Painted Ceramic Fairy Houses

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My kids are always begging me to paint, it is one of their favorite craft projects, and although it can get a little messy I feel like it is one of the easiest to let them do. Especially when they have something specific to paint. If you are looking for a fun summer craft activity for kids this was a big hit with my kids. 

I had a gift card to use at Oriental Trading Company and when I started looking at things I could use it for I saw these little ceramic fairy houses and I knew my kids would love them. My girls (ages 10-14) all loved them and immediately started choosing which ones they wanted to paint, and my youngest son who is 6 was super excited to see the mushroom house because it reminded him of Toad in Mario. 

I think little ceramic items like these are really fun for kids to paint because they have a nice little finished project in the end. Something they are more likely to want to keep and set on a shelf or put out in a garden, than a painting on a piece of paper or even a canvas. 

They are even something that would make a fun gift that the kids could make and give themselves. My 11 year old added one of the fairy houses that she painted to a gift for a friend's birthday. My mother-in-law has a collection of fairy houses on her back porch so I think it would be a fun thing for the kids to make for her. 

And if fairy houses aren't your thing, there are lots of other options too. My kids have requested dinosaurs, sweet treats, or cute little smiling pots as their next project. The nice thing about the paintable ceramics from Oriental Trading is that they come in sets of 6 or 12, which means there is enough for every one to paint. We have even used them as a birthday party activity a few years ago and the kids really enjoyed it then too. 

How to Paint Ceramic Fairy Houses

You will need:

• Ceramic Fairy Houses
• Acrylic Craft Paints in a variety of colors
• Paintbrushes
• Palettes
• Outdoor Mod Podge

Instructions:

There isn't really a lot of instructions for this project beyond just give the kids the fairy house, paint, paintbrushes, and water and let them do their thing so there won't be much to this tutorial, but here are a couple of things that I did- 

I used paper plates for the kids to paint on to protect the table we were working at, they were the perfect size for them to place there house on as they were painting and also something for it to sit on as they dried.

Once the houses were dry I covered them with a coat of Outdoor Mod Podge. You could use any outdoor sealant and I don't know how long it would last outside, but I wanted to protect it as much as possible if they decided to put them outside. You can let the Mod Podge dry and add another layer or two for extra protection.