Might make some houses to put in my fairy garden this winter. Must be cold for the little guys...
Anyone else doing something similar? Any tips on construction?

I've never set out to make any that would survive the winter. But while camping my daughter and I have occasionally made some out of what ever was at hand near our site. We generally find a tree that seems to "feel right" often it has a big gap in the roots or a cleft trunk or it just has a fae feel to it.

We collect branches, rocks, leaves, and anything else natural that seems to be around. I can't make any construction suggestions as the materials usually dictate the construction techiniques. If I were making them at home I'd add string to my supplies list. It's much easier to bind things together if you have something other than weaving techniques.

Good luck & have fun!

Favorite Froud Book? Goblins

Sounds fun! I'll have to make mine a bit sturdier, so I might use real building materials... maybe hot glue or something. I'll definitely use natural materials for most of it. I'll put them under my butterfly bush, I think they'll like it.

I used to have one that I bought at a craft supply store years ago (I actually don't honestly remember where I got it!)...it slowly decayed and broke down outside. I think I composted it eventually. Before then it was well loved by me and many fae. I recommend using as natural stuff as possible so that natural processes can take place. Whatever you do end up doing will be appreciated I'm sure!
Have fun with it!

Any structure made for outdoor use will be subject to the effects of rain, snow, sleet, hail -- all the wonderful things that Mother Nature devised to help renew the Earth. To help minimize the more destructive natures of these natural forces, a few tips.

Walls and roofs -- my houses tend to be of as many natural materials as possible -- pebbles and mud, sticks, even 'stackwood' construction -- but to tell the truth, unless they are somewhat sheltered, they quickly fall apart. To help slow this process, I often add some white glue to the mud 'mortar' I use to assemble the pebbles, and also use that mixture to 'coat' the roofs before laying down a final topping of leaves or shells; that helps hold them in place and slows the weathing process significantly, though eventually, they do succumb.

Transparent and translucent windows -- leaves and paper soaked with cooking oil become able to allow light to pass through them, making them suitable to use as 'window panes'. Unfortunately, the oil will also draw insects and make attaching said leaves in place more difficult. I've found that, after oiling the leaves, if I dip them in water-thinned white glue to completely coat them, they become not only sturdier, but, once dried, easier to work with.

Shingles -- Try tearing apart pinecones, and attaching the 'leaves' cupped side downward to make natural shingles for roofs. Setting them one by one in rows, then slightly off-setting the next row above make for a very natural and very dry housing project.

Favorite Froud Book? All of them!

I have one that I got from a friend that is made out of terracotta clay. It looks like she made little bricks and used some wet terracotta to sort of "mortar" them together. I have a little faerie who helps watch my home and plants that stays in there. I made him a lavender pillow and left him some cloth for a bed. He seems to like it in there ^_^ Terracotta seems pretty good for outdoors. Try to keep it natural if you can. Good luck, and let us know the results!

I like the Terra Cotta idea!

What I did was make a bunch of them out of houseplant containers that I cut out a little window and doorway, and hot glue-gunned all dried mosses , acorns, dried leaves and other pretty things from nature. I brought them all inside and set them up near my faeries' area INSIDE my home---and put little stones for entranceways at each doorway. I told the faeies out loud when no humans were around-- that they are made for them as little refuges from the cold outside and a little place for them to enjoy from housepets and electronic noise.

My houseplants that surround them are doing unusually well.

During the Summer months, I bought a resin toad's motel from the Collections' catalog-- it has a removable top which when screwed back on looks like a little roof "patio"
where I place thier wood faery table and benches. It has a red swinging door and little windows too-- it actually looks like a little' persons's house, and it was no more than $19.99 for it.

Our winters here are very harsh so I brought it in for the faery to enjoy inside until next Summer when I will put it out in the faeries garden for them again.

I made what I formerly called a "gnomes home" out of a very large container with pieces of bark hot glue gunned all over it-- and a nice amythest chunk for beauty. I had it outside, but my dog got at it, so I restored it and brought it inside for them.

When I finished it, I told Mindy, our dog "don't mess with the gnome's home!! And no sooner did I say this, when I heard the words, "Gnome MOTEL" spoken to my heart--as though correcting me. So now I call it the "gnomes motel"

What is also special about it is that when I asked the gnomes to help me find material for it, taking a walk in the country, I mysteriously found large pieces of bark for it and a perfectly round wooden base (from an old barn door I guess) which fit perfectly!--no cooincidences! I am very honored that the faery kind/gnomes had a hand in it

Favorite Froud Book? Faerie's Oracle