Add to your collection of Fairies and Spirits

If you like collecting fairies and spirits then this Fairy House is a perfect addition. It's made with a lot of natural products and can make for a conversation piece.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • Egg, 6"
  • Sheet, 7" x 8" x 1"
• Acrylic craft paint, brown
• Dried materials in assorted heights: larkspur, astilbe, amaranthus, baby's breath, statice, tree fern, fungus, mushrooms
• Sphagnum moss
• Reindeer moss
• Silk mushroom
• Large pinecones
• Small pebbles
• Fine sand
• Branch, 10" x 1/2"
• Strainer
• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Skewer or sharp pencil
• Scissors
• Keyhole saw
• Utility knife
• Serrated knife
• Thick white craft glue
• Low temperature glue gun and glue sticks

Steps:

1. Using serrated knife, cut a small slice from wide end of foam egg; angle cut slightly to egg tilts to the back. (HINT: For smoother cuts, wax the knife blade with an old candle.) Glue egg to the back corner of the foam sheet.
    
2. Paint egg and base brown; let dry. Glue on small pebbles to form walkway, front door, and two windows; as you glue, press pebbles firmly into foam.
    
3. Create a fine "dust" from the sphagnum moss by forcing several chunks through a strainer; the moss dust will be used to texture the surface of the base and house. Spread a thin layer of glue on house, avoiding the door and windows, and on the base, but not on the walkway; sprinkle moss dust over glue.
    
4. Slice branch in half by pounding a screwdriver into one end. Using saw, cut the following pieces from the halved branch:
   1. • One 1" piece (door step)
   2. • Two 3/4" pieces (window boxes)
   3. • Two 1-1/4" pieces (walkway steps) Glue pieces in place, using utility knife as needed to cut away foam.
       
5. Glue small dried flowers in window boxes. Glue small seed pods on either side of window for shutters.
    
6. Cut apart pinecone; pinecone scales will serve as the shingles. Glue scales around narrow end of egg, overlapping scales as you go. (The model's roof has five layers of scales.) For the final layer, trim to a point the stem ends of three scales and glue to the very top with points touching. Add mushroom chimney.
    
7. Spread glue on walkway; sprinkle with sand.
    
8. Create a garden by adding small dried flowers and greens on either side of the walkway; use a skewer or sharp pencil to poke holes in foam first, then add glue and insert stems.
    
9. Glue reindeer moss around the base of house, creating "bushes".
    
10. Using sphagnum moss and deer moss, fill in bare spots and cover sides of base. Add fungus and mushrooms as desired for accents.
     
11. Create a backdrop around the house by adding dried flowers and greens of various sizes and textures; use a skewer or sharp pencil to poke holes in foam first, then add glue and insert stems.
     
12. Glue berry onto door for doorknob.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.