How to make wooden fairy doors for the garden

How to make wooden fairy doors for the garden

wooden fairy doors

Materials Needed
2 Pieces of suitable wood
Black Paint
2 other colors of paint
Clear Gloss Spray Paint
Glue Sticks or wood glue
Tools Needed
Jigsaw
Glue Gun
Wood file
Drill
Ruler
Pencil
I was given the wood I used by a relative from an old fence.

They are 6 ft by 4-inch wooden slats. If you are making the doors for the garden make sure you choose suitable wood.

Cutting the Shape of the Door

wooden fairy doors

How to Cut the Wood
Measure the size of 10 inches onto your first piece of wood and mark the end of the door.
Draw the shape of the arch of the door on to the wood. This will be on the top of the wood piece. Always cut the arch first. Use a Jigsaw so you can go around the corners
Once this is done to your satisfaction then you can cut the end of the door.
Now you have your door shape on one side.
Place this piece on your second piece of wood and mark out the shape of the arch and the size.
Join the two pieces of wood together to form the fairy door.
Wood for the Back
Cut across the wooden slat with the saw one inch in width.
Do this twice
This will give you two pieces of wood which are one inch by four inches.

wooden fairy doors

How to Put the Door Together
Use a wood file to smooth the edges of the wood to make it safe and neater.
Glue the two pieces of wood together. You can use wood glue but I always use my Glue Gun because it glues it firmly and is ready in fifteen seconds.
Glue the two pieces onto the back of the door.
Cover the join of the two larger pieces in the center.
Use the drill to make a hole in the center of each of these pieces
These small bits of wood secure your door together and the holes are used to attach to a wall.

wooden fairy doors

You should have decided which colors you are going to paint the door. The choice is yours but if you have two contrasting colors it will make the door look better.
Paint the main part of the door one color first. Make sure to go right up to the edges.
Leave to dry for a few hours.
How to Draw the Arch
Use a ruler to draw a straight line down one of the sides as far as the beginning of the arch. This should be one inch in width.
Do the same to the other side to the exact width as the first one.
Go to the top of the door and mark a dot in the center.
Measure it to one inch and from this dot draw the line of the arch to meet the line of the left side.
Do the same from the other side.
Now paint the inside of the drawn arch the other color and leave to dry. This will take a few hours

wooden fairy doors

Painting the Arches Black
This is the tricky bit as you need a steady hand.

Using a thin paintbrush start to paint the lines you have already penciled in.
I always start with the line on the left of the door first.
I paint this as far as the top of the door and then I turn the door around and continue to paint the line until I go all the way down to the right of the door.
That is the inside line done. Now I paint the outside edge of the door black too.
This gives you the makings of the brick surround.
Once this is done make the bricks by painting the pencil lines with the black paint.
Leave to dry for a few hours.
Making the Bricks
Go to the top of the arch and make another dot in the center. This is the middle of your first brick.
Draw a line to the left and then to the right from the top until you have drawn the brick.
Draw the next two bricks the same size.
After that, you can draw the others a smaller size.
The angle and shape of the bricks are up to you. I have done many doors with different arches so you can have a look at the photos to see which ones you like

wooden fairy doors

Making the Wooden Slats
Now you want to mark out the lines on the door.
Start from the center of the top of the door and draw a line down to the bottom.
On either side of this line draw another line the same distance apart.
This will give you four wooden slates of the door
Be careful not to transfer the pencil lead onto the painted door from your hands.

wooden fairy doors

Paint the Slats
Now it is time to paint the slats in the main part of the door.
Carefully paint them with the black paint going down in a straight smooth motion. If you go a little crooked you can make the lines a little bit thicker in order to hide it.
Paint the hinges black.
Paint the doorknob or leave if you intend to glue on
Leave to dry

wooden fairy doors

Painting the Back and Edges
I always paint the back and the sides because it makes the door waterproof.

I have tried different colors but always come back to black. This color makes the door look more professional.

Paint the edges first as this will be less messy. Always be aware of the front of the door and avoid getting the black paint near it.
Now place the door flat on the table and paint the back of it.
Leave to dry.
Finishing
At first, I used clear Acrylic Gloss Paint to finish off the doors.

The gloss makes them look great and also seals in the paint so that they are waterproof if they are to be used outdoors.

I then used spray clear gloss because it was very easy to use and took a fraction of the time to do.

Remember to use the gloss on the sides as well.

wooden fairy doors

courtesy: feltmagnet