Mike and Debbie Schramer, Fairy House: how to make amazing fairy furniture, miniatures and more from natural materials, Exisle, 13 Oct 2015, 189pp., $34.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781939629692
This beautiful book had me looking at natural materials in a different way. With sumptuous photographs and detailed instructions, I was inspired to collect sample material from my walks in the park with a view to making my own fairy furniture. Alas, the Christmas rush squeezed out my plans!
Although not a children’s book, it is a book to look through with children, inspire their imagination and creativity and for parents/carers to embark on a project together with their children (or separately, for their children). This is important, as there are significant hazards associated with building these fairy houses and furniture – like the risk of hidden spiders, poisonous plants, and dangerous tools such as sharp implements and hot glue guns. The instructions are written for an adult readership and at times require some further interpretation, needing adult sensibilities.
Written and illustrated by American husband and wife nature artists with the motivation to help people find their “creative inner child… and help them find happiness,” the creations in the book range from the quite simple to the very complicated. However, the beauty of art made from nature is its imperfect form, which is part of the rustic charm, allowing artists more freedom in creativity – something children would relish and something which I, as a non-artist, find quite tempting.
Reviewed by Debra Tidball