A DIY Fairy Garden is fun for the kids (and for the inner child in you)! These 7 tips will help you get ready to grow!

If you're looking for a kid-friendly gardening project, consider this DIY fairy garden project. These whimsical container gardens offer kids a small planted play space of their own with endless opportunity for customization and make-believe.

Below are some tips on how to get started.

7 Tips for Making a DIY Fairy Garden

1. Use your Imagination!

According to Henry David Thoreau, “The world is but a canvas to the imaginatio.n. It all starts with your imagination.

A fairy garden requires the gardener to imagine (and build) an environment for tiny people who will want to do some of the things humans do in the garden: sit, swing, lie in a hammock, sip cool drinks and enjoy the ever changing light playing through leaves and flowers.

2. Choose a Theme

Fairy gardens are about storytelling. You think of a story, you set up a scene and the imagination takes it from there.

This tip makes things so much easier! Instead of assembling a bunch of supplies and hoping they somehow work well together, start with a theme.

Once you have decided this common thread, it makes it really easy to pick supplies and accessories that all work together.

Here's a helpful guide on how to choose a Fairy Garden Theme.

3. Understanding the Scale

This means choosing accessories that look right in proportion to one another. You don’t want a giant chair and a tiny table. Or massive plants and teeny houses. Choosing a scale and sticking with it will ensure your fairy garden is pleasing to the eye. Without this step, things may look mismatched and odd.

As we go through all the stages of what makes a successful fairy garden, keep in mind that we are working in the classic miniature scale of 1:12. This means that one inch in miniature equals one foot in real life. So a 4-inch fairy figurine is equivalent to a 4-foot child. Until you become accustomed to this scale, be sure to keep a tape measure handy as you scout around for goodies to add to your fairy garden.

4. Choose the Right Plants

When putting living plants as a part of your fairy garden, there are things that need to be considered: If this garden will be indoors or outdoors and the preferred style.

Here's a guide in choosing the right plants for your fairy garden.

Sub-tip: Before planting your miniature garden, place all of the garden decorations, furniture and plants on top of the soil. This is your chance to change the layout and experiment with various interesting and surprising arrangements. Once the overall miniature garden design is established, start planting your plants with the largest roots first. Small creeping plants are great for a border or edging.

5. Get or Make your Own Accessories

Here’s where it gets fun. Once you know your theme, and you’ve figured out the scale and plants, it’s time to start decorating. As tiny as it is, accessories for fairy gardens can get fairly pricey. As a solution, you can make your own!

Here are some useful links:

• DIY Polymer Clay Charms 101: Getting Started shows everything you need to know to get started with polymer clay miniature making.
• Easy DIY Fairy Garden Decor shows how to make some basic items.
• 5 DIY Fairy Pond Charms with Polymer Clay will get you a sweet, homemade pond (with accessories) in an afternoon.

Use whatever elements make you happy. Fairies want you to be happy. Fairies love flowers, birds, and all things from nature. You can use whatever you like, just have fun and dust off your imagination.

6. Interactive-ity

Make it an activity and a chance for family bonding. Interactive fairy gardens are a magical space for children to play and a lovely addition to any garden. Making one is quite simple and quick, but will bring hours of family enjoyment. The real imagination and magic comes alive when choosing the small details to place in your garden…with so many fantastic possibilities your garden will always be changing and evolving!

7. Pick your Container

When selecting a container,your options might be dictated by how much space you have or the desire to reuse something you already have at home like an old pot, wash bin or hanging basket. The options are limitless, so consider what size works best for your space.

BONUS TIP: Proper Container Drainage

Proper drainage with a layer of pea gravel and several holes in the bottom of your container ensure your plants grow lush and happy. Small rocks and miniature furniture, pottery shards or kids toys can be used for adorning your miniature garden designs.

It’s time to put it all together and create your own homemade fairy garden. Assemble everything and bring it to life! Who knows — maybe some real-life fairies will decide to nest there!