"Quick and Easy Fall Decorating Ideas in the Miniature Fairy Container Garden"

As the leaves on the trees in Northern Wisconsin begin to turn the vibrant colors of orange, yellow, and burgundy, the mini gardener realizes it is time to think about decorating for fall. For many gardeners the word "time" is limited, so here are some quick and easy ideas to switch the fairy garden from summer to fall.

Do you have a picnic table in your mini garden? If not, a bale of straw or any flat surface will work to create this tablescape. Start with a piece of burlap and cut it the size of your table top or a little larger if you want the cloth to drape over the edges. Pull and remove a couple of threads, on all four sides of the cloth, to create a little fringed edge. Lay your table runner on the surface to be covered. If you want an instant table runner keep in mind that a piece of textured ribbon will work too! Now have fun decorating your table or bale of straw with pumpkins and other gourds in varying colors, shapes, and sizes. Cut out a few mini leaves from a piece of felt and scatter them on the surface to complete the fall look. The dye from the felt may bleed when it gets wet, so only use the felt in areas where there isn’t any moisture. Finally, add a lantern or rusty watering can to add that special touch. Now that your table is festive, let’s gather more decorating supplies from the nearby woods or real size garden.

Are you ready for an adventure? Take a walk outside your house to see what dried items you can find. In the fall many of the garden grasses have dried tassels, so cut off a few tops. Gather a bunch of tassels and use a piece of raffia to tie the bundle together. In an up-right position, place a tassel bundle on each side of the fairy cottage door. At the base of the arrangement, add a black cat and some pumpkins. Another idea is to substitute dried lavender for the dried tassels and enjoy its soft color. This decoration is a quick ten minute fall look. Let’s find some additional uses for the fall items you picked.

Do you have a mini rake? Using a piece of rope, tie an arrangement of dried flowers, evergreen branches with a tiny pinecone, and red Dogwood twigs onto the rake. The decorated rake is another simple and quick decoration to lean against a barn or cottage. Next to the rake, place a metal round tub filled with fairy moss. Make a circle of small scale grapevines around the edge of the tub and add fall accessories such as putka pumpkins, gourds, and dried flowers from your garden. For an added surprise, place a resin witch’s hat behind one of the pumpkins. If you don’t have a tub, use a picnic basket, half log planter, market basket, or any container that will hold the decorations. A mini pot with a wide opening works well too. Wasn’t that a quick decoration? Here are some more ideas that take even less time.

Drape a piece of plaid fabric, with yarns in the colors of fall, over a chair back. If you are using the 1:12 scale in your fairy gardens, then cut the fabric four-inches by five-inches. Next, place some red Dogwood twigs in a pot for decoration. Another quick idea is to place, on a table covered with cob webs, a pumpkin tea pot next to a witch’s hat. Do you have a fairy wall or an ancient Greek wall? Here’s a tip. Use adhesive dots to secure pumpkins to the top ledge. Fill in the spaces with fairy moss. As a last thought, think about adding some twinkle lights to your miniature fairy garden display.

Many of the "real size" fall décor can be minimized for fairy gardening. Search web sites and decorating magazines for tips. Now…what fall decorating design can I come up with for the rusty birdhouse?