Crafting a Fairy World

Now that my older daughters spend less and less time in the Land of Make Believe, I appreciate my youngest child's fondness for fairies even more. I can build a fairy house with the best of them, but when it comes to fairy crafts, I'm not so good at summoning Tinkerbell.

Which is why I smiled almost as widely as Natalie when her aunt gave her a craft book called Fairy Things to Make and Do (www.ubah.com) for her fourth birthday. Filled with more than 32 fairy-related crafts, it's a dream come true for any artsy, pink-loving, magically-inclined little girl (and her mom).

We've worked our way through castle scenes, fairy wands, flower garlands, crowns, speckled butterflies, glittery wings, and fairy cards. Some projects take more time than others, but they're all straightforward with easy-to-follow instructions. Natalie can tackle some of the projects solo, while others require some help with the trickier scissors work or hole-punching.

All you need to get started are everyday materials like drinking straws, gift wrap, ribbon, glue, and the like -- a plus for a parent who has little time or budget for one more trip to the craft store.

Best of all, Natalie's fairy craft sessions tend to unfold into enchanting dramatic play. One day, she and a friend made sprightly wands and sparkly tiaras. Then they spent the afternoon bewitching each other between costume changes.

Another day, after Natalie put the finishing touches on her flower garlands, she festooned her bunk bed with them. The bunk bed became her fairy hideout in a magical fairy forest. I needed a special password to enter, and then I was warned about the tricky wood nymphs hiding under the bed, er, tree.

While this book can't permanently suspend Natalie in this stage as a primo pretender, I'll bet my magic wand it'll hold her fascination with fairies a little bit longer.