DIYer Turns Cardboard Into A Unique Trinket Shelf Fit For A Fairy

Plants, flowers, wooden furniture, and wicker baskets are some of the things that make a home embody the "fairycore" aesthetic. Moreover, trinkets such as pressed flowers, crystals, jewelry, and other tiny keepsakes are said to delight imaginary woodland spirits, whether you believe in fairies or just love the look. With that in mind, to avoid a cluttered display of trinkets in your home and create a dedicated shrine appropriate for the fairycore enthusiast, you can DIY it by repurposing cardboard boxes.

Grab four long cardboard panels, each about 3 inches wide, to form the shelves and frame, cut to your desired measurements for a clean, uniform look. You will also need one flat, wide back panel, around 8 to 12 inches, and a pack of air-dry foam clay, which you can get from the BOHS Store on Amazon for less than $15. You will also need tissue paper, PVA glue, and acrylic paint in woodland colors like brown, red, green, yellow, and white to adhere layers to the frame that will imitate rugged tree bark. Other than that, you will also need brushes for your glue and paint, a hot glue gun, and optional twine fibers to create faux grass to complete the fairycore aesthetic we're aiming for.

Assemble your cardboard pieces to form the shelf structure by using hot glue to attach the vertical frame and horizontal ledges. Let the glue set before layering pieces of tissue paper on the cardboard using PVA glue. Apply the tissue paper evenly on the inner panels. For the frame, make sure you gently pinch or crumple the tissue layers to mimic the uneven grooves of tree bark. Aim for three to four layers for a durable and more realistic finish. Let the shelf dry completely before painting.

@qrowik

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♬ Little Sparrow – Paul Alan Morris

Instead of painting a singular, flat layer of brown paint on your shelf, work with a deep-colored base by combining dark browns and blues or grays, then gradually layer lighter hues. Next, get the air-dry clay and start forming mushrooms of different sizes. For accuracy, you'd want to make shapes of mushroom species that grow on trees, such as oyster mushrooms that are wide, round, and flat, maitake mushrooms that look like sea corals, and even resinous polypores that look like pancakes. Let the clay dry before painting them and adhering them to the sides of the trinket shelf using hot glue. For an extra serving of fairy-like whimsy, add the faux grass made from colored twine fibers around the base before you display your charms and other valuable vintage trinkets you or the fae folk will adore.