There’s just something about making a little fairy home that will always appeal to me. I think it’s probably because you can use all kinds of things while you’re creating them. Just let your imagination run wild. Old tissues boxes can be turned into a desert abode or even a church. Clocks are perfect for making secret gardens, complete with beaded topiaries and a porch swing. Even a lunchbox can be transformed into something amazing. And an old, tatty lamp shade……… Well if you thatch it, add a plastic flower pot and a door knob it makes for a great fairy roof . Amiright? 😀

We made this little one over the weekend for a friend of ours who’s keen to start her first fairy garden. She wanted a cottage style home for her fairies that would last outside. Since the weather here in South Africa doesn’t typically go from one extreme to the other, and I know how hardy a thatch roof is (we stay in one), the roofing choice was easy.

What You Need To Thatch a Fairy Roof

• 1 bundle of Coconut Fiber (Coir)
• Old Lamp Shade
• A Pair of Scissors
• E6000 Glue
• Duct Tape

Bundle of coconut fiber

Preparing the Lamp Shade for Thatching

The lamp shade I had was kinda bell shaped, but I really wanted the top portion to be narrower. I don’t know, to me it just looked more fairy-ish. So I used wire cutters to snip around the top and squished it together, before taping it up with aluminium tape.

Once I was happy with the overall shape, the rest of the lamp shade was covered in tape. The tape helps make the roof stronger and gives the thatch something to hold onto.

How To Thatch a Fairy Roof – The Easy Way

Grab a few strands of the coconut fiber and spread them evenly onto a piece of tape.

Fold the tape over to secure the coconut fibers. Do the same on the other side. Cut the taped coconut fibers in half so you have two strips of fibers, or thatching material as shown below.

I like to cut a whole bunch at once so I have a stockpile of thatching material to work with. It’s a very messy business so it’s probably best to do it outside. Just like thatching a real, life sized roof, you need to start at the bottom and work your way up in overlapping layers. So start by gluing a strip of the taped coconut fibers all around the bottom of the lamp shade. Don’t worry if it looks sparse, it fills up as you add more layers.

Cover the entire lamp shade with the strips making sure that the underlying tape is covered by the next layer. When you reach the very top of the lampshade use duct tape to attach the final layer to the shade. Give the roof a trim to remove any stray bits and tidy it up. It honestly felt like I was giving the thatch roof a hair cut 😀

Finishing The Roof Off

Find a plastic pot or anything that fits snugly over the top of the lamp shade. Paint it if you like and add other bits and bobs to give it some character. I used a cabinet door knob and a failed concrete mold and then glued on a small watch trinket I found lying around.

Want to see how I made the rest of the fairy house? Click page 2 below for all the other instructions 😉