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Travel Close to Home/ Fairy Doors in your community

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If you're having to stay close to home, because of the pandemic, or other reasons, do you take walks?
Do you walk with kids? I just read this article about Fairy Doors all over Alameda Island, and it sounds like a fun local walk for East Bay residents, and also a fun thing to consider for your own yard or neighborhood.

 
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Here’s an excerpt from the SF Gate, aka San Francisco Chronicle article I linked above.

It was during one of these outings that we discovered the gnomes. These small painted characters wearing red pointy hats or modeled after Snow White’s dwarfs lived on nearly every block in our Oakland neighborhood. As the pandemic wore on, we started to spot ones, like a “Happy Mother’s Day” gnome family (complete with laptops) in May and a masked-up gnome doctor, just steps from our home.

But a year into the pandemic, the novelty of spotting our neighborhood gnomes had worn thin. I needed a new quest and a new neighborhood to enjoy.

The rise in fairy doors on Alameda began about seven years ago and is largely attributed to Fred Hogenboom and his granddaughter, Serena. The pair built about a dozen doors from scrap wood in Hogenboom's wood shop, then installed them on trees and telephone poles near Hogenboom's home on Oak Street. After that, “social media got a hold of it and from there it just blew up,” Hogenboom said, laughing.

Two years later, the Facebook group Alameda Island Fairy Doors and more was created. No one can remember exactly who started the group, but Hogenboom and Joe Dalipe, another Alameda resident and admin of the online community, are often pegged as the co-conspirators.


article linked above continues, and the pictures are really cute. It looks like Alameda Island would be a kid friendly walk on a Saturday morning…
 
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There aren’t just fairy doors, there are whole fairy gardens, which are fun and inexpensive to make, if you use natural items you can gather, such as rocks and bits of wood. Here’s a link to an article that has a gallery to click through with photos of suggestions.

This would be a great project for a corner of your yard, or a large flower pot if you don’t have a yard. It would be fun for kids, but also something to bring a smile to anyone.

Succulents are good little plants to use, and as they usually multiply well, they’re good value- buy one little Hen and Chickens plant, and by next year you’ll have lots of offsets (babies.)

 
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Another fairy friendship in LA.
That is so charming. I like the fact the fairy garden wasn't something that a lot of money was spent on, but that there was whimsy, and then the connection between others. I think this pandemic is bringing out how to live and enjoy the small travels we have in our communities.
 

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Here is one in Pittsfield, NY. Has anyone ever visited this one?

20 Mysterious Fairy Doors Have Been Discovered On A Remote Nature Trail​

fairy 4


Tinker Nature Park in Pittsford, NY, is actually really aptly named. Why? Well, because it just might be the home of one Tinkerbell.

The 68-acre park is located in upstate New York's Monroe County and features lovely trails through the woods that people of all ages can enjoy. You can take in the trees, the sky, and the birdsong. There's also a catch-and-release fishing pond, a picnic area, and informational centers.

But there's something else in Tinker Nature Park: adorable fairy houses!

No matter how old and jaded you might feel, there's something endlessly fascinating and charming about the idea of wee little folk living in tiny cottages.

The little fairy homes, which feature painted, and sometimes, openable doors, tiny steps and ladders, and artfully placed accessories, began appearing in the eastern part of the park in 2014.

Today, there are 20 fairy houses nestled in trees and stumps in the woods, just waiting to be discovered. And some even have little signs bearing messages.

Check them out below, and the next time you're out in the woods, keep an eye out! You never know what you might spy.

Tinker Nature Park is a great place for people of all ages to get out and appreciate nature at any time of year. With a fishing pond, trails, and picnic areas, it's a great place to spend the day.

These little fairy houses, painted and built into trees along the trail on the eastern side of the park, have been appearing since 2014. And no one knows who's been making them.

Some look similar to one another, like these colorful painted doors with cute black accents, which suggests it's one artist, but others look different, so maybe it's more than one person.

Of course, it could always be the fairies at work.

Some of the doors are painted, but some are actual doors, complete with hinges and handles. And they open to reveal little surprises.

The houses are nestled in the crooks and hollows of trees and stumps, placed there by careful hands and left for all to enjoy.

Some of them feature little signs, too, with messages to passersby.

Others have little decorations and accessories, like this one that turns a shed antler into a modern porch sculpture, as well as some decorative stone details.

One has a horseshoe and a little reminder from beloved author Roald Dahl: "Those who don't believe in magic never find it."
 
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This article shows a cute little fairy garden you can make with succulents in flower pots. The pictures show lots of little fairy items you can buy, but, really, you can get a better fairy-like vibe with natural items you can find, such as pinecones, and pebbles from streams or beaches. Fairy creatures can be made with pipe-cleaners, or cut out of paper. Making your own fairy items is somehow more magical, in a green fairy way, and you won't end up spending a lot of money on plastic items. The important thing it to enjoy the process of making it.

I do want to say, if you're working with kids, or your fairy garden will be around kids, or pets, google the names of plants you're considering using. Don't use euphorbias ( for example, snow on the mountain), because they have a sap that can be bad to eat and irritating or harmful to eyes. Kalanchoes, which are pretty, and often sold out in front of Trader Joe's, can be toxic for pets. Always look up the plants that will be around children. I had a couple of kids who ate plants when they were toddlers, and calling up poison control after the fact wasn't fun. They were ok, but plants can pack as much punch as medicines you'd never let your kids near--be safe!

 
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This article has some cute designs. Again, remember, you don't need to buy a bunch of stuff to make the garden. Also, funny little things that are around the house, such as small kids' toys can be used in the fairy garden. If you're making Fairy doors for trees, you don't have to use wood. Cardboard from boxes can be painted, and used. If the rain and weather wear the doors out, that's natural, and you can make more with other saved cardboard. It's good to show kids that imagination is important, not what you buy.

 

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Here’s a virtual tour of a fairy garden - so cool!


Grandma & Granddaughter Give Cute Virtual Fairy Garden Tours​

A grandmother and her granddaughter have worked together to come up with a beautiful fairy garden.

You can tour the garden virtually through their YouTube channel or in person. The tour starts from a big tree that is found on a New York state street. The tree has a signboard showing guests the direction of the fairy garden. Below the sign is a small mailbox that contains the list of the 14 special places to be toured in the fairy garden. When you follow the direction of the arrow in the signboard, you will first land at Bernie's Buttons. Here, you will find a beautiful round mosaic house that has jewels that shine in the sun and a pink door. The house is made of tin, old buttons, glitters, beads, and plaster of Paris.

Grandma Carol says that they love using recyclable objects such as old buttons and beads. She added that they enjoy making pathways, and they use plaster from the hardware shops, plastic jewels, and glitters. The next fairy place in the garden is Finley's Shanty. Here, the fairies are welcomed to an old stone pathway through a round door made of wood. Besides, a glowing crystal ball with magic powers can be found here! Fairies will find a welcome sign and a lovely bench that the fairies can sit on while casting a spell with the magic ball.

According to Good News Network, the fairies can have their lunch at the Beans Pod. The granddaughter explains that the fairies can sit next to a waterfall as they enjoy the beautiful scenery, play tic tac bug, or even sneak into grandma's garden for some mouthwatering raspberries.

When the fairies are done with their lunch, they can now head to the Flo's Creek where they can relax at the gazebo as they read something, or they can pick the pink petunias. The fairies can also check-in at Aqua's Flip Flop Inn for some swimming, boat riding, or just having fun in the sand. The inn has a one-inch tall sandcastle, a turquoise roof that is made of shells, and a rainbow door.

The fairies would love this enchanting place, and they can find their favorite spot in the fairy garden that's filled with beautiful flowers. After finishing the garden tour, you can pick a jewel at a treasure box to remind you of the fairy tour. The fairy garden has been put away for now because of the upcoming winter, but you can check it out from their YouTube channel.
 
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Here’s a fairy tree, in Ireland. It doesn’t have fairy doors. Instead people tie ribbons to the tree that have wishes and requests for blessings. The trees are called Wishing Trees, or May Bushes, because the trees bloom in May.

These trees are in Ireland, but they could be in any neighborhood. Putting wishes or greetings in a tree might be an idea for a party, or a neighborhood get-together.


Wishing Trees (aka May Bushes, Fairy Trees, or Rag Trees) are hawthorn trees where people tie ribbons to ask blessings from the local saints/deities/wee folk. The hawthorn flowers in May, time of the Bealtaine festival of rebirth (now generally known as May Day). Local people still tie ribbons or strips of colorful cloth to the wishing tree as a symbol of their prayers or wishes. If you visit in May or June, you’ll find wishing trees covered in colorful fabric and rippling in the breeze. If you visit after the summer — you might not even notice the tree, as the decorations will be sun bleached, rain soaked, or blown away (unless the site is a popular tourist attraction). May bushes were usually associated with a holy well, but time has often dried up or filled in many of the wells. The wishing trees that still grow beside known holy wells tend to be used year-round.

article continues…
 
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This New York fairy trail sounds charming, and I like the fact that milk cartons and other easily obtainable things are used for building, as well as the doors. I also like how the family readjusted to not being able to travel. The pandemic has really has had an impact on our lives, and it's good to see people doing work-arounds that end up helping themselves, and their communities.

More Than A Dozen Fairies Are Making Sunnyside Their New Home

Magical fairies are the newest residents of Sunnyside, with more than a dozen fairy doors popping up throughout the neighborhood.

The fairies are moving into trees, gardens and walls outside businesses and along the sidewalks of Sunnyside, with the support of a human resident, who has helped 13 fairies find homes since July.

Samantha Hamilton, a Sunnyside resident and Irish native, has been placing fairy doors by trees and on grassy areas throughout the community.

Fairy doors and homes — which consist of miniature doors, houses and woodland settings placed on or near trees — have become popular along walking trails in Ireland over the last decade or so.

Hamilton and her family usually visit her home country each summer and search for fairy doors while there. This year she decided to invite some fairies into Sunnyside — where she has lived for the past 20 years — since the pandemic squashed her family’s travel plans.

Creating the fairy homes has also been therapeutic, Hamilton said, adding that she discovered her artistic side during the COVID shut down.

“It brought out the artistic side of me that I think was buried because of work and the pace of life,” she said. “For me it’s been one of the positive sides of this lock-down…having the time to indulge in the artistic side that I didn’t even know was there.”

Hamilton has created a map of the general area where the fairy homes are located. The map doubles as a coloring page for children and print-outs will soon be available for families to pick up at The Skillman, located at 45-20 Skillman Ave.
 
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This article is chockablock full of nature activities, including making fairy doors out of used popsicle sticks. I like the article because of its emphasis on items that are ready to hand, and also because it builds an appreciation for the nature that surrounds us. There is a reminder to take things home when you're building in parks and woods, but if you're building in your own yard, I think it's fine to leave things for others to see.


How to make a fairy door and more magical ideas

Woods have been enchanting children for generations. They’re the setting for many of our favourite fairy tales and the backdrop to memorable family adventures. Woods are also wonderful places for youngsters to use their imaginations.

We’ve brought together some of our favourite activities to help your children discover the magic of woods and trees. They’re tried and tested with our own families and lots of fun. Find out how to make fairy doors, magic wands and woodland potions, plus how to throw your own fairy tea party.

Woods are magical places to visit, but please don't leave fairy doors or fairy houses behind. Take them and any craft materials home with you to help us protect the natural environment.

How to make a fairy door

Follow our simple instructions and make a secret door to encourage fairy folk to visit your garden. This is a lovely activity to do with youngsters who are fascinated by fairies and elves.

Line up some lolly sticks or twigs.
Glue two sticks diagonally across your 'door' to hold it together.
Look for acorn cups or tiny pebbles to be your doorknob and letterbox. Glue them in place. You could use old buttons or beads instead.
When the glue is dry, place your door against a tree trunk or wall. Make sure it's well away from big feet and curious cats.
Listen carefully… Can you hear any fairy visitors knocking on your door?


article continues with lots of ideas…
 

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For our Canadian fonts, it looks like there is a company that is based out of Newfoundland that run guided fairy door tours. How fun!

“Fairy Door Tours” Offers Something New For You And The Kids To Do​

Untitled-5.jpg

Take the kids on adventures in Bowring & Pippy parks in search of elves, gnomes, fairys, wishing wells and more.
Thanks to Tina White & Samantha Gaulton, the folks behind Fairy Door Tours, both Pippy and Bowring Park are packing new awe for kids, and this is a wonderful way to get them outdoors, walking around a park.

On Fairy Door Tours, you and the wee ones will visit a series of whimsical fairy, elf, and gnome doors scattered along a picturesque nature trail. Using a map with some clues, children are encouraged to help locate the Fairy Doors. Once they do, there are activities like:
  • Wishmaking at the Wishing Well
  • Leaving a note for the Fairies at the Fairy Mailbox
  • Bundling some firewood for a grumpy gnome
“Weather permitting a fairy storytime will conclude this enchanted adventure.” There are two Fairy Door Tours:

Pippy Park (Saturdays 1-2:15pm)

The Pippy Park Fairy Door Tour will run Saturday afternoons until mid-October. This tour visits eight Fairy Doors, the Fairy Mailbox and Wishing Well. If your child would like to leave a note or letter for the Fairy, please have them prepared in advance if possible. Meet your guides at the North Bank Lodge parking lot.

Bowring Park (Sundays 2:30-3:45pm)

The Bowring Park Fairy Door Tour will start mid-july and run until mid-October. This tour visits eight Fairy Doors, the Fairy Mailbox and Wishing Well. If your child would like to leave a note or letter for the Fairy, please have them prepared in advance if possible. Park at the West Entrance gravel parking lot on Waterford Bridge Road, and meet your tour group guides at the amphitheatre.

Tours cost $7 for children/seniors; $10 for adults. For either tour, treasure bags will be provided. They contain “wishing dust and/or wishing bubbles, shells, marbles, stones, wool bits… things that may come in handy on the tour – or as a small gift for a Fairy.” The bags must be returned at the end of the tour.

All in all the tours are about a 1km walk, and the tours are recommended for ages 4 and up, though all are welcome. Note: you cannot open the fairy doors.

“If the Fairies smell or sense that their door has been tampered with they will likely abandon it. So no, we try not to disturb their doors or belongings. In the event we find a Fairy House we may be able to peek inside – as these are different from the magic portal Fairy Doors.”
 

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This article shows a cute little fairy garden you can make with succulents in flower pots. The pictures show lots of little fairy items you can buy, but, really, you can get a better fairy-like vibe with natural items you can find, such as pinecones, and pebbles from streams or beaches. Fairy creatures can be made with pipe-cleaners, or cut out of paper. Making your own fairy items is somehow more magical, in a green fairy way, and you won't end up spending a lot of money on plastic items. The important thing it to enjoy the process of making it.

I do want to say, if you're working with kids, or your fairy garden will be around kids, or pets, google the names of plants you're considering using. Don't use euphorbias ( for example, snow on the mountain), because they have a sap that can be bad to eat and irritating or harmful to eyes. Kalanchoes, which are pretty, and often sold out in front of Trader Joe's, can be toxic for pets. Always look up the plants that will be around children. I had a couple of kids who ate plants when they were toddlers, and calling up poison control after the fact wasn't fun. They were ok, but plants can pack as much punch as medicines you'd never let your kids near--be safe!

I love succulents - they're so easy to grow and low maintenance. Typically, I am not a good plant mom, but I have a table full of "survivors" :ROFLMAO:
 
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Here is a fairy garden in Limerick, Ireland - something to plan for once travel restrictions are lifted!

Terra Nova Gardens

Do you believe in fairies? The ancient people of Ireland certainly did, and the country is still littered with ancient fairy forts, little grass mounds which are traditionally thought to be extremely unlucky to mess with. Terra Nova Fairy Garden goes a step further. Sure, there’s the obligatory fairy fort, but there’s also an award-winning garden rammed full of subtle fairy references to explore, as well as a shop where you can snap up tiny fairy houses, doors, mushrooms and, of course, the mythical creatures themselves to take on home. Quirky, and wonderful.

Dromin South, Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland. +353 6390744

And from their website:

Garden Opening Times​

The Fairy Garden will be open by appointment May - August 2021
Escorted Walk & Talks for gardeners will be available April & September

Terra Nova’s magical fairy experience begins as soon as you cross over Penny Bridge. A Hoblin named Finn stands in the pool, playing a mystical tune from a shell that only the fairies can hear. Leaving the bridge behind, Treefern house comes into view. Here lives a Lechling named Silver Wing. Look at him peering out through the front door - such a nosey creature; he really doesn’t like to miss a thing!

His neighbours live in the three nearby fairy mounds. Here the many fairies of Terra Nova are being lulled to sleep after a busy night courtesy of Finn and his magical music. Across the way the wisest of all Hoblins, Billy Begs, sits on a leaf thinking about all the fairies that he has ever known. And he has known many and can recall all their names. Dangling from a nearby branch is the mystical golden wishing ball. Stop and make a wish, whisper it gently and it will carry on the breeze to the ears of the waiting fairies.

Mr McWeedle was the first Hoblin to arrive at Terra Nova and here he dances daily, playing a soft tune on his flute. Sssh, stay still a moment, listen carefully, can you hear the mysterious melody? Soon a pair of huge oak doors will tower above you, but do not be afraid of them as they will open to welcome you as you journey to meet more fairies and mystical beings.

The Grindle, possibly the only one in the world, is a stairway to a magic underground tunnel where only Hoblins may run to and fro between the garden and the thousand year old fairy fort that lies in the field behind. A few steps on will lead you to the grassy roofed Fairy Flight Hole, a gateway to another realm, gently guarded by bats who guide the fairies safely in to feast inside a huge hall on acorn pie and nectar smoothies. Nearby is the log cabin; creep past with gentle tread as the Hoblins sometimes sleep by day. If you visit in the evening, peep inside if you dare, you may be lucky enough to catch sight of one of them in his bed.

Throughout the garden the magic continues, come visit and discover all the surprises for yourself. The fairies at Terra Nova are real and if you too believe then we hope that you will feel them for yourself.


This photo on their site got me giggling - he's ugly but cute. Love the underbite!
bob-the-goblin.jpg
 

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