January 11, 2022
What is a Fairy Door?
Hi I’m Rachel from Away with the Fairies and have been a member of Shop in Ireland from the very start.
I started my fairy business with my husband nearly 20 years ago now, we’ve built it up over the years and thankfully the fairies now pay the mortgage for us!
Many of our customers ask ‘What is a fairy door’, so here’s a little intro;
A Fairy door is a magical portal between our world and the fairy realm, usually found at the base of a tree trunk or on a skirting board. Fairy doors can be used to help children with imaginative play and creative thinking and so can also help children deal with worries and bad dreams.
Fairies have been travelling to and from from the fairy realm to ours for centuries, sometimes using fairy rings and fairy forts. In more recent times however, parents have been putting fairy doors in their homes and gardens to encourage the fairies to move in and interact with their children.
Irish Fairy Doors
Fairies have long been part of culture in Ireland for centuries and were not always the benign creatures we enjoy interacting with today. Sometimes they would take a child away to the fairy realm, as chronicled by famous Irish Poet W.B. Yeats in his Poem The Stolen Child
Fairies are believed to be the Tuatha de Danann, one of the first tribes to arrive in Ireland. The Tuatha de Danann were a magical and secretive race and so they are an important part of Irish mythology and culture.
The Fairy Doors of Ann Abor
Some of the first Fairy doors appeared in Michigan USA way back in 1993. Overnight these magical fairy doorways appeared all over the city to the delight of locals and tourists alike. The kids of Ann Arbor would leave gifts for their fairies including handmade drawings, notes, sweets and other precious items and wait for a response.
Fairies would answer the notes or leave gifts in return to the delight of the children. The doors then spread to the surrounding villages and towns
Handmade Wooden Fairy Doors
Often made with the help of children, these doors can be charming and great fun to construct. Usually made from materials that can be found in the forest these doors fit perfectly into a woodland setting and have a wonderful natural look to them.
Opening Fairy Doors
These popular Opening fairy doors are for the less secretive fairies that don’t mind having children visit their home! Although you would be very lucky indeed to find one because fairies have super sensitive hearing . A fairy will often take flight when they hear children approaching
Created from resin these doors are very durable so are ideal for placing in the garden.
.
Metal Fairy Doors
Built to last! These Magical metal Fairy Doors can be highly intricate as well as having the ability to open. Built with durability in mind these doors can be used inside or in the garden. The fairy door pictured even has a window so that the child to post notes to the fairy.
Now, these Garden fairy doors are for the most secretive of fairies. The door will only open for the fairies because they love their privacy. However these fairies still love to receive gifts and notes and are always happy to take away the children’s worries.
Often these doors will be found at the base of a tree or part of a miniature garden complete with Fairy Garden Accessories.
What does a fairy door do?
Fairy doors are essentially a magical tool to boost your child’s sense of wonder and to encourage what child psychologists call “Imaginative play”. The great part about it is that the parents can get involved too. Children write notes to the fairies and can get creative leaving drawings and gifts. If a child is worried about anything this can give parents a great insight into what their child’s worries might be. Be assured a fairy door is sure to bring hours of fun to any household!
How to get a fairy to move in
Once you have decided on a spot for your fairy door , you may wonder how do I attract a fairy to move in? Rest assured there is a number of ways to encourage the fairies to pick your fairy door. Some doors arrive with a magical key which can be left out for the fairies overnight, if it has disappeared in the morning you know the fairy has used it to open the door. You can also sprinkle fairy dust or flower petals at the entrance to the door and if they have been disturbed you know a fairy has entered the magical portal.
You will all our Discover our Fairy Doors at our Shop in Ireland Store
Comments (2)
Thanks Anita, Great to have positive feedback. Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely lovely fairy doors. Great to learn more about them. I especially love that last piece on how to know if a fairy has moved in. Just fabulous