Building a Tooth Fairy Door

Thanks to Pinterest, and the great city of Ann Arbor adorned with all their fairy doors, I was inspired to craft a TOOTH FAIRY DOOR for my niece Hailey. 


The door is meant to hang in her room and as she loses teeth, the fairy will come out of its door at night to make the exchange. I think some brilliant parent made up this concept to make the trade easier, and to you parents everywhere are thanking you I am sure.


At first, I will admit, I decided I was too busy to craft the thing and wanted to purchase one. But, none of the doors available for purchase were as adorable as what I pictured in my head. I took the best elements from the doors on Pinterest and then added some jazz of my own.  

It all started when I found the perfect corbel. Originally I had wanted it to be old and covered in flaking paint for character, but this one was only $10 at a consignment shop as opposed to the $40 ones I had been eyeballing. New-made-to-look-old corbel it was then. 

The actual door haunted me for months. Yes, months. I looked on Amazon. I scoured craft stores. I googled around for local hobby shops that featured miniature doll house supplies, which apparently don't actually exist anymore. Eventually, I remembered there is a boutique in Chelsea, Mich called The Potting Shed. The have an entire little room of fairy items meant to make outdoor fairy gardens. They were selling a door made of clay that was hand painted. Again, much cuter than the ordinary wood ones that I would end up having to paint, so already made garden door it was. 

The rest was easy. I had a vision of a whimsical front porch adorned with pearls and greenery. I bought the trunk rounds, moss, clay pots, succulents and miniature fencing at Hobby Lobby. The blue chair came from The Potting Shed as well. The pearl beads I already had left over from that short point of time when I decided "I make jewelry now". 

I painted "206 A" on the planter outside the front door to imitate an apartment within my sister's house. The doormat was made from a scrap of burlap from my wedding decorations. I painted the tooth and "welcome" onto it. There is even a small key hidden under the doormat, because, let's be honest, we all hide one there. 

The rest was just comprised of patience and a bunch of hot glue burnt fingertips. My office now smells like a craft show, but I am hoping it will give them joy for all her young, tooth-losing years. 

I am very jealous that stuff like this wasn't around when we were kids, but I am happy to be able to give some magic to Hailey and Brayden as they grow up. 
 

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