We’re going to make fairy houses out of whatever paper-like items we have around. I’ll present a variety of methods, including ones that don’t require any glues or tapes. 🙂 Then we’ll stage an environment and take some pictures to share.

MATERIALS

1. Paper-like material: printer paper, tin foil, cardstock, cardboard, sheet plastic (like binder dividers), wrapping paper
2. Scissors or other cutting implements (younger children should do this with supervision or have help from an older sibling or caregiver)
3. Optional: a sketch of what you’d like to make, glue, tape, paint, a ruler or other straight edge, markers, packing tape, string, needle + thread, glitter, etc!
4. Some objects from around the house to make some environments for the fairies to live in!

DIRECTIONS

With adhesive:

1. Either using your sketch or winging it, begin to plot the shapes of your walls and roof on your paper. Make sure to add windows and doors; you can also choose to include things like chimneys, flowerboxes, front stoops, and fences. 
2. Make sure you add a little extra edge to every place that connects to somewhere else.
3. Add whatever “frosting” you want (color or glitter or special items) and wait for them to dry.
4. Where walls connect, choose one side to keep the extra margin and cut off the other one. Attach pieces together by putting your glue or tape on that flap and stick it to the side where you cut off the extra margin.
5. Assemble your roof.  You can choose to attach it, or you can leave it removable so you can put in treats for the fairies! :)

Without adhesive: (for more advanced makers)

1. When you plot your elements out on your paper, think about how they will connect to each other in 3-D space. Draw them out in a way that some of those edges are touching, that way when you cut it out it’s all one big piece. If you use aluminum foil, you can just sculpt freeform!
2. Also, include tabs and slots on places that will need to connect when folded, but can’t be laid out next to each other. 
3. Do “frosting” work (adding detail, color or glitter or special items) on the piece while it’s flat
4. Fold along your wall and roof edges, tuck tabs into slots, and voila!

Don’t feel like making a sculpture?

1. Feel free to design some fairy houses without actually building them!
2. Use any type of paper and any type of drawing material (pencils, markers, crayons, etc.) and decoration (glitter, collage, stickers, etc.) to create your fairy houses.
3. If you want to place your fairy houses in different environments, cut them out and try placing them anywhere you want and snap a photo! (Ideas for environments: potted plants, closets, the refrigerator, book shelves, you decide!)

HELPFUL TIPS

• If you are using sheet plastic, foil, or have access to large amounts of packing tape, you can make your houses waterproof and keep them in your houseplants (not outside, unless they’re properly secured so they won’t blow away in the wind!).
• If you are using something thicker like cardstock or cardboard, you can score the places you want to fold to help keep the folds clean.
• If you don’t have glue or tape but you or a grownup helper have access to a needle and thread, you can sew your buildings together!
• If you want, after you’ve taken some pictures, print them out or put them in a drawing app and show us who (or what) lives there!
• If you want an extra challenge, you could use fabric. I’d recommend soaking it in some watered down liquid glue and hanging it to dry so it becomes a rigid sheet. Then you could sew it together!