How to make a Fairy House

Q. What do you make a 3 year old god-daughter who loves fairies and is having a birthday soon? Answer: A fairy house. I saw the idea on another steampunk or Victorian technology site, can’t remember where, and thought I’d have a go. This one is quite a bit different but has the key idea of a light behind a silhouette of fairies inside a jar. Silhouette jar scenes were a cool Victorian invention, using either candles or electric light.

Lit up. Looks great with flashes

Step 1: Gather the bits you’ll need- an old box which you’ll need to stain and lacquer a nice Jarrah/Redwood colour, an old bottle/jar that is already “frosted” (or you can “frost” it with a light spray of white paint inside,) a lace doily, an old torch 3v or 4.5 volt lamp, an old TV remote control, an old switch, a set of party glasses with flashing red and blue LEDs, some electrical wire, and a few screws and washers. (You could buy the bits but I used almost all second-hand or bits hanging around).

Step 2: Cut off the battery part of remote control and wire up to old switch and torch lamp – the lamp goes up into jar middle (you can see them in the photo). Pull out the LED flashing lights and battery parts from glasses and install also from under the lid up into the inside of jar (see pics). Find some fairy design ideas and cut out of black paper or painted card, and stick to inside of jar. Add cute butterflies to box. Attach doily to jar and screw down to box. Add some screws and bits and a nice name plate. Oh, I glued the top of an old pearl earing onto the LED flasher switch to cover up the modern tech.

You'll need the flashing LEDs and battery compartment

Paint the screws brass colour. Voila, it’s done.

Some fairy in forest silouettes

An old jar makes a great fairy house

The battery compartments and switches all wired up.

Torch lamp and LEDs installed under where jar goes