2024 Fairy House Builders

The creative generosity of our volunteer Builders is the heart of this Festival. No two fairy house exhibits are the same; the diversity of our fairy houses amazes and fills us with gratitude every year -- Thank You Builders!

Alisa Buffum

Stefan Grace: Gillis Grace Family

Beth Burgess: From the North Branch of the Winooski

Kathleen Lander

Manzi Wilde: The Wilde Family

Felista Sutherland: Extraordinary Fairies

Lynn Herrmann: Gracie & Chaco Kombuka

Lauren Escott: Wishwood

Kate Meehan: Elodie, Doug, + Kate Meehan

B Frost : Elements

Britny Jones: Spellbinding Sanctuaries

Lisa Donohue: Thrive Center of the Green Mountains

Janet Phoenix: Laughman-Phoenix Homeschool

Jeff Parker: The Goofballs Extraordinaire (Chekan & Parker Families)

Laura Bennett: Mrs. Bennett's 3rd Grade from Chester Andover Elementary

Annie Schulzinger: The Grammar School 1st and 3rd Grades

Paula Benson: The Vermont Journal & The Shopper

Diane McGonigle & Connie Torrence: New Jersey Shore

Sam Bromell: Celine's Fairy House

Dawn Slade: Cliff Comanderson & Dawn Slade

Fairy House Builder Sign-up and Guidelines

This event features the creations of individuals, families, and organizations, each one a unique expression and a unique gift to our community.

The fairy house trail and village is created anew each year. Made with natural materials and open to the elements, the stars of our festival are symbols of nature's impermanence and magic. 

We are lucky that so many eager builders come our way, for they truly make this event a magical experience.

All registered Fairy Builders will be listed in our festival program and will receive 2 free tickets (for a child and an adult) to attend the event. Plus, your name will be entered in a raffle for Fairy Builders to win a Fairy House Festival t-shirt.  If you have a large group (for instance, a school classroom), please contact us for alternate arrangements!  Builder tickets aren’t transferable without special permission.

First-time builder?

Read below for lots of important information and tips.

Builder Guidelines

• Houses may be any size and the theme of the house may be anything you wish — we’re creating a village and each year we are delighted by fairy schools, fairy cafes, fairy discos, and simple and elaborate fairy homes.

• This year we have a theme for builders to work within as a creative option.  To celebrate our new wetland restoration and pond, our theme this year is Water. 

• Please use only natural materials – feathers, dry grasses, leaves, sticks, pebbles, shells, bark from a fallen tree, milkweed, moss, nuts, pods, acorns, berries, gourds, miniature pumpkins, pinecones. Birch bark is an excellent building material.

• All fairy houses must appear to be made entirely of natural components.

• Hot glue, acrylic spray, natural twine and other man-made items can be used but should be concealed by natural elements.

• Platforms or man-made support materials can be used for easier delivery and transport, but must be concealed with natural materials when installed on-site. There are a limited number of tree cookies available to builders from The Nature Museum. Please inquire about getting one to use as a foundation for your structure.

• Avoid using any reproductive materials (such as roots or seed pods) from invasive plant species that could spread the unwanted invasive plant.

• Please do not use any items of value in the houses.

• Edible materials (such as nuts or seeds) will attract woodland creatures other than fairies, something to keep in mind.

Notes For Builders

• Your fairy house structure will be installed by you on The Nature Museum’s fairy trail on Friday before the festival. When you arrive with your exhibit on Friday, you are required to find an open site along the Fairy Trail to install your piece. Your site may be reserved in advance if you would like to walk the trail prior to Friday and select your site. On Friday, it is first come first serve to fill the available sites along the trail.

• If you are unable to install your fairy house during this drop-off time, please contact us to make other arrangements.

• You may return to collect your fairy house exhibit any time after 4 p.m. on Sunday.

• Tour-goers like to know who builds which exhibit. In order to identify your exhibit along the Fairy Trail, please be sure to create a sign out of natural materials (i.e. handwriting on birch bark glued to a stick) that lists all the names of the Fairy Builders in your group. If you have given your exhibit a specific title, please make a second sign out of natural materials to share this with the viewer. Bring these signs with you and install them nearby your Fairy House Exhibit.

• All registered Fairy Builders will be listed in our festival program and will receive 2 free tickets (for a child and an adult) to attend the event. Plus, your name will be entered in a raffle for Fairy Builders to win a Fairy House Festival t-shirt.

• The name of the person who registered to build an exhibit will be on the FIP (Fairy Important Person) List at the Fairy House Festival Ticket Table during this weekend event; please check in at this table at the event to receive your Fairy House Builder badge. 

Notes For Collectors — Help Us Build a Collection for the Builders!

• Our Fairy House Building Station is one of our many wonderful activities for visitors to enjoy during our festival. Here, folks can grab a bucket and choose from all kinds of supplies to make their own fairy house among our garden and meadow. Collecting these magical natural items is a big task and your help is invaluable!

• Some examples of items we accept include small stones/pebbles, acorns, other tree nuts, dried reeds/grasses, small sticks/twigs, seashells, dried flowers, pine cones, small tree cookies, dried moss, native vines, tree bark, and much more!

• Things we please ask that you don't donate include dangerous or invasive plant species (Japanese knotweed, oriental bittersweet, Chinese lantern seeds, poison ivy vine, stinging nettle, plants with thorns, etc.), large items (stumps, logs, bushes), and anything else that could be dangerous, cumbersome, or difficult to break apart.

• Items can be dropped off at the museum front porch at any time, even if we're not open.

  The Nature Museum (and fairies) thank you for your support!