This DIY Fairy Garden Is the Perfect Gardening Project for Kids

A birdbath makes the perfect setting for a DIY fairy garden. This is a great project for kids to do on their own. Plus, it’s a good mix of gardening, building, playing, and just using your imagination.

We developed this project in collaboration with Birds & Blooms. They have articles about birding and gardening, including this one on creating your own fairy garden from a birdbath. Fairy gardening has been around for years, and it keeps growing in popularity. There’s just something magical about the idea of inviting fairies into your outdoor or indoor space.

Take a look at the step-by-step instructions for creating this fairy garden. You can also check out the video below for some added tips.

What You’ll Need:

• Birdbath
• Soil
• Plants
• DIY fairy garden furniture
• Extras to finish off your design like marbles, rocks, pebbles, etc.

Step 1: Find a birdbath.

It’s always good when you can keep a project as easy and inexpensive as possible. Look for a birdbath you can upcycle first. For instance, an old cracked birdbath that doesn’t hold water anymore would be great for this project because it has built-in drainage. You can also look at rummage sales or thrift stores for a birdbath. If all else fails, pick up an inexpensive birdbath up at your local home and garden store or online. (We picked the one featured here for around $30.)

Step 2: Select your plants.

Since you’re working with a small space, you want to find small plants. At my garden store, this means going to the indoor or houseplants section inside the greenhouse. They have a small section of miniature plants. You can also find miniature plants online or even on Amazon. Just search for “miniature plants” or “fairy plants.” Another approach is to try small succulents. Here are some tips about this approach from Birds & Blooms. Another trick I like to do is look for pre-planted miniature gardens. The garden in our project was at the garden store for $15, which is probably less than what I would’ve spent putting together my own plants. Plus, it’s already established and growing. If you are putting together your own plants, keep in mind that you don’t need many. Leave room for growing and fairy furniture!

Step 3: Build your DIY fairy garden furniture.

You can find so many articles and ideas around making your own DIY fairy garden furniture. We decided to make a playground for our fairies, so we used twigs to make an arbor. We used twigs and wire to make a swing. And then we used craft sticks to make a seesaw and fairy sign. Encourage kids to be creative and put their own stamp on their garden. They can research options and even come up with their own ideas.

Step 4: Plant your garden.

Before you start planting and building, be sure to add drainage at the bottom of your birdbath. If it’s an old, leaky birdbath, then you can probably skip this step! Otherwise, adding small holes with a drill or putting a thin layer of rocks or pebbles will both work. Then add your soil and plants. You can use moss (fake or real) to cover up soil areas and fill out the garden.

Step 5: Put your DIY fairy garden together.

At this point, you should have all the elements in place and ready to go, so now you can just play and build as you go. We put blue marbles in place to create a pond, and we put little pebbles down to create a walkway. We also added a few wood pieces for stepping stones and little craft sticks for a fence. Some people like to create an area, like we did, for the fairies to play and hangout, but each creator is different.

Step 6: Add water and care.

Most miniature plants don’t need a lot of water. Even misting with a spray bottle a few times a week is usually enough to keep the garden hydrated. If you’re unsure, be sure to read the labels from the plants you purchased. Whether you keep the DIY fairy garden outside or inside is up to you. It might depend on what plants you used and if they need a lot of sun or not. With the right plants, you can even keep it inside as a houseplant feature. Keep a watch on how your plants react to the surrounding, and adjust as needed.

Fairy gardening is a perfect mix of DIY and gardening. It would be a perfect project to do using the Let Grow Independence Kit, especially for those artsy, crafty kids. We hope you enjoy making one and bringing in a little magic to your backyard.