accents are what really make a fairy garden come to life. Include tiny stairs, pathways, or fences to connect each fairy house. We love using miniature benches and furniture, bird baths, and watering cans to add even more charm and eye-catching detail. You can also use a string of mini fairy lights to add a warm twinkle to your fairy garden.

7. Add Fairy Residents as the Finishing Touch

Since fairy gardens are meant to attract fairies, figurines are a fun way to add some liveliness. You can choose figurines of fairies, people, pets, or woodland animals – whichever best fits the theme of your fairy garden. These quaint additions will help bring your fairy garden to life even more – who knows, they might even attract some mythical fairy friends.

Tip!

Check out these Fairy Garden Ideas to Create a Magical Space for more inspo.

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