Our garden fairies have been working their tiny little butts off in our garden this summer. It’s been super hot, and we had some major floods too. So you can just imagine the kind of damage control they’ve been doing. It was time we made them a little something to say thank you. Something small like this fairy garden furniture set made from tin ceiling tile scraps and rusty nails.
It’s not much, but I’m hoping that when they do decide to take a break, they can park those little butts of theirs under our Ficus bonsai and just chill. So if your fairies need a space to relax, you might want to make something similar. BTW, if you don’t have a bonsai, you can always make them this working fairy umbrella to keep them cool.
What you need
- Rusty Nails (4 per chair)
- Scrap pieces of wood
- Sandpaper
- Rust inhibitor spray
- Steel wool
- Drill
- Rusty Nail Muti
- Tin Ceiling Tiles
We love using ceiling tiles in our decor and had a whole bunch of scraps left over from when we gave our potting bench this gorgeous makeover.
I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a few rusty ceiling tiles lying around. If you don’t have any, you can use peel-and-stick tiles or make a faux one by using a tin can. Cut a soda can open and Mod Podge one of these pretty patterns on. Be sure to use an outdoor Mod Podge if your fairy garden furniture will be going outside. You can create a beautiful rust effect using this tutorial. Or you can use wood chips to make a fairy chair.
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How to make fairy garden furniture from rusty nails and ceiling tiles
Our fairies love using rusty nails to make things, so it only seems right that we incorporate a few in their garden furniture. Legend has it that iron fairies use the power of rust to make their fairy dust. Iron fairies also hold the key to unlocking the labyrinth of tunnels miners have to navigate every day. I believe our bistro fairy’s great, great Grandfather was an iron fairy, so any rusty bits are good. And there’s nothing rustier than a tin ceiling tile that’s been lying in a heap at the bottom of the garden ;-)
Making the fairy garden chairs
Clean the ceiling tiles up a little using steel wool. Just to expose those beautifully embossed patterns and to get rid of any loose, flaky rust.
Cut scrap bits of wood into the right size. You’ll have to ask a fairy to give you their butt measurements. Or you can guess, which is probably safer in my humble opinion. Sand the edges smooth. If you’ve ever seen a fairy with a splinter, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Use the Rusty Nail Muti to stain the pieces of cut wood. That stuff is amazing. I swear the fairies blessed it while we were sleeping. It turns new wood to old in an instant.
Okay, maybe 5 minutes, but you get what I mean. I hope they never bless me like that. I have enough wrinkles already.
Drill four small holes in each corner of the square wood scraps and glue the rusty nails inside.
Handy tip. Put a little tape around the drill bit so you know how far to drill each hole.
Measure and cut the ceiling tiles. Don’t throw the leftovers away until you see how to turn them into a fairy bay window.
And then glue and nail them onto the back of the chair seats.
Making the fairy garden side table
For the side table, use a hole saw to cut a circle from another piece of scrap wood. Stain using the Rusty Nail Muti (or any other wood stain) and insert three nails into the hole. Wrap a small strip of ceiling tile around the side table andnail itl in place.
Decorate the side table with a fairy leaf bowl planter ………
….. and place the fairy garden furniture out under a shady tree.
Wait quietly for the fairies to come and take that well-deserved break.
If you like the idea of making a fairy garden furniture from rusty nails and ceiling tiles, don’t forget to pin it for later ;-)
How have you spoiled your fairies?
Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you ;-)
Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
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