The Fairy House Opens for Guests

Just in time for the holidays, The Fairy House has opened for guests. Construction has been slow at times due to the lack of complete-or any-building plans. Instead the Fairy House has progressed as inspiration or desperation provided ideas. The opening has taken place because the handles on the front door are at last in place, but finish work will continue for some time to come, if not forever.

The first concrete was poured last July. These blocks, made in sideways milk cartons doubled to make them longer, were thought to be the beginnings of walls. River rock was added to the wet concrete for decoration and one special rose rock, a gift from friend Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings, was added over what was intended to be the door.

A tower was built, using an oatmeal carton and funnel. At that time the idea was still to build a Fairy Castle.

At the beginning of August castle building slowed. A break was needed to work with my husband, downsizing his mother's possessions after she moved into assisted living. In one of many boxes I found small metal decorative pieces. They looked like castle windows to me so construction plans shifted gears. Much larger walls were designed using a form made from two nursery plant trays. The metal pieces were embedded in the wet concrete and tiny glass stones were added to mimic stained glass.

Four walls were made, one at a time, with decorative rock added just because it was so much fun. When the walls were all sufficiently hardened they were put in place, sunk into the ground a few inches, and mortared together. Concrete chunks provided interior stability and the original walls provided exterior support.

A second tower piece was made to compensate for the taller walls. Once you start making concrete things it is hard not to see the possibilities for forms and structures! Luckily, concrete is inexpensive.

The walls were up! Now inspiration for a roof must appear. And, luckily, before long it did.

To be continued...