For the Love of a Fairy

Although we are not officially revealing the prizes for the We Heart Art carnival until tomorrow, we thought it would be fun to provide a sneak peek at one of the prizes created especially for kids. Wendy from Green Girl Art, an artist in her own right, has generously crafted and donated a fairy door.

So, what is a fairy door, you might ask? Having never heard of this before, I asked Wendy. She explained that a fairy door is a portal to the world where fairies live; a magic door that allows fairies to travel between our world and theirs.

This door is perfect for imagination play between you and your kids. Although the door never opens, children can leave trinkets or their latest discovery at the fairy’s doorstep. And who knows? Maybe if you are feeling a bit creative, the fairy might even leave something for your little one to discover at the footsteps of the door.

Wendy’s idea was inspired by Jonathan B. Wright, the creator of the urban fairy locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The town hosts a number of fairy doors in locations ranging from the library, to the elementary school, to the local café.

But, why wait? In the spirit of We Heart Art, why not get to work on your own fairy door right away? Wendy will even describe how…

Supplies: Door, paint, paint brushes, sandpaper, tape, Super Glue, wood glue, old cardboard envelope, mini hand saw or x-acto knife, binder clips, push pin, and tweezers

Step One: Buy a door.
I ordered mine online from miniatures.com. Don’t forget to check your local hobby store too.

{The notes on my order say that these items are for adult collectors only. The doors are not intended for children under 14, which I am guessing is due to the small parts – so be safe!}

Step Two: Take the door off of the frame.
To do so, I used small tweezers, which were effective at pulling out the nails. There is a nail with a head on the bottom of the frame, and a headless nail at the top. Once removed, put the nails somewhere safe. I stuck them to a piece of tape because of their size.

Step Three: {optional}
I liked the idea of the door being flush with the wall, so I built out the molding on the back using a piece of balsa wood. I found the balsa wood at a hobby store. Be sure to bring the door with you when buying the wood because different styles require different depths. I purchased only one piece of wood {it was 24” long} and cut it to fit the top and two sides of the back of the door.

Step Four: {optional again}
Follow this step if you’d like to shore up the back. Cut your wood into three pieces – two for the sides & one for the top using a mini hand saw or x-acto knife. Glue the door with a little wood glue and clamp the pieces together using big binder clips. I like to have water and a paper towel handy in order to wipe down the excess glue that gets squeezed out.

Step Five:
If there is a window attached to your door, remove it and save to use as a template later. The window might be held to the door with a piece of tape. Rub off the excess adhesive with your finger. {I would not use solvent to take off the glue because I am not sure how it will react with the paint.}

Step Six: Paint the door.
I used two brushes: a 3/4” wash brush and a 3/8” angle brush. I like my brushes squared off, but, if you prefer round brushes, then by all means, go to town. You should probably avoid using paintbrushes smaller than 3/8” because the larger the brush, the less likely you are to leave brush marks.

You also want your paint to be the consistency of heavy cream; it will look better with two lighter coats, rather than one heavy coat. For paint, I recommend acrylic. It’s water based and dries pretty quickly.

Now here is where you can go wild. The color choices are endless. {It is for a fairy after all.} You can even choose a color that compliments your home, which would make the door even more of a secret. I painted my door pretty mild, choosing a green door with a white frame.

If you have a one year old getting up from his nap while you are painting, like I do, a little piece of saran wrap over your paint will keep it moist until you are able to resume working. It is usually OK to leave the paint out for at least a day. An old yogurt cup can serve as an easy-to-use paint palette. You can also use that same yogurt cup as a water container.

Keep a pushpin close by while you are working, so you can keep the ‘nail’ holes clear.

Step Seven: Sand the door.
You can do this step earlier, but I feel like the first coat of paint seals the wood, so it is best to sand after the first coat of paint. Sand the door until it feels smooth. This step actually yielded a surprise for me. I liked the way the door looked distressed, so I didn’t paint another coat.

Step Eight: Paint the door again.
For one of the doors, I was done. However, I did not like my color choice for the other door, so I changed it a bit. The white frame took three coats of paint; the green door took only two.

Step Nine: Add details to your door using super glue and tweezers.
A doorknob, doorknocker, or house address would all do the trick. Online resources have kick plates if you have a fairy that likes to wear boots, or who always has stuff in her hands and can’t bother to close the door properly. {If you order doorknobs online, then pay attention to how many you are getting – most come in packs of two.}

Use the window as a template to cut a shape out of an old cardboard mailer, if needed. You can then glue a fun piece of fabric, a photo of a park, or another shade of your door color into the window opening. Again, have fun here. Depending on how precise you cut the insert, dab a little glue onto your window and slide it in.

Step Ten: Reinsert the door into the frame using the nails you saved. Put the top headless nail in first and then the bottom nail. And there you have it!

Find a spot in your house, maybe near your own front door, the back door, or up high on a shelf, and create some excitement with your kids. A little double stick tape or some wood glue will keep the door in place.