Hot Chocolate Box Fairy Forest Book Nook

A basic book nook with easy to scrounge materials.

This was a trial run for a take home kit zoom library program later this Spring. Since I can't assume people have hot glue at home and can't send them home with it, I wanted to do one you could manage without. So it's doable with mounting putty, but if you do have hot glue, that's almost always the better option

Keep an eye out as you go for walks. I found a few branches with interesting lichen knocked down by the snow and ice and recent high winds, so of course lugged them back to cut up for projects!

It's also a good time of year for collecting interesting lichen as it gets warmer and damp.

***An observation on fairy lights and batteries.***

The coin battery ones are the cheapest and the battery pack is the lightest, which is so much nicer when assembling. However they go through batteries a lot faster and are more of a pain to open and replace. Ones with AA battery packs are a bit more expensive and a lot clunkier when you're assembling your piece, but seem to have a longer lifespan and are a lot easier to open and replace batteries. So if you're buying them rather than using what you have on hand, take a minute or two to decide which is more important to you!

Also, even though it might sound counterintuitive, silver colored wire blends a lot better with trees than copper wire does. (Second time getting them I bought copper colored by accident, learn from my mistake!)

Supplies

-hot chocolate box (or narrow cardboard box)

-white glue

-mounting putty or hot glue

-sandpaper

-sticks (and clippers!)

-sphagnum moss

-woodland printout

-6 coffee stirs

-tape

-scissors

-led fairy lights (This set was 30 lights, I think about 7' long)

(optional-scrap paper, acorns, paint, markers, lichen)

Step 1: Create Your Backdrop

Cut one wide side of the box so it opens like a book. (Don’t worry if it unfolds at this point, that can be handy!)

Cut off the long flaps that formerly closed the top of the chocolate box. Measure the width of the remaining box and the height of just that wide flat part. (Don't include the former sides, those will become our top and bottom.)

Print out a forest scene and trim to those dimensions. I found a forest wallpaper online and lightened it a little. You'll probably need to print it over two pages. Glue them so they overlap inside the box.

Step 2: Make a Fairy Door

To make a fairy door, take 5 coffee stirs and trim them to make a domed shape. Cut two of the ends to sit crosswise at an angle.

Decorate however you wish. Buttons, paint, glitter, lichen, fake flowers... If you want to paint or draw on it, that's usually easier before the sticks are glued together. If they're noticeably stained you can cover it by watering down brown craft paint for 'stain' and painting over the entire stick.

You can use markers and colored pencils to try to give a wood grain effect. It'll be a bit more subtle if you rub it gently with a tissue or paper towel after you're done.

Line up your sticks, put some white or hot glue on your crosspieces, and let the door dry. Tiny shank buttons make good doorknobs.

Glue the door to the narrow back panel of the box.

(For a little more detail you can take a look at my fairy door instructable, this is a miniature version.)

Step 3: Add a Rough Forest Floor (And Reassemble If Needed)

Trim sandpaper to fit one small side and glue it down to make a forest floor.

If the box unfolded, this is the time to glue it back together. Glue the flaps that held the bottom of the box (now back) to the outside of the box so they don’t get in the way of the inside decorations.

Take out your fairy lights and start unwinding.

Step 4: Add Trees

Cut some sticks to the approximate length you want your trees. Mine ended up being between 7” and 7 3/4”

Temporarily tape light control box and excess wire to the outside top of the box.

Zig zag the wire of lights along the top and secure with tape or hot glue. Leave the last two feet free to wrap around front tree and the edges of the box.

Figure out where/how you want the sticks arranged. Put one or two in place towards the back and middle. Once you decide how you like them, keep them there with mounting putty or hot glue.

Wrap the lights from the top down your front stick and tape it at the bottom of the stick. Secure to the floor with hot glue or putty.

Step 5: Populate Your Forest

Put white glue on either long side of the bottom of the box, give it a few moments to get tacky, and press in the sphagnum moss. (It may take some judicious trimming of the moss to keep a pathway!)

While the glue dried I made butterflies to glue on the the trees for a pop of color.

Once the glue is dry, see if there’s anywhere you want to add more moss. You can use the path trimmings to cover bald spots.

Step 6: And Finish

Add finishing details.

(I included one photo from a previous larger version to show the acorn cap 'mushrooms', stones, and lichen I added that time.)

Hold the side closed and turn on lights to see if you like it as is or want to tweak. Once it looks good, close with strong tape and decorate the outside of the box.

Attach the last of the lights around the entrance with hot glue or tape. Decide if you want the controls on the top or back and adhere.

Find room on your bookshelf, and enjoy!