DIY Fairy Garden with Giant Mushrooms!

DIY fairy gardens are super popular right now but with inside kitties, well, they were gonna make a mess of all those plants and dirt. If you have cats, you know what I mean! I'd been pinning a lot of toadstools on Pinterest and was inspired to make this GIANT table top Fairy Garden, nestled under a forest of huge mushrooms!! Part Alice in Wonderland, part fairy garden, and even with a dash of Easter (hey, little bunny!) this giant mushroom DIY fairy garden can last the whole spring season, doesn't need water, and is eco-friendly. Earth Day is coming up *wink wink*.

How to use recycled items for DIY decor

I love SMART projects that save money, save the earth, et ceterea and this DIY fairy garden project doesn't disappoint! Most of the supplies for this giant toadstool fairy garden are upcycled or recycled as well as easy to find. This post contains affiliate links – when you click and make a purchase from some of the links in this post, the seller pays us a commission. It doesn't cost you anything extra and it helps us buy supplies to keep making awesome projects for you to enjoy!

Supplies:

Giant Felt Mushrooms:

• Kunin Eco-Fi Premium Plus Felt in Red and White (you can also get this by the yard at Jo-Ann's and Walmart)
• batting or stuffing from an old pillow 
• chipboard
• needle and thread (if you don't sew, you can use fabric glue and pins)
• faux butterfly floral pick

Wood Stands:

• Walnut Hollow Basswood Rounds
• Walnut Hollow Thick Basswood Country Rounds
• Kunin Eco-Fi Rainbow Classic Felt 9″X12″-Kelly Green 24 per pack (the 9″ x 12″ sheets are perfect for this
• Tombow Xtreme Removable Indoor/Outdoor Mounting Putty, 60 Pieces (62133)

Fairy Garden Items:

• National Tree 11 Inch Brown Standing Rabbit with Overalls (RAE-125051-1)
• G & F MiniGardenn 10021 Fairy Garden Miniature Mini Dollhouse Bistro Set, Rustic
• 10 Piece Mini Dollhouse Size Red Cherry Tea Set with Teapot, Sugar, Creamer, Two Cups and Saucers, and Plate

Tools:

• Sizzix Big Shot
• Sizzix Bigz Scallop Circle Die – discontinued (get this Sizzix Bigz 4″ Circle Die instead)
• sewing machine (if you don't sew, you can use fabric glue and pins)
• scissors
• glue gun

If you don't sew, you can use fabric glue to make the mushrooms; I recommend Aleene's Felt and Foam Glue because it grabs the felt fibers really well but dries soft and flexible (unlike hot glue). To keep the felt fibers stuck together while the glue dries, use pins or Clover Wonderclips (my fave!). You can use clothespins but sometimes they don't have enough tension in them to hold the felt together tight enough.

Felt made from recycled plastic bottles

Did you know that it takes a plastic bottle 700 years to decompose? I drink out of plastic water bottle s(hangs head in shame) but can feel good about using Kunin Eco-Fi felt, which is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! I chose dense, thick Kunin Eco-Fi Premium Plus felt for this project over Kunin's Rainbow ClassicFelt™ (you know, the 49 cent sheets at the craft store) because the denser felt helps the mushrooms stand up and hold their shape.

You can find Kunin Eco-Fi Premium Plus felt by the yard at Jo-Ann Stores and Walmart or buy online by the bolt on Amazon.com and Walmart.com. If buy online, they often sell the whole bolt so you'll have lots of felt leftover to make projects like this:

• DIY Giant Christmas Tree Skirt
• DIY Emoji Halloween Costumes
• Gravel Patio in a Weekend (use the felt as underlayment)
• Potted Plant Tips

I used the smaller 9″ x 12″ sheets of felt to cut ovals for a “grassy meadow” on the wood rounds and to make clumps of grass at the bases of the mushrooms. When I'm finished using this display, I'll cut up the green pieces of felt into leaves, use them to line flower pots, or use them under things to protect my floors or counters.

Upcycle old bed pillows into decor

An old bed pillow has no value – it can’t be sold at a thrift shop for health reasons and once it is old, flat and dirty, no one wants to sleep on it anymore.  When your bed pillows are stained on the outside or flat, cut them open and reuse the batting for a new project, like this! You can also use old bed pillows to stuff pet beads, like this DIY cat bed.

Cut up old boxes for crafts

The mushrooms stand on a chipboard base made from recycled paper. I got the recycled chipboard from Kelly Paper but you can use a cereal box, the back of an old legal pad, or a cardboard shipping box for the base.

How to make a giant fairy garden

I made a video sharing how to make this fairy garden display, from making the mushrooms to sticking the wood pieces together so they don't fall over. Click the video below to start watching!

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You can use these mushrooms for an oversized fairy garden like I did or as fun décor all on their own. My husband thinks they’d be great for a Nintendo and Mario Bros. kids’ party!

Where would you make your giant fairy garden?