April 15, 2024 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy Upholstery (In Miniature)

It’s time for another installment of ScrapHappy, a monthly meme hosted by Kate and her friend Gun.

I’ve been busy turning small fabric scraps into miniature upholstery for one of my fairy gardens.

In addition to sewing a seat cushion for the bench, I made an accent cushion by covering a button with fabric. I added a French knot with green embroidery floss to the center of both cushions. The orange button has been in my stash since the early eighties.

I cut small sections of the leaf motif from the same fabric scrap, attached a few strands of green embroidery floss, and then fused the pieces to make seat covers. I tied the thread along the back of each chair to hold them in place.

After years spent outdoors, the tiny garden bench lost one of its legs. We can’t host a fairy garden party with broken furniture, so a quick fix was in order.

I found a rusted screw from Mike’s workbench to repair the broken/missing leg. He kindly glued it in place.

Fresh flowers grace the table in a tiny brown bottle, and as the day ends, clouds give way to the sun.

ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. Please contact Kate for details or visit her recent blog post at Tall Tales from Chiconia.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa ,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

May 26, 2015 by Born To Organize

The Fairy Garden Goes Native

When water is at a premium, you cut corners where you can. I’ve emptied most of my pots, and either replanted with succulents or used the pots for something else.

Our deck top fairy garden requires very little water, but seeing those precious drops fall through the holes in the bottom spurred me to action. Last week, my miniature fairy garden went native.

Fairy Garden Newly Planted with Succulents

I meant to save the markers so I could record the name of the plants, but they’ve gone AWOL…or I tossed them with the transplanting newsprint. The good news: the plants sat on my deck for two to three weeks without a drop of water. They passed the test!

Succulents Up Close

I’m actually quite smitten with these plants. They fit right in, don’t you think?

There’s a story behind the little wooden house (it used to be haunted!). You can read more about that here. After replanting the garden, I spruced up the house with some new drapes. If you look closely, you’ll see that they’re carefully assembled from the finest Washi tape in the land. Nothing but the finest for mystical fairies. The new garden path is also special. I gathered those lovely, flat green stones on the beach in Victoria last summer. Wilma of the Creartfuldodger took Boomdee and me beach-combing along the beautiful island shore. These stones evoke special memories of that day.

You can view the gallery by clicking on the first photo, then follow the arrows. It took me a bit of time to sort that one out. 😉

Fairy Garden, Just Outside the Front Door

Replanted Fairy Garden, The Long View

Little Free Library, Fairy-Sized

My Own ‘Victoria Garden’ Path

Newly Hung Washi Tape Drapes

Secret Path to the Reading Garden

Fallen Log Bridge

Reading Nook

Extra Chairs for Story Time

Aerial View

Succulents Up Close

All the other treasures in the garden are found objects or gifts. The wooden house came from my son’s craft collection. I rescued it from the trash. The reading patio is an upside down candle holder and the charming chair, cat and rose pillow flew here from Canada via Boomdee. Marcia and her girls surprised me with the pink mushroom one cool fall day.

I built the (little) Little Free Library from matchboxes, stickers and an empty box. A clothes pin and a bit of duct tape keep it in place. A friend taught me how to make the heart-shaped chairs from the top of a champagne closure.

Are you a fairy gardener, too? It’s easy and fun and incredibly relaxing. You can garden anywhere at any time, limited only by your imagination. Jump right in. The [lack of water] is fine!

Postscript: You won’t believe this. Just before sitting down to write this, I received an out-of-the-blue package from my friend Kristi. Inside: her lovely note and a couple of fairy garden treasures. Check back tomorrow, for updates. I can’t wait to show them off. Thanks, Kristi xox

May 13, 2014 by Born To Organize

Fairy Garden Renovations

Are you familiar with the old adage, “one thing leads to another?” The classic children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie uses this concept with great humour.

The book is known for its playful, circular pattern. A boy gives a cookie to a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk. He then requests a straw (to drink the milk), a mirror (to avoid a milk mustache), nail scissors (to trim his hair), and a broom (to sweep up). Next he wants to take a nap, to have a story read to him, to draw a picture, and to hang the drawing on the refrigerator. Looking at the refrigerator makes him thirsty, so the mouse asks for a glass of milk. The circle is complete when he wants a cookie to go with it. – Wikipedia

So, if you give a friend a craft store gift card (thank you Stephanie), she’s going to want to use it. When she goes to the crafting store, she’ll discover cute little stencils. She buys those stencils along with a few acrylic paints.

Martha Stewart Craft stencils

Since the garden nursery is *right next door* to the crafting store, she’ll pop in for a look. While there she’ll find the perfect, over-sized plant trays and the wheels begin to turn. Fairy garden renovations, here I come!

Large plant trays

She’ll rush home with the loot, but days will pass before she has time to play. She moves the project from the garage workbench to the kitchen counter, thinking she’s more likely to work on it there. She’s right! Racing the clock, she stencils one of the trays before heading off for another appointment. Family memories say lovely things, spurring her on.

Stenciled plant trays

The stenciled trays must wait to dry. Once dry, they need a sealer. Once sealed, they need some soil. Mother’s Day rolls around and she wants nothing more than an afternoon renovating the garden.

Fairy Garden on Deck

Two planter trays are the perfect size and shape for my garden bench.

Patio Fairy Garden

The perfect spot for the newly renovated fairy house.

Newly renovated fairy house flying the rainbow flag

Fairies can cozy up in a Magnolia petal hammock.

Magnolia petal hammock

A log bridge connects the house and the garden.

Log bridge to the reading garden

My son painted the ceramic plate, the focal point of the reading garden. The chair, lantern and glazing ball are gifts from Alyster the Gnome.

Reading Garden

There are already signs of visitors: a tiny deer behind the house, an open copy of Fairy News and the faintest movement from the wishing pond. Ahhhh….