Fall Harvest

I've always loved the stories of "The Littles and Their Friends" by John Peterson with tales of tiny people that use found items to create their homes and furnishings. Several years ago I started creating fairy houses from recycled & found items. And that’s how the “Fall Harvest” came to be—a little woodland wonder where autumn comes to life.

Fall Harvest

Storytelling

Deep in an enchanted woodland, where pine needles carpet the forest floor and ancient trees whisper secrets to the wind, stands this remarkable fairy dwelling, home to the most industrious fairies in the forest—those dedicated to gathering autumn's precious bounty. At its heart is an old, gnarled trunk that serves as nature's own storehouse—a weathered vessel where the fairies safeguard their precious autumn bounty throughout the changing seasons.

Above this ancient trunk rises the fairies' charming home, its stone walls warm with the patina of countless harvests. The forest floor around their dwelling tells the story of their diligent work with acorns and miniature pumpkins scattered, evidence of the day's successful collecting expedition.

The front of the fairy home is graced by a magnificent window adorned with delicate angel wings etched into the glass—a symbol perhaps of the blessing and protection that watches over their harvest work. Bright blue doors offer a cheerful welcome to visiting woodland creatures and fellow fairies, their vibrant color a beacon of hospitality in the earthy tones of the forest.

The living roof is a marvel of fairy craftsmanship, shingled entirely with overlapping pinecone scales that create a natural armor against wind and weather. This organic covering shimmers in the dappled sunlight, each scale carefully selected and placed by tiny fairy hands. Golden oak leaves and twisted branches emerge from the roofline, heavy with acorns that continue the harvest even from their home's very structure.

At the front door, an overflowing bucket brims with ruby-red berries—perhaps the morning's fresh pickings waiting to be baked into a delicious pie. This is more than a home; it's a testament to the fairies' dedication to gathering and preserving autumn's gifts, ensuring their woodland community will flourish through the seasons ahead.

Building Magic: How Fall Harvest Came to Life

Like most of my fairy houses, Fall Harvest began with some empty bottles sitting on the kitchen counter destined for the recycle bin and a drawing. This time they were joined by an empty candle holder and some leftover insulation board.

To form the tree trunk, I start by collecting plastic bags that would normally be discarded. I wrap them in foil to make long rolls, which I then attach to the base to shape the bark, trunk, and the visible roots above ground.

From there I finish out the structure with leftover cardboard, cereal boxes and scraps of foam core board. I also add the fairy lights & find places to fit the battery packs into the structure. Rocks that I collect on my evening walks are added to frame windows and wrap the chimney. Bits of paper egg cartons cover the stairs.

From there, I add paper clay to all the surfaces except for the windows & the stairs. It also creates the grout for all the stonework.

At this point the painting begins. I also removed parts of the foil railings that I felt were too bulky.

Pinecone scales were used to cover the roof, while autumn leaf branches I had were added to the foil limbs. Twisting wire vines were shaped into delicate railings.

To complete the piece, I finished the painting, added the painted sawdust groundcover to the base, and incorporated the remaining Fall Harvest details.

Gardener's Cottage