Introduction: Tiny Fairy Doors

By Geeking Out
About: I'm a Renaissance woman. I love to create things with a fantasy, medieval, or geeky edge. I'm also a math/science nerd. I have a passion for all things Halloween. I like to build props, create costume elements…
I make these tiny doors from Polymer clay.  Each has its own recessed wire hanger and they can be hung from straight sewing pins rather than nails.  When I give doors away, they are accompanied by the legend that I wrote:

Many fairies are moving from their traditional homes in meadows and woodlands into the city where they seek lives of contentment and ease as house fairies.  Dividing their time between their new home, the homes of their friends, and the central fairy market of the nearest town, these tiny creatures weave an enchantment of protection and luck as they go. 

Hang one of these tiny doors in your home and fairies will find it.  They will use their magic to unlock the doors they discover and create homes behind them.  Then, coming and going as they please, they will bestow some of their magic upon your home.  This will protect your home from the antics of pixies and other magical creatures who delight in antagonizing humans: carrying off belongings, tormenting pets, and encouraging distress and fretfulness.

Beware, however, that groups of fairy friends may throw large parties at night while you sleep.  If you wake to the scent of flowers on the air or see the sparkle of starlight where no stars dwell, you'll know that fairies have been sharing merriment in your home.

Brick Door
The first door is my favorite.  It's a brick door made of individually cut bricks.  These bricks were formed and baked before setting them in place around the arched door which was also made before the final assembly.  White polymer clay was pressed between bricks to make mortar and black "iron" hardware was added.  I used liquid polymer clay to join baked and unbaked pieces before re-firing the doors in this many of the other doors.

Bag End
This door is a replica of the movie version of Bilbo Baggins' door.  It also sports Gandalf's carving which was not in the movie door. The design of this door was somewhat complicated, requiring many element and baking sessions. 

Branch Covered Door
The knotwork on this door was added using my Inlay Rubber Stamp Designs in Polymer Clay Instructable.  The tree branches originally had a lot of detailed bark but the application of liquid polymer clay over them filled in these marks during baking and took away from their intricate detail.  So, lesson learned.  Liquid polymer clay can be used to create a smooth surface and, if you don't want a smooth surface, don't try to be clever by using it to give more detail.

Round Door with Gold Handle
This door is a fairly simple round door.  The outer frame and doorstep are made from some polymer clay that I had added a marbled design to.  The window is actually a thick layer of liquid polymer clay floated on more of the door frame clay.   The moving ring handle was made in two steps.  First, I made the small ring which involved making a disk and pushing a toothpick through to expand the hole.  This was baked.  Then it was carefully covered in foil before adding it to the rest of the handle in the final baking.  Afterward, I removed the foil and the handle swung freely.

Fantasy Wood Grain Door
The final door itself was made by layering uneven layers of brown and beige clay, rollling it out, folding it, and repeating.  Then the door was sliced off to show the layers.  The stone frame and doorstep were made by baking a small block of clay that was slightly darker than the clay I was going to use for the bulk of the stone work.  This was then grated into fine pieces which were mixed with the stonework clay to give it a more rugged look without the need to further distress the clay.  The handle was made to move freely, as with the round brown door.

Ominous Eye Door
This door was made using a few fondant molds: one for wood grain strips and one for rough stone. I made the grain using the mold and then aged it up by tinting some liquid polymer clay, brushing it on, and wiping it off the raised surfaces. After baking, I very gently rubbed white partially baked clay onto the surface to give it a sort of weathered look. To make the stone edges, I just made rough and random-sized stones from grey clay and pressed them against the rough stone mold to create the texture. Then I arranged them around the door and added a stoop. After it was all baked, I mixed a tiny amount of black paint with a glazing liquid, brushed it across the stones and into the cracks and wiped it away.

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