The Fairy Ball (Bella)is a book we read a long time about about a little rabbit that finds her way to fairy ball. JDaniel and I really enjoy reading about how Bella ended up a the ball in search of chain of flowers she had made that disappeared and headed off to find it. Recently we came across a fairy house in the garden in front of a B and B my in-laws stayed in when they were in town. Seeing that beautiful house inspired us to look at the book The Fairy Ball again. Afterwards I thought it would be fun for us to build a fairy home of our own. JDaniel thought fairies were okay, but a home for gnome might be better.
We gathered a bunch of items out of our recycling bin and headed to an area of our yard that contains some pretty flowers. A gnome or fairy would want a pretty place to live.
What items did we take from the recycling bin?
- plastic berry box
- beverage carrier
- paper towel tube
- plastic candy tray
- plastic peanut jar
- assorted plastic lids
- cardboard candy box
Then I pulled some weeds that been growing like crazy around the flowers due to days of rain out of the ground. We decided some of the weeds would be great for decorating the gnome or fairy home.
With all our supplies gathered we got started.
Building the Gnome or Fairy Home
We started with the gnome or fairy home structure. An old candy box was decided on as the floor and wall of the home. The candy tray would be various rooms for the gnome or fairies.
An old beverage tray became the roof. We tried the carrier right side up and upside down. It was decided upside down would be the best. The cup holders kind of looked like skylights.
The paper towel holder was placed behind the gnome house. It looked like a chimney to us. Every house needs a chimney I was told.
A plastic berry container was the gnomes side porch. Our house has a front porch, but the gnomes apparently prefer having one on the side.
The old peanut jar was a garage from the gnome mobile. I guess even gnomes like to keep their cars dry in the rain. The peanut jar’s lid was used at the gnome home’s front door.
The bottle lids were used to create stepping stones for the gnomes. I guess they like hopping from stone to stone as they head into their home.
The weeds were woven into the drink carrier and placed on the garage. Some dandelions were placed in the gnome or fairy rooms as decorations. There were a few weeds place in the doorway and the jar lid was then replaced at the home’s entrance.
It is amazing how such simple things made a wonderful gnome or fairy home.
How did you explore books this week? If you have a post you would like to share, please link it up below. Once you have added your post, please visit at least three others.
My son would agree with the gnome house plea! Being the only boy with four sisters, he is often called upon to put to one side his manliness for the sake of his sisters play. Yes, he would definitely have gone for the gnome house!!
What a fine home it turned out to be!
Don’t you just love their creativity when they build? 🙂
What a wonderful idea! I love how JDaniel “boy-ed it up” by making it a gnome house.
Great fun! We have a tree home for elves in our yard. And the grandkids are pretty fond of it!
=)
This is so sweet! It’s so simple to set up something like this, but it all seems so magical and inviting to a child. Great idea. We were all about fairies last week! Wish I’d thought to do something like this!
I love your gnome house and that you went for free exploration of ideas rather than for a cute craft. We enjoyed that book too!
I love the paper towel roll as the chimney. Were any gnomes or fairies seen in the general vicinity?! –The Dose Girls
I think weeds can actually be pretty. We’ve got some growing through the fabric in our front planter that aren’t so pretty though..grr. 🙂
you do the coolest projects
That is a really cool idea!!!
I’m always looking for new books for the kids, this one looks cute. I think my boys would totally go for a gnome home also 🙂 Thanks for sharing your idea!
wow cool! thanks for sharing!
This is such a cute idea! I’ll have to try it out with my son! Thank you!
cute! My daughter would love this , love how you used recycled items! very creative!
I can not wait to build fairy houses with my niece. Thanks for sharing the gnome home as well. So adorable.
Aw, my daughter’s middle name is Bella and today is her birthday! We built a fairy garden with her last month. This month can be a gnome home!
Adorable! Hey, I’ve recently had my blog hijacked & now have a new home on the web – please stop by & show your support & check out my new digs! I’m slowly getting it all in order – calling it my “re-branding”!
Very cute!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
We did a Gnome door craft on my daycare blog. They are fun to do!
I can tell they enjoyed it! The other day I took the kids to trail after the rain and they spent a couple of hours drawing in the mud, looking at the grass, finding snails and millipedes….doing any activity in nature seems to be the most fun a kid can have. And, I find it’s relaxing even for me, just to watch! 🙂