How to Build a Mystical Room Out of a Shoebox

Bring the mystical side of nature into your design.

Create a fairy haunt or other mystical space within a shoebox for either dollhouse use or as a stand-alone diorama. Go with a specific theme, such as woodland fairies or wizards and witches, or create a mystical room suited for almost any type of mystical creature. Use natural elements as well as decor pieces that represent nature, such as moss and rustic wooden dollhouse furniture, and pieces that evoke the ethereal, such as sun and moon designs. Whatever you decide to do, a mystical shoebox room is sure to delight young and old alike. Does this Spark an idea?

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Scissors or box cutter
Mystical-themed scrap fabric
Hot glue
Small, mystical-themed paper images
Glitter glue
Rustic wooden doll furniture
Doll bed with canopy
Loose glitter
Translucent beads
Fairy figurines
Small fairy wands
Moss

Instructions

- 1
  
  Turn your shoebox so the length-wise side is facing you. Use a sharp pair of scissors or a box cutter to cut out either the entire front side for a diorama effect or cut out a small portion of the middle section to create a doorway if constructing the room as a doll house.
- 2
  
  Use mystical-themed scrap fabric, such as those containing sun, moon and star patterns, to cover the entire outside of the box with hot glue. Attach the same fabric to the interior walls of the box or use a different mystical-themed fabric, such as fabric featuring dragons or other mystical creatures. Use the same fabric for the box floor or yet another type of mystical-themed fabric. Allow all glue to dry for about 10 minutes.
- 3
  
  Attach small paper images of mystical creatures or environments, such as a fairy woodland, to the sides of the interior walls as wall decor using hot glue. Add borders with glitter glue to the images, if desired, to create glittering frames. Use glitter glue elsewhere on the box, such as the exterior perimeters.
- 4
  
  Place doll furniture featuring rustic designs, as desired, around the shoebox room. If incorporating a doll bed, purchase one that features a canopy. Add a dusting of loose glitter over all furniture pieces and use doll-sized-yet-mystical embellishments on the furniture, such as a translucent bead as a crystal ball on a doll table, or tie small bits of glittering scrap fabric to chair rungs if applicable.
- 5
  
  Place small fairy figurines around the box if using it as a diorama. Figurines can be ceramic, plastic or paper depending on preference. If you own small fairy wands from other fairy dolls, place them on furniture pieces as an additional touch. Go a step further and glue small bits of moss around box corners and walls to convey a mystical haunt.