My latest project is one that mixes nature and architecture in the most whimsical way. I mean, there’s probably only one type of residence that gains cuteness points by having mushrooms growing from the walls. That’s right, today we are making ourselves a charming, 3D fairy house!
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This is one of those projects that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while now, but I just didn’t know exactly how I wanted to execute it. It was important to me that the piece felt organic, with curves and different textures incorporated. And making an organic design is often more challenging than making something more geometric. But, with spring around the corner, I decided it was time to go for it!
Supplies
- Cardstock
- Vellum
- Hot Glue
- Precision Craft Glue or a Glue Stick
- Crafting Moss (optional)
- Foam Tape (optional)
- Bone Folder (optional)
- A Cutting Machine or X-ACTO knife
- A Debossing Attachment (optional)
- My Free Template
How to Make It
1. Use your cutting machine or X-ACTO knife, along with my template, to cut out all of the 3D fairy house pieces.
Note: If you are using the SVG files that includes the score lines, don’t forget to set them as such in Cricut Design Space and attach them to their shapes before sending them through your cutting machine. I used a lime green color to mark the score lines, and a bright blue to indicate the debossing lines, so hopefully that helps! If you’re having trouble with the score lines, check out this video.
Prepping the House Pieces
2. Start by attaching the window pieces. Glue the vellum windows to the inside, and the border/screen pieces to the outside.
Attach the door to the front piece, along with a gem or bead for the doorknob, if you’d like.
Insert the purple mushroom pieces into the slits in the sidewalls (arrange them however you’d like) and glue the tabs to the inside.
Next. bend the sidewalls around and glue the tabs along the edge of the front piece, one or two tabs at a time. Repeat with the other sidewall. Then, attach the back wall.
Assembling the Base
3. Gather all three light brown strips and attach them together. Then, curl the whole strip slightly and fold all the tabs inward.
Using hot glue, attach each of the tabs around the perimeter of the base, a few at a time.
Once that is in place, attach all three wood-textured strips around the outside, with the rough edge facing up.
Then, slip the tabs at the bottom of the house into the corresponding slits in the base, and glue them down.
Assembling the Roof
4. Gather the four, structural roof pieces and curl them inward. Attach them all together by gluing the tabs along each of the edges. The roof is meant to be asymmetrical, so make sure to attach the longer piece to the two larger curved edges and the shorter piece to the two shorter curved edges.
With that done, you can start attaching your petals. Curl them beforehand, and decide where you want them to go. Then, attach them one by one with dabs of hot glue here and there.
Attach the flower stem pieces together and glue it to the top of your roof.
Putting it All Together
5. You can glue the roof onto the main house structure if you’d like, or leave it separate for easier access to put in lights.
Finish your fairy house by adding stepping stones and mushrooms all around. I used foam tape under the stepping stones to give them a little more dimension, but hot glue works well too.
And as a magical, final touch, add a little crafting moss here and there to give this piece the full “fairy house” effect!
Isn’t it just too cute!? Now that I finally decided to try out my debossing tool, I just can’t get enough of it. It’s kind of subtle (and even more subtle in pictures), but it really just puts the whole thing over the top!
I use Adobe Illustrator for all of my designs, and a Cricut Maker to bring my creations to life. For tips on creating fun paper cuts like this one, see the FAQ section on my website. Also, be sure to check out the other fun freebies available on my blog!
Enjoy putting my 3D fairy house together. And don’t forget to share your whimsical finished project with me on Instagram!
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Mandee is a professional graphic designer, amateur bird watcher, and rollercoaster enthusiast. She is a wife to hardworking high school teacher and mommy to three adorable little humans. She fell in love with graphic design when she started working on a comedy website with a guy she met her freshman year of college. Design wasn’t the only thing she fell in love with, and they were married a year and a half later. She created Designs By Miss Mandee to be a place where she could merge her passion for design with her lifelong love of crafting. 8 Comments on 3D Fairy House – Intricate Cut File
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Kathy
February 10, 2022 at 11:26 am (1 year ago)Thank you so much for sharing your adorable design! I love 3D fairy houses and have made a few of them. This is such a charmer, it will take center stage in my collection. You are amazingly creative, talented, and generous.
Mandee
February 13, 2022 at 8:55 pm (1 year ago)That’s so awesome! I’ve been fascinated by fairy houses for the longest time. I had so much fun making this one!! 😊
Loraine
February 10, 2022 at 11:39 am (1 year ago)Omg! How cute!!
Mandee
February 13, 2022 at 8:55 pm (1 year ago)Glad you like it Loraine!!
Diane R
February 11, 2022 at 4:11 am (1 year ago)Hi Mandee, the first time I saw your fairy house, I thought you had it on a real piece of wood. You do such a wonderful job with your designs. Thank you for sharing.
Mandee
February 13, 2022 at 8:58 pm (1 year ago)That makes me so happy to hear! I really tried to make it look like a slab of wood. 😄
auntie em
February 15, 2022 at 3:47 am (1 year ago)Thank you for sharing this amazing and beautiful design! The whole piece is simply gorgeous but the details put it over the top. The fungi, the curl of the petals on the roof and then the embossing.
So sweet and fanciful. I almost expect a little fairy or elf to pop its head out the door. 🙂
Mandee
February 15, 2022 at 8:39 am (1 year ago)Aww, thank you! That is exactly what I was going for. 🥰