Create Fairy Garden Magic with DIY Fairy Dust Bottles

My daughter and I have been having a blast shopping for the perfect items to add to her fairy garden.  Since she and I also enjoy crafts (of the easy variety), we decided to try our hand at creating our own miniature bottles of fairy dust.  We had seen bottles of fairy dust for sale that were filled with brightly-colored glitter.  They looked pretty cool, but we wondered how could we expand on that idea to make our bottles of fairy dust even more magical?  This is what we came up with . . .


How to make your own Magical Fairy Dust Bottles:

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Sample Pack of Glitter (Fine)

Clear or White Glitter (Regular)

Mini Glass Bottles with Corks

White Glue

Sticky Notes (or Small Funnel)

Scissors

OPTIONAL:

1/8" Satin Ribbon (Any Color)

1/16" Hole Punch

Step 1.  If you don't happen to have a small funnel handy, you can make your own by rolling a sticky note into a cone shape.  Use the self-adhesive or a small piece of tape to keep the cone from unrolling.  Don't have a sticky note?  A regular square of paper will do.

Step 2.  Place the funnel into an open bottle.  Then fill the bottle about 2/3 with white or clear glitter.

Step 3.  Using scissors, carefully snip off the very tip of the corner of the pouch holding the color glitter you have selected for your fairy dust.

TIP #1:  Since these pouches of glitter are not resealable, keep some tape handy.  Once you're done with the glitter, fold the opened corner of the pouch down at least twice and secure with tape.

Step 4.  Place the funnel into the bottle containing the white or clear glitter.  Fill the bottle to the base of the neck with the fine colored glitter.

Step 5.  Cover the mouth of the bottle tightly with your index finger and shake the bottle vigorously to mix the two types of glitter together.  Continue to shake until well-blended.

Step 6.  You'll notice that the glitter has settled a bit after all the shaking.  Place the funnel in the bottle.  If the color of the fairy dust is to your liking, fill the bottle to the base of the neck with the clear or white glitter.  Then shake to blend.  If you'd like to have more color, add a little more colored glitter.  Shake to blend.  Repeat if needed.

TIP #2:  Do not overfill the bottles.  This will ensure there is room for the cork stopper to be inserted securely.

Step 7.  When your bottle is filled to the base of the neck with glitter, apply a small bead of white glue around the circumference of the cork stopper (as pictured below).  Then insert the stopper into the filled bottle, making sure it's snugly in place.  The glue should dry clear.

Step 8.  (Optional) Choose a star from your glitter sample pack.  Then punch a slightly off-center hole through the star with your hole puncher.

TIP #3:  I found that it was common for 2 or 3 stars to be stuck together.  It would be a good idea to double-check that you are punching a hole in a single star only.

Step 9.  Cut a 5" to 6" length of 1/8"-wide ribbon.  Then cut one end at a sharp angle, so you have a point.  Thread the ribbon through the whole in the star.

Step 10.  Tie the ribbon around the neck of the bottle.  Double-knot the ribbon in the back.  Then trim the tails of the ribbon to match the width of the bottle's neck.  Then you're done!

TIP #4:  If you plan to use a different color of glitter for your next bottle of fairy dust, be sure your funnel is completely free of the previous colored glitter, otherwise traces of the previous color will appear in your next bottle.  If you are using a paper funnel, you may consider discarding that funnel and making a new one for each color of glitter.

Cool Fairy Garden Finds . . . 

Cat with Butterfly - If you shop around on Etsy, you'll see this black and white cat from several sellers, but fairyinthegarden1 made hers special by adding a butterfly.  This extra handcrafted touch is what made me fall in love with this cat.

Sitting Fairy - There are actually four of these adorable little fairies to choose from at the FairyBestWishes Etsy shop, and I ended up purchasing them all.  They are each in a different pose, wearing a different color dress, and holding a different colored gem.

Magic Wooden Chest - I found a cute little toy chest in the MLSLaserEngraving Etsy shop.  I inquired whether I could have the word "Magic" engraved in a chest in place of the word "Toys."  The seller happily accommodated my request.  Originally, I thought my daughter would paint or add gems to the chest, but she seems to like it the way it is for the time being.

Miniature Cupcake - These cute little pink cupcakes came in a set of 4.  I found them in an Etsy shop called BeesKneesMiniatures.  This shop has the most adorable miniatures.  I'll be sharing everything I purchased from this shop soon.


Like this fairy garden craft? Pin It for later . . . 

Have a cool fairy garden craft or find to share?  Leave a comment here.

Find more fairy garden inspiration here.

Magic Wand Party Favors for #Halloween Party Guests or Trick-or-Treaters

Halloween is just two weeks away!  Every year that my children grow older, I become increasingly excited about this holiday.  Last year, we handed out Trash Pack toys to the trick-or-treaters and that was a huge hit.  This year, with the help of Party City, I have created Magic Wand Party Favors to hand out.  I cannot wait to surprise the trick-or-treaters with these!

This party favor idea would work for themes other than Halloween.  You would just need to change the style of cello bags you use.  How cool would these favors be for a Harry Potter-themed party?

Today's Project:  Magic Wand Party Favors

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Wizards of Waverly Wands (Or use covered/painted wooden dowels)

Halloween-themed Cello Bags

Twist Ties (if not included with your bags)

Spider Rings (Or another small toy)

Charms Candy Carnival Assortment

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Step 1.  Fill a cello bag with treats.  (Ours included 2 types lollipops, 1 piece of small candy, and a spider ring.)

Step 2.  Wrap a twist tie around the tip of a magic wand, as shown below.  Then give the tie one twist to help it stay in place.

Step 3.  Twist the neck of a filled cello bag twice.  (This step is optional.  You may find it easier to not twist the bag, depending on what type of bag you are using.)

Step 4.  Attach the filled bag to the magic wand by placing the neck of the bag against the tip of the wand and then using the twist tie to secure the bag in place.  Twist the tie at least 3 times to ensure that the bag stays closed.

Step 5.  Wind the wand (like you would the handle of a vice or a tourniquet) until it feels tight.  This keeps the tie snug around the wand so that the goody bag stays at the top of the wand, rather than sliding downward.

I made 30 of these to hand out on Halloween.  A Halloween bucket was the perfect thing to hold our Magic Wand Favors for the trick-or-treaters.  If you are making these for a Halloween party, you could find a more creative way to make an impressive centerpiece for your treats table.  If you have any ideas, please do share them with other readers by leaving a comment below.

Thank you to Party City for providing complimentary product samples for us to use in this project.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set from CP Toys

Believing in magic is something my husband and I have always maintained to be an important part of childhood.  That is why we go out of our way to help our children believe in pixies, Santa Claus, elves, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny for as long as possible.  When children believe in magic, I know that a small part of each of them wishes that they could do a little magic of their own.  That is why I chose this Deluxe Magic Set from CP Toys for our children.

This wooden battery-free toy, recommended for children 8 years and older, was the perfect toy for our inquisitive 8-1/2 year old son.  Even his curious 5-1/2 year old sister was enthralled with trying to figure out how some of the tricks worked.  She was actually able to learn the secret of a few tricks all on her own, so I would say this toy would be engaging to any child 4 years or older who enjoys problem solving.  Having said that, it takes an older child to perform the magic tricks smoothly.  Even our 8-1/2 year old could still use more practice with mastering the art of illusion.

(Click any image to enlarge)

There are 10 tricks in all included in this set, but you could certain come up with your own using the tools provided.  The tricks vary in difficulty, so not all will be understood by younger audiences, such as the ones involving numbers.  There is an illustrated manual that shows how to perform each trick step-by-step.

My husband, who assisted me with making the demo video below, was very impressed with all these tricks.  He did find that the Great Escape (pictured above) worked more smoothly for magicians with smaller hands.  His favorite was the Money Maker, while our oldest son's favorite trick was the Secret Silks.

Below you will find a demonstration of several of the Deluxe Magic Set tricks . . . 


I must say that it was wonderful to see the pleased look on our son's face when he was able to master a trick.  He had so much fun performing for his little brother and sister.  The only thing that could have made this magic set more perfect was for it to come with a top hat and cape.

The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set retails for $37.99.  To learn more about this and other educational toys and playsets, visit www.cptoy.com.


Thank you to CP Toys for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.

A NOTE TO 3G2S READERS: As an effort to give back a little, I will be adding an extra optional entry in some of my giveaways to "Like" the Facebook page of various small businesses that I have identified as needing a little love.
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Good luck in the drawing!