Win Cornelia the Corn Fairy
It’s corn! The fairies welcomed this TikTok trend with Cornelia the Corn Fairy. She is ready to enjoy the harvest season out in the world. Especially if she gets to visit a corn maze or two :)
To enter, follow us, like the post, and leave a comment on Instagram, Facebook, and/or TikTok. Yes, you can enter 3 times. A random number generator will choose the winner. You have until September 10, 2022 at 11:59pm Pacific Time to enter. US and District of Columbia only. See full terms and conditions by clicking here.
May the Forest be with you!
Rainbow Fairies
The early summer skies are exactly where fairies like to play. These rainbow fairies charmed me when I had the idea to create them.
My first challenge was creating the rainbows on their hats. I could have done a whipstich (line) or used sequins, but I thought about using a Rabbit Stitch (aka blanket stitch) which looks a few stitches to figure out. I practice on a scrap piece of felt before the cut triangle hat. I used rainbow crochet thread. And it meant that I had to clip a section of purple, tie that off, then clip blue, and tie that off, and so forth. Lots of tying and starting new threads. Which means this is a project for older, patient children or adults. I could try to show step-by-step photos if people are interested. I push the needle down through With younger children, I would offer rainbow color sequins and let them have fun sewing sparkles onto the hat.
I was going to add bells to the tops of the hats when I found the white puffs (from a Santa fairy project). They looked like perfect clouds!
The next puzzle was their clothing, which I could have chosen in rainbow colors. I felt blue evoked the sky and brought them together so I chose light and dark blue for clothing. Then I used rainbow thread for their shirts.
The next question for me was how to make their wings. I found the rainbow ribbon, but it didn’t have wires and seemed thin for my usual wings. So maybe I would create a bow? Or loop it around somehow? Finally, I realized that the two pieces of ribbon worked well. I ended up flipping pieces so they had similar colors overlapping because it made it more rainbow-like.
With rainbow cotton yarn braids and rainbow petal skirts (luckily I have lots of petals in my stash), the rainbow fairies came together and were so incredibly cute! The value in creating them is seeing them come together at the end. They charm me every time.
Everyone loves rainbows! 🌈
Supply Resources:
Holland Wool Felt
3/4 inch 20mm Wood Beads (darker tones painted with Lyra Watercolors)
Rainbow Thread*
Rainbow Cotton Yarn*
*Affiliate link. If you choose to purchase, a small amount is given to us while your pricing remains the same. Thank you!
Rainbow Fairy Mobile
Look up and you may see a magical rainbow arcing across the sky. And, if you’re really lucky, you may see rainbow fairies playing in the colors.
This mobile was a collaborative project with my niece. I put it together as a gift which she loved after expecting a handful of colorful fairies.
Our first step was choosing the colors. We laid out different combinations before cutting any patterns. She liked softer versions of color, leaning towards lavender rather than deep purple. With this palette, red didn’t quite fit with the other colors. A bold pink fit far better in our fairy rainbow. Color choices were a good conversation about planning because laying them out together before cutting meant that we had flexibility when we changed our minds about one shade or another.
We also checked on the petal colors while choosing felt. It turned out that we had very few orange petals. For some reason, our orange/yellow collection was smaller than the other colors. So we opted to combine orange & yellow into one fairy.
We first cut the hats and dresses. She sewed the hats. We encountered a challenge with wings because she wanted the wings to match and I didn’t have perfectly matched wire ribbon in all the colors of the rainbow.
At this moment, I let her think about potential solutions- which is a fantastic learning opportunity for children. I could have said, “Oh, we can cut wings,” but it was a perfect opportunity for her to consider options. And weigh feasibility. Dying ribbon? Whelp, I didn’t have dye either. It took some time before cutting wings was offered. And, again, I could have said, “Great, let’s get a pattern,” but instead I asked her how we could do that. And she decided she wanted to design her own wings. I showed her the patterns that we use for Bumblebee and Love Fairies. She thought about it and decided she wanted her own shape.
So I told her how we design wings by thinking about the shape, then making sure the shape has enough thickness to connect in the back. We draw half of the wings on paper, fold, then cut it to see if the size and shape works before using felt. It took a few tries for her design to “work”. The first was too small and another with lots of little details. We also talk about material because things that look great on paper won’t work on felt. Especially craft-quality felt doesn’t hold little zig-zags or edging very well.
After her paper wings passed the “testing phase” with paper, we cut out a set of wings and tried it to see how it worked. Perfect!
My photo collection doesn’t have a great perspective from the back of a fairy to see her wing design, but hopefully, this one shares the idea of her wing shapes. We did need to adjust a little because the felt didn’t hold the shape that well (wool felt would have been better for these wings because it holds shapes better but, by this phase, we had already sewn hats).
We decided to mix a rainbow yarn with white yard (like clouds) to give continuity between the fairies. I use floral wire, which is quite soft and easy to bend, to create the mobile’s frame. The last step is that I give each end of the wire a swirl, and a loop on a fairy’s hat, so they can be removed for play. It’s a lovely decoration that invites creative play. After all, what could be more fun that watching rainbow fairies fly overhead? Playing with them!
Wishing you plenty of fairy magic today! And rainbows too 🌈
April Showers Fairy
She dances in the rain. Because rain in April has a softness. April rain has a gentle patter that promises color and blossoms and sunshine soon. After all, April Showers bring May Flowers. And this year she’s especially invested in bringing lots of beautiful flowers for everyone. She inspires me!
She’s actually super-simple to create. Directions for her are in Magical Forest Fairy Crafts Through the Seasons. You can create her with any fairy directions. She uses a seed stitch for her hat. I leaned into soft colors using her- lavender and pale blue and grayish tones. She was a fairy that came together in a way that charmed me. The one thing that can help when choosing subtle palettes of color is higher quality felt. The April Showers fairy has Cool Blue from A Child’s Dream Come True- available here if you’re interested: https://achildsdream.com/holland-wool-felt-cool-colors-yards-cuts/. As with all of the fairies, you don’t need very much felt. An 8x12 inch quantity is plenty.
Her hair is cotton yarn by Sugar n Cream. I am pretty sure that it’s this ombre color* called faded denim. *I haven’t ordered from this website before but they have a wonderful selection of Sugar n Cream yarn. Because I wind the skeins into balls once I’m home, I don’t have the labels anymore. And one skein lasts for years :)
Of course, you can decide to make your April Showers in any shades that inspire you. We encourage children (and adults) to look outside and notice how colors look during different seasons and weather. We may assume that the rain is blue. Yet, the colors may be closer to muted grays. Whatever looks good to you is perfect for fairies.
We hope this time of year brings you lovely inspiration 💦
Whimsical Witches
What’s a fun gift for a baby nursery? Especially when her family loves magic? A gathering of witches especially for baby.
To make them, I used the witch pattern from Forest Fairy Crafts. I chose different colors (white/lavender/light blue/turquoise). I cut a hat from each color, a small heart, and a dress from each color. Then I mixed them around into different combinations. This gave the mobile a sense of connection between the fairies. And, once I start sewing, it’s easy to lose track of colors and end up with two identical hats or outfits.
I cut one small heart to measure on a hat before sewing anything together. Then I adjusted that to the right size. I used that to cut three more hearts (totaling 4, one of each color). I sew the hearts onto the triangle before sewing the hat together.
I use floral wire to create the mobile, and felt balls for added color and whimsy. I added loops to each hat so, when baby’s older, she could take the fairies off the mobile for magical playtime. Once she’s done with a toy-tasting phase of toddlerhood, of course.
We painted the beads for different skin tones using watercolors paints. Our other book, Magical Forest Fairy Crafts through the Seasons, shares more information about painting beads.
One of my favorite things is taking a idea, like the witch, and giving the idea a fresh perspective. Creating this mobile was a treat. Every baby brings magic into the world. We celebrate each and every one :)
This post contains an affiliate link. Should you choose to purchase, a small amount returns to us while your pricing remains the same. We appreciate the support!
And I love the idea that witches can be bright and colorful :) May their magic find you today :)
Favorite Spring Fairies
Spring fairies enjoy all the blossoms and sunshine of spring. They find spring enchanting as they flit among the branches in the garden. We love the soft colors of spring.
So do the fairies!
Some of our favorite spring blooms are Dogwood trees and camilla blooms. What inspires you in the springtime?
I’m taking a moment to enjoy the magic of spring before I dive into prepping for a super-fun Summer Party! The party begins on June 9th. The fairies are getting ready :)
Memorial Day
The fairies say thank you to all the families that are directly affected by Memorial Day. The freedoms that are part of the fabric of everyday life were defended by people over time. These families have appreciation from the fairy forest. Personally, we craft with many children of military families. We see how lasting effects impacts soldiers and their families, from health concerns to mental wellness, long after active duty has ended. The fairies appreciate those who stand for freedom and safety worldwidel. At the same time, fairies, and all their gnomes and critter friends, hope for days (and years) of peace around the world.
We remember heroes and support families and hope for peace.
Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day to our one and only home planet! The fairies love all the wild places of earth. We live among the Forest Fairies, but river fairies and ocean fairies and mountain fairies may be closer to your home. We created this Happy Earth Day fairy to celebrate all the blues and greens of sky, leaves, and water.
I found flower-shaped sequins which made simple sparkly decorations on her hat. We used “pinking shears” which have zig-zag edges for the crown shape on her hat band. For her hair, we used color changing green-white yarn and blue yarn with sparkles (and occasional sequins). Since each fairy takes a small amount of yarn, I look for interesting yarn that add to my collection. I also doubled the crochet thread around her dress for the blue/pale green layering effect.
Thinking about Earth Day fairies means being inspired by nature. What are the colors around your home? What sort of nature can be found, even in cities? What does a nature fairy mean for your part of the world?
The other thing that I feel is super-valuable for children is talking about respecting nature at all ages. Children may not realize that hitting trees with sticks can harm the tree, or plucking flowers may not help bees, or trampling young plants underfoot may not help those plants grow. Children are open to the idea of helping nature grow. They just need to learn what that means in their daily lives.
For us, we are mindful of nature by reusing supplies (that yarn stash that lasts me for years) and buying from thoughtful suppliers (as opposed to “cheap” supplies).
When I take photos, I am careful of the environment. We made the illusion of a fairy sitting in a flower with Photoshop magic. We visited a local favorite garden at Crystal Hermitage where they grow over 5000 tulip bulbs. We balanced the fairy by holding the flower carefully. Then we took the fairy away, and I took another of the flower by itself. Then I could “paint” the hand away by layering the two photos together.
This meant that no flowers were harmed in the making of our photos. Respecting our earth is a daily habit. And celebrating should last all year. We hope that you get to enjoy nature today!
May your Earth Day be filled with magic :)
*this post does contain an affiliate link. Should you choose to purchase, a small amount returns to the forest while your pricing remains the same. Thank you!
Happy Spring
Hurrah! Spring is here! And with spring comes all the petals and colors and inspiration of spring. Now is the perfect time to make little fairies for Easter Baskets. Or gift the book Magical Forest Fairy Crafts through the Seasons for delightful crafting with little people in your life. Celebrate the many ways we grow together! We’re excited to bring out all the colors of spring. Happy changing of the seasons!
And to our friends on the opposite hemisphere, happy Autumn!
And, if you want even more fairy magic, discover our first book, Forest Fairy Crafts 🌸
This post does contain affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase a copy of our book, your price remains the same while we receive a small compensation for referring you. Thank you for supporting the forest!
Leprechaun Ninja
Edit to add: Thank you everyone for entering! The Leprechaun Ninja is traveling to her new home with Jenn. We appreciate all of your kind words! We’re busy creating for the next giveaway. Visit again soon and/or subscribe to our newsletter for all the updates :)
The past few years have seen Leprechauns learning new skills. And a very secret type of Leprechaun is the Leprechaun Ninja. What, what? Think about who protects the gold, who can change rainbows, and who is willing to put everything on the line for adventure? Especially with the rise of Leprechaun Traps in the world, these ninjas enjoy going on quests to help their communities.
We had a great time making her one rainy afternoon. My daughter thought of the idea for rainbow braids, because Leprechauns are fond of rainbows (another meaning to gold at the end of the rainbow being a golden personality :)).
That led to a little challenge, which is usually solved by gluing the hat on the head. Adding the yarn for the hair leaves a little patch bare on the back of her head. I wanted the hat to be able to go on and off since her smile is cute. We solved this by painting the back of her head with a tiny bit of green paint, which looks like her hair color. The wings mostly cover the back of her head anyway.
And she looks so cute from the front with her braids and no hat :)
She is now a favorite new character in fairyland. We’ve been having fun mixing and matching different characters lately. Directions for both the Ninja and the Leprechaun are in our first Forest Fairy Crafts book*.
She even has a glow-in-the-dark bead on her hat to light her way at night :)
Now, for the best news of the day. She wants to explore. So we’re hosting a giveaway!
Winner wins the leprechaun ninja made by Lenka sent anywhere in the United States (apologies to International friends). Forest Fairies are not appropriate for young children who enjoy tasting their toys (choking hazard).
To enter, comment here. For additional chances, enter on
Facebook with a comment, like, share
Instagram with tagging a friend
Twitter with a Retweet or Quote Tweet. May the luck of the Leprechauns be with you! 🍀
We hope your month is filled with magic :)
*Affiliate link gives a small amount back to the forest while your price remains the same. Thank you
Wishing you the magic of the season 🍀💚
For more leprechaun ideas, visit our post about Leprechaun Babies and Happy Leprechaun Season. Enjoy 💛
Happy Valentine's Day
Roses are red
Fairies are blue
Hoping your day
Is magical too ✨💕
Wishing you so much love every day! ❤️
Thankful Fairy
Welcome to a season of thankfulness (which really is every season, right? ;)). We adore creating this fairy for everything we are thankful for in our lives. We start thankful thoughts with a fairy that notices things to appreciate. From the very small little things like saying “please” and “thank you” to the very big things like air and mountains, the world is filled with amazing things to appreciate.
After making a fairy, we create a space for collecting gratitudes. Writing gratitudes is perfect for craft time at home, writing at school, or homeschool curriculums. Collections can be created many different ways. We’ve made a book by folding paper in half and threading it together along the spine. Click here for more ideas for sewing a book. Actually, as I reflected on how we made these books, I realized that we didn’t sew the Gratitudes together until the end, so busy beavers could have thirty pages while slow and steady learners could have seven pages and not feel intimidated by blank emptiness waiting to be filled.
We’ve also written ideas on leaf-shaped papers to hang on branches for a Thankful Tree. And written on little slips of paper to collect in a box.
The amazing thing about taking note of appreciation over time, is that kids notice more and more things that inspire their gratitude.
We would start pages for a book, then, after collecting them for a week or two, we would bind them into a book. At first, children might struggle to notice a gratitude. Or they would go silly. I wouldn’t judge their choices. Everything is an important things to notice. And children move from idea to idea quickly. So the next day, perhaps they would settle into deeper connections. And, inevitably, they would have a collection of ideas that brought them pride, and maybe a few smiles too.
Easy ways to make projects for many ages and different learners
Start with loose pages. That way they can collect without running out of room or getting overwhelmed by blank pages.
For children who haven’t learned to write, an adult can write the sentences. Students enjoy reading their books no matter who writes the words.
Younger learners, or learners who can use writing support, may benefit from an adult writing I am grateful for ….. on each page.
Those learning to write can trace the letters I am grateful for … to practice. Or they can fill just the ends of sentences if tracing takes too much time.
Add drawings. If you write, I am grateful for family at the top of the page, an illustration of family adds to the magic.
Fairies love to help write the books or slips of paper. They also love to hear them read aloud. And by making gratitude a daily practice, children aren’t surprised by the question, “What are you thankful for?” And cultivating a sense of gratitude is a lifelong trait that brings happiness to children, their adults, and the fairies :)
What are you grateful for?
Speaking of that, it’s fun and wonderful modeling to create a book with the children. The more gratitude, the merrier.
We are grateful for you!
And directions to make the Autumn Fairy (perfect for gratitude) is in the Magical Forest Fairy Crafts through the Seasons* book.
Gratitude is appreciated all year :)
*affiliate link- should you choose to purchase, a small amount returns to the forest while your price remains the same.
A Fairy Witch Giveaway
Looks like the season of the witch is here! We adore spooky witches and fun witches. This year, I decided to use different colors than the usual black or purple to make witches. This orange witch warms my heart. She’s so festive! And perfect for fall.
And we want to share her with you. So we’re sending her a lucky winner :) Enter by commenting, then, if you want more chances to win, visit Forest Fairy Crafts with the following links. May the magic of the season be with you :)
Enter on
Facebook with a comment, like, share
Instagram with tagging a friend
Twitter with a Retweet or Quote Tweet
Winner wins an orange fairy witch made by Lenka sent anywhere in the United States (apologies to International friends). Forest Fairies are no appropriate for young children who enjoy tasting their toys (choking hazard).
Good Luck!! 🍀
Of course, if you want to make your own witch (or a few witches), all the directions, with photos, are in our Forest Fairy Crafts* book. With zombies, warlocks, and wizards, too! The fairy forest loves Halloween!
*affiliate link- a small amount is given to the forest should you decide to purchase a copy. Your price remains the same. Thank you!
Forest Fairy Friday
Happy Forest Fairy Friday!
The last official fairy of summer for Forest Fairy Friday. An easy way to change colors for fairy clothing and hair is variegated/color changing thread and yarn. Fairies love how it looks fancy. We love how it makes looking fancy quite easy to accomplish ☺️💕🧚♀️
Forest Fairy Friday
Happy Forest Fairy Friday!
An easy way to style fairy hair is pigtails. Her hair stays long and loose, yet looks a little bit fancy. We tie pigtails with double knots to stay put, but you could use single knots to style hair for different occasions like a trip to the park or a fairy ball.
Have fun crafting fairies! Happy Friday!
Fairy Fair Garden
Our county fair features Fairy Gardens, which is perfection! This year, my daughter and I had ideas. Then we thought about a Fairy Fair. Where fairies and gnomes come with their forest friends to share seasonal bounty and win blue ribbons. We had a fantastic time creating this little world. And we found innovative solutions to challenges like wire to hold the little animals upright. She’s a teen now, but we continue to discover magic with the fairies. You’re never too old for fairy crafting :)
Even fairies love a county fair!
Crafting for Social Action
The world is not always easy. We want to protect children from the sadness of the world, especially the difficult moments or difficult ideas. However, part of our job, as adults, is to help them understand difficult ideas, from homelessness to grief to disasters. And, hopefully, we can empower children to make positive changes for the future.
I often think of a quote by Mr. Rogers. Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”
We can help children make sense of the world by showing them ways to express their support for helpers. Many groups and organizations showcase support with activities that may help children wrangle ideas into action. Every family, of course, needs to find their own way through a briar of life events that may or may not connect with a child's world.
For example, I was a first grade teacher during 9/11. We planned to keep conversations at home, where, hopefully, children wouldn't see the worst of the news. Then a student learned that one of her relatives was in one of a buildings. That family couldn't possible keep distance between current events and their child. You may not get to choose when a child reckons with global or local events.
What helped students throughout many years of teaching, and many scary events, was creating positive action. We made cards. We thanked first responders. We created thoughtful ways to express hope.
I am dismayed, with heartache, every time I hear about guns in schools. I want to insulate my children, except they come home with stories of Quiet Drills, or stories about when they're supposed to run into the woods instead of hiding in a closet. These drills break our collective hearts.
So my orange fairy shows support for Moms Demand and Everytown. I didn't want to put images of children online, but fairies are happy to be colorful supporting causes.
Children may want to be involved with groups or ideals that resonate with them. They may want to help animal shelters or relief organizations. You may want to encourage social engagement. You may want to show support without posting images of children online. Enter the fairies. You can make fairies or crafts to support movements and empower children. Children can express themselves by sending crafts as gifts to first responders or people they admire. Or share photos of fairies online. Children, and fairies and crafts, can become the helpers.
We know it's not easy. We know that we want to protect the children. We must treat their understanding of the world with compassion and care. Do your research before discussing any scary news events with children to learn what's appropriate for their age and understanding. If you do find yourself struggling with how to be a helper for children, perhaps crafts can help give intentional direction to the efforts. We all want a better world.
We want children to believe the world is filled with good magic. Together, we can create more good magic in the world. I believe that with all my heart.
Just as the fairies believe in us.
I did try a new technique with the hat, using felt balls instead of beads on her hat, which turned out cute.
I put a heart button on her hat to show that we can be guided with love. That love matters most.
The world needs love. Always love. :)
The Night Garden Fairy
The Night Garden Fairy is inspired by evening in the garden, when light softens to dark blue and daytime critters settle down for a nap. Colors look different come evening, and for a few moments, during the Blue Hour before real dark settles over the forest, all the garden colors are especially lovely. This is her time. She visits all the butterflies to wish them good dreams as the moths wake up to play in moonlight.
She started with dark blue felt. Then I found the bright butterfly ribbon and I knew I had to decorate a fairy with it. I puzzled, because each wing was thinly connected. And the butterflies were too small for sequins. So I used iridescent sequins and sewed one between each butterfly. It wasn't the most stable arrangement, so added a droplet of glue under one or two of the butterflies.
She was a fun inspiration. And now I may need a Moonlight Fairy and a First Star Fairy and a Moth Fairy and a Dreamer Fairy. Oh, this could be a whole Nighttime Village :)
I hope she inspires you too!
Happy Leprechaun Season
It's the season of little people. They're in the leaves and under newly blooming flowers. They're finding beams of warming sunshine to warm their wings. Creating leprechauns is yearly magic. Of course, they may appear thanks to an adult inviting them into a home (making one to leave in a special place). Instead of building a "trap" which was popular for awhile, we build leprechaun homes, places where they want to stay and enjoy a cup of tea while they sort their gold trinkets.
This year, I created a new leprechaun with sparkly gold hair and green felt. She wears skirts of green and white speckled with glitter (I was lucky enough to find the glitter-strewn carnations at a craft store).
Along the way, leprechauns bring stories of magic and luck. Whatever your family story, enjoy creating these magical friends. Make the luck of the little people be with you!
Other leprechaun crafts include :
Play with Your Crafts: Making Houses
Of course Leprechauns are in our first Forest Fairy Crafts Book, which you can use for year-round crafty friends *affiliate link gives a small amount to us should you choose to purchase the book while your price remains the same. We all win :)
The Green Fairy
What color is Vert Pré?
The color of meadows greenly growing. Or tree leaves stretching towards sunshine. A fairy who whips up green tea smoothies for her friends. The Vert Pré Fairy.
She invites friends to her home where green pillows decorate a green couch. Her mantle is woven green branches around a collection of sprouting vines that she would never think to burn. She serves feasts with kiwi and broccoli and guacamole with water faintly tasting of lime. Or cucumber.
Her favorite pet is a fluffy green caterpillar that matches the pillows when he curls up for a nap. Don't sit on him! She knows he'll become a moth one day, but she loves him just the same. She rests a hand on his head and promises that she loves him just the way he is, and she will love him when he changes.
For desert, she serves green tea ice cream while wondering why no one makes green pea ice cream, or green apple ice cream. After all, so many wonderful flavors are green. So many wonderful things are green.
Magic is green and light and growing stronger.
She enjoyed visiting with you today.
She was inspired by the Colour Collective on Twitter. Join the fun. I look forward to seeing your colorful creations!