Tabletop Formal Fairy Garden

While the arrival of Spring means an ever growing list of daunting outdoor landscape projects, sometimes tackling a garden on a smaller scale is a fun way to indulge your green thumb. With far less mess and far more instant gratification, you can treat yourself to the delights of a magical, albeit tiny, garden of your very own in the blink of an eye.

 It seems that mini tabletop or "fairy gardens" have become wildly popular as of late. Although fairies and gnomes have been romping the forests and fields of our imagination for centuries, nowadays all sorts of downsized landscapes are being designed in their honor. From whimsically woodland to elegantly formal a tiny garden can be your own mini escape suited to your personal style.

 Table gardens or garden kits can be pricey to purchase, but it's surprisingly simple to create your own version by mixing small scale plants or flowers with pixie sized garden accessories and basic repurposed craft supplies.

I have made several of these gardens, a rustic French lavender garden, a literary Secret Garden in book and a festive May Day fairy garden complete with May pole. This time, I thought I'd channel my inner princess and try a more royal romantic look, including an easy DIY faux sculpture and a hedge labyrinth, inspired by garden visits and travels.

Garden inspiration clockwise from top left: 

Versailles gardens, France, 

Swans, Morris Arboretum , Philadelphia Pa, 

Atrium Garden, Musee de la  chasse, Paris, 

kilronan Castle Grounds, Ireland 

photos property of CPaul

Doll bust

Planter or large pot 
 (I chose an cast off silver plate platter to use as a planter for a vintage elegant look)
Modge podge

Spray paint or primer suitable for plastic (I used white)

Desired Colors craft or chalk paint

Stones, craft moss 

Sand or aquarium gravel

Garden themed odds and ends 

Small florals and plants 

Craft sticks

I've seen fabulous faux statue DIY's fashioned from dolls or even those beauty store foam heads. For this project I found a tiny glamour doll bust at my local dollar store.

I coated the doll's hair with Modge podge to smooth texture before painting. Once dry, spray to prime with light even coats allowing to dry between.

This will be the base coat. I used chalk finish and craft paints in white and grey tones, stippling for shading and texture.

        Using the same colors, I painted the lid of a spray paint can  for a quick pedestal 

 For a the trellis, I used skinny craft sticks which cut surprisingly easily with scissors.

I assembled trellis with hot glue and coated with white paint.

 Mini terra cotta pots become urns with the same paint treatment.

 I placed stones in the bottom of planter and covered with top soil. 

I then arranged small plants including ivy and thyme as backdrop leaving space for hedge maze.

 I spread aquarium gravel evenly over center.

Since live moss wasn't available I used a sheet of craft moss for the maze.

I cut with scissors and nestled in the gravel

I popped in the statue, trellis and filled the mini urns with more moss

Set your garden on a table, shelf or patio

…. if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. 

                                Marcus Tullio Cicero

PennyWise Tips

Mini Gardens make great get well, birthday, new home or Mothers Day gifts, especially for those with limited or no outdoor space. Simply include plant care instructions.

You can customize gardens to recipients interests or hobbies: add a mini tea table, model Eiffel tower, fishing rod and pond, toy car or character figurines from a favorite film or book.

Sand and cacti make fun desert gardens 

(men seem to like these)

No need to shop for specialty supplies: Toy, Dollar and Party stores have lots of scaled down items that can be repurposed to use in your landscape.

                                

In your Easter bonnet: mini Spring hat making and tea party

Although it seems the whims of fashion have made Easter Bonnets a thing of the past, it wasn't too long ago that these "must-have" Spring accessories were proudly showcased by stylish ladies in Easter parades from New York's famous 5th Avenue to Main Street, USA 

 left to Right: 5th Ave Easter Parade 1911, unknown sitter in Easter Bonnet, 
Easter Bonnet from Ad 1945

sources: aoifekirwanmillinery, bing.com, gettyimages.com

In your Easter bonnet,

With all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady
in the Easter Parade

Irving Berlin

 

Left to Right: Easter Parade, Harlem 1947, Judy Garland & Fred Astaire 1948, 

Vogue cover

sources: by Henri Cartier Bresson, Film still: Easter Parade, Vogue magazine

Many years ago, our family, channeling their inner milliners, began the admittedly unusual tradition of making pint size decorative hats for Easter, starting with the very humble….styrofoam cup.

Add some paints, trim and extra crafty accents and voila: a petit but chic chapeau. 

Recent years has seen our family tradition turn into an annual ladies tea and hat making afternoon, complete with mock parade and photo shoot. 

My Mother, the consummate hostess, holds the event appreciated as much for her teatime fare as for her well stocked "craft room" an enviable basement space dedicated to fostering creativity. 

Of course the event is BYOGG (Bring your own glue gun)
   

Spring Bonnets
There are many different tutorials for these online but we've always found this system works for us
You'll need

styrofoam cups
we noticed different brands yielded different 
results and shapes.

paint which adheres to cup 
(avoid spray paint as it will dissolve cups)

trim, ribbons, florals and trinkets

head bands, hair clips if desired

hot glue guns 

photos and ideas for inspiration

Place cups, bottoms up, on a cookie sheet.
 "Bake" in preheated 300 degree oven anywhere 
from 2-10 minutes, checking every minute.
 (size of cups and variations in ovens will affect time)

   

As if by magic, the cups will shrink into a variety of hat like shapes. I always make extras to allow for "oopses" or the occasional dud.

Remove cups and allow to cool thoroughly, painting if desired. Faux eggs are on hand to make fun models.
If hosting a party, cups can be heated and painted with assorted colors the day before to save time and allow guests to dive right into the decorating part.

busy hands: gluing, snipping and trimming

Then decorate away: The fun part is seeing how each guest incorporates their own personal style. 

hats inspired by favorite colors, travels, or interests.
toothpicks become impromptu chopsticks for an asian inspired topper, stars add sparkle to chic black chapeau

Once complete hats can be displayed anywhere: on eggs, glassware,candlesticks or even small Eiffel Towers.

No need for serious fashion, as Easter Bonnets can range from the subtly cheeky to the all out outrageous.

Anne Miller in the ultimate Easter bonnet c1946

With the popularity of fascinators (Thanks Princess Kate!) we decided to attach some of our creations to plastic headbands or hair clips for some whimsical but wearable flair.
channelling my inner bunny
(don't think I'll make the fashion pages)

with a bunny tail in back of course

or why not spruce up household members in their Easter finest?

Angel reluctantly models a petal pink chapeau

Tea is Served

We kept our creative energies in full gear with festive tea time fare featuring a "Mad Hatter" theme including tea sandwiches, soup, scones and sweets

mini candy and decorative hats adorned the table

Easy 5 minute Hat Cookies & Strawberry "Carrots"

Using simple ingredients, these fun treats can be assembled in the blink of an eye and are a perfect project for kids.

For Strawberry "carrots" simply dip fresh berries in orange chocolate melts with a few carrot ridges added

(Lots of versions on Pinterest) 

Hat Cookies

round flat cookies (store bought or homemade)
Marshmallows (cut in half)
Candy melts or baking chips -any color or flavor
(melted according to package instructions)
icing and sprinkles

cover cookies with melted chocolate

top with marshmallows (cut in half) and allow to cool.

Decorate as desired

Spring is in the Air….

furry friends on the mantel, tea cups and hats on the "Tea" Tree,  assorted cups

The House was brimming with bunnies, Spring flowers and teatime inspired decor

a cheerful foyer sets the mood

Wishing all our readers

a Delightful Spring!

Easter Surprises: Treat Filled Hollow Eggs

Although no one knows exactly who dyed the very first Easter egg, it is certain that the use of eggs in celebrations dates back to the earliest of times and was a popular symbol of Spring or rebirth in countless religions around the world.

Nowadays, at Easter one sees eggs in a variety of incarnations: as chocolate or marshmallow confections, hard boiled, dyed and decorated or of course the common but colorful "snap apart" plastic versions, ready to be filled with candies and tiny surprises and artfully hidden away.

Who doesn't remember happily romping around a grassy lawn in search of these pastel orbs, snapping them open to reveal a handful of sugary sweets? This year I thought I'd try a twist on these classics by filling real eggs instead of the usual, admittedly much easier, plastic versions.

Seems "refilling" real eggs is nothing new. An online search led me to carcasons or cascarones: The confetti filled eggshells from a centuries old European tradition which were playfully cracked over unsuspecting people's heads by friends and admirers. Instead of confetti, I filled my eggs, like their plastic imposters, with tiny wrapped treats, toys or Easter messages and skipped the bopping on the head element.

You'll need

Eggs (I used jumbo size)

Easter Printables (I used images from the Graphic's Fairy)

Craft accessories: ribbon, glitter, etc

Paint which will adhere to egg surface

Hot glue 

Small treats, toys or Easter messages 

(appropriate to guests' age)

The How To's in a nut (or eggshell)

Carefully crack eggs in center trying to keep both halves as evenly sized as possible, draining contents into bowl for other use if desired. ( I made a Spring frittata)  Alternately you can poke a hole in eggs, carefully widening opening until it is large enough to insert chosen treats easily. Of course, these shells are very fragile so you might want to make a few extras in case of "unfortunate accidents."

Rinse eggshells thoroughly and drain on paper towels until completely dry. You may want to gently wipe inside with paper towel or q- tip.

I left some of the eggs white and painted others in natural tones using a chalky finish paint I recently found from Decoart in "whisper" and "vintage" shades, which I'm completely smitten with.

Once paint is dry, carefully fill eggs with mini treasures or greetings. I used wrapped candies for food safety in case any egg remained. If egg in is in two pieces, you can hot glue closed for extra sturdiness.

Camouflage with ribbon or trim

Gently decorate with ribbons or printed accents making sure to conceal any cracks or openings. No need to get too fussy, as these are meant to be broken. I used craft scraps stick-on jewels and cut an unbleached coffee filter for flair.
images created using free art from the graphics fairy 

The fun part is making each one different

and having guests crack them open for a cute surprise

They can be displayed on egg cups

or as here on a glittered dollar store candlestick
You could also personalize with names for a whimsical place setting

I arranged mine in a grapevine wreath lined with moss and florals to form a nest.

A cheerful sign gives instructions for curious guests.

Display with Springtime friends and decor.

For More PennyWise Springtime & Easter ideas 
visit my "a good egg" post
 where I make shadow box eggs...

or 

my teatime on the bunny trail for tea time treats and decor

Wishing you all 

the delights

 of Spring