Making a Desert Fairy Garden and Log Cabin
I’ve always dreamed of making a desert fairy garden with a little log cabin for our garden fairies. And this week that dream finally became a reality 😀
Isn’t it just too cute? If you look carefully you might just see them peeking out the front door 😉 There’s even an outhouse with a long drop and a hand water pump.
The inspiration for the desert fairy garden was this humble little wooden tissue holder. We used a similar one to make a fairy church for my Aunt.
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How to turn a tissue box into a desert fairy house or log cabin
First things first. If your fairy log cabin is going to be outside the wooden tissue box needs to be sealed inside and out. We used a clear exterior deck sealer on ours. To make the roof, we cut a piece of hardboard to fit and cut out two small windows and a door using our Dremel. On the outside of the tissue box, we glued on strips of bark with some silicone. The silicone will help protect the log cabin a bit more. Thin strips of wood were cut into small shingles which we sealed with a matte outdoor wood sealer. Once all the shingles were stuck down, we finished the top of the roof off with a piece of pewter.
Too protect the desert fairies and give them a little place to enjoy the glorious desert sunsets we added a porch to the front of the house. The porch roof is a piece of hardboard covered with shingles and two twigs that keep it up. A tiny porch swing completes the look.
The desert fairies even have solar power in their log cabin. They’re determined to live off the grid 🙂 Hubby dismantled a solar garden light for me and we built the solar panel into the roof. I love watching the light go on every night. I’m a mother hen when it comes to the fairies, I need to know they’re home safe.
There’s even a little chimney. Apparently, the nights can become quite chilly in the deserts. We topped the chimney with a piece of a broken lantern.
Unfortunately, the log cabin is a little bit small for an en suite bathroom 😎 So when nature calls our desert fairy has to use an outhouse. We scored pewter to mimic corrugated iron and stuck it on with silicon glue.
A small sign framed with twigs hangs above the outhouse door. And there’s a mosaic tile inside in case the fairies need to check their makeup or something 😉
There’s even a real teeny, tiny toilet roll inside the outhouse and a miniature Victorian toilet 😉 But you’ll have to come and visit if you want to see it.
We planted succulents and cacti in a half a wine barrel and added some coarse sand. And just like that the desert fairy garden was ready for the fairies to move in 😉
When you're in the desert you look into infinity. It makes you feel terribly small, but in a strange way quite big.
Don’t you just love their transport? I’ve always wanted a Citroen.
Looks like they had some rain.
Hubby made the teeny little water pump using copper pipe and wire for the desert fairy garden. So adorable. I love watching little people’s faces when they see the garden for the first time. We put incense sticks inside the chimney and the smoke curling up just makes it all seem so real.
Let me know what you think of the desert fairy garden and log cabin and don’t forget to pin it for later.
Oh BTW, If you’re looking for more fairy accessories, I’ve got you covered 😉 Disclosure: If you click on the links below, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and our fairies will send some fairy dust your way too 😉
Is it possible that I had missed one of your masterpieces? Another adorable idea. I think everything looks better in mini form and this is no exception. The crowning touch has to be the broomstick. Even in our fantasy land we still have work to do. 😉
LOL, yes even fairies have to sweep 😉
Have to share with my students who are making succulent fairy gardens at the library
Oh that’s so awesome Maureen. Thank you. Do you have any fotos of their projects. I would so love to see or even a facebook page. Please?
This fairy garden is adorable Michelle – I love the desert theme, and the detail on the house and outhouse is wonderful, you have definitely given us lots of inspiration. We have one fairy house which we made in a gourd, but have just decided the fairies need another!
Oh I saw your gourd fairy pics on the web Sarah, it’s beyond adorable. That little bed, wow. P.S.If anyone’s reading the comments you have got to go have a looksee here https://craftinvaders.co.uk/gourd-fairy-house/
So cute! Who doesn’t love miniatures!
Yay for miniatures!! 😉
I have been wanting to do this for a long time! Thanks for the inspiration! Lucky little fairies you have! #BestIdeaEver
Aawww thank you Charity, they are so much fun to make. I would love to see some of your pics when you get round to making yours. Sending you lots of fairy hugs
Aawwwwwww this is the most adorable fairy garden I have ever seen!
Thank you Anon <3
I saw this on Instagram and had to come get a closer look! It is wonderful!
Awesomeness a visitor from Instagram, I’m doing the happy dance!! Thank you Beth.
Michelle, This is adorable! I love miniatures and I’ve wanted a fairy garden, but don’t live in the desert. But the details on this are amazing. Great job!
Thanks for the lovely comment Carol. Hubby and I love spending making them.
Awesome, awesome. Jewell is right the attention to detail is amazing.
Thank you Anon 🙂
Hi Keri, just wanted to say THANK YOU so very much. Loved my first party and all the beautiful projects. Totally awesome!!
I’ve already commented on this adorable Desert Fairy Garden, but I just had to add that your attention to the smallest details is amazing. This would have been a well-planned real cabin. When I was a child, there was always a Sears Roebuck catalog to read and use in the outhouse. Sometimes mail advertisements or newspaper was stacked up. And there was always a shelf or a big nail to put things you didn’t want to drop in the hole. The fanciest outhouse I ever saw had a bench with two holes, a board removed near the top to allow ventilation, and a small table to hold belongings. But no toilet paper!
Thank you Jewell <3 I better check the outhouse, I think the fairies may have run out of toilet paper too!!
I am speechless! When I first saw the tissue box I didn’t know what it had to do with your fairy garden, and then realized! I love everything of your fairy garden!! My daughters and I made a little fairy house and enjoyed so much, we were planning on doing something else. Pinning for future reference!!
Thank you so much for linking up with us at #sweetinspiration party, hope to see you again next week.
Happy Saturday!
We really enjoy making them – absolutely the best way to see things from a different perspective – the smallest things can become something else. Please share some photos of the fairy garden you did with your daughter, I would love to see some them.
Michelle, you and your husband did such an awesome job on this fairy desert garden!! Love all the details!! This is too, too cute!!
Thank you Keri, we had so much fun doing it.
Hey Michelle, thanks for sharing at the new party, Sweet Inspirations!! I also just want to say again how cute this is!! Love it!