Since the herculean feat of carrying the bookcase up two flights of stairs is still pending, I figured we could take a look at making the Fairy Forest comfy and cozy for visitors. The grandkids will need somewhere to sit to partake in the many activities I hope to provide on the magical shelf.
This was a time-consuming endeavour. It's not that there wasn't anything that would be suitable for the fairy forest theme. Au contraire, there was plenty to choose from in all the usual places: Amazon, AliExpress, Temu, Walmart, Wayfair, Etsy.... But because of the limited budget, and the small space, it took a lot of research to find the appropriate items at the right cost. Ironically, my selections came from none of the above vendors.
I thought having some kind of tree stump stool would blend right in with the decor. A quick Google search revealed one at Chapters Indigo at half price, and I ordered it right away. I figured if I liked it, I could pick up another one and seating would be taken care of. Ooops. As so often happens when things are on clearance, by the time I had decided to buy a second one, they were completely sold out. Everywhere.
No problem! Maybe I could find a similar item somewhere else, so back to Google I went. I found lots of tree stump stools of various materials, as well as other forest themed examples, such as toadstools and flowers.
But, I wanted something a little cozier, that would lend itself to snuggling up with a good book, so I expanded my search options to include more plush options like beanbag chairs. There I found an abundance of adorable possibilities, from exorbitantly expensive one-of-a-kind options to downright reasonable. Here's just a small sampling of items I discovered.
The only purchase I have made thus far that I regret was in this category. I discovered very quickly that beanbag chairs are not cheap. And it is easy to be deceived when searching for one because in most cases when the price is reasonable, say less than $75, all you get is the cover. No beans, Just some fabric with a zipper.
I knew I was taking a risk when I found a very inexpensive beanbag chair for children in a mottled grey colour on Temu that I figured could pass for a big boulder, The online listing was a little ambiguous. Despite it being referred to as "No Stuffed Gray Bean Bag Chair" in the headline, the listing went on to contradict that, in various places. It stated "complete set sofa" and "What you have ordered is beanbag with filling". Seemed pretty clear, so I placed the order. What the hell, I could reuse the fabric and zipper if it didn't work out.
Well, it didn't. It was a classic case of "You get what you pay for." And that price was just too good to be true. I still needed more seating. Heavy sigh.
A furry, flower-shaped stuffed cushion that is often marketed online as a chair pad seemed like a good option. There were lots available online, in various sizes, prices and colours.
While I was waffling on the decision, I happened upon a great option at Winners. Pink was not my first choice of colours, (I really wanted orange!) but it was good quality, reasonably-priced and already in my shopping cart. And it looks remarkably similar to the pricier option above from Trend Labs. Yee haw! Seating completed.
To add an extra touch, I purchased a few inexpensive flower pillows to brighten up the corner. What do you think so far?!
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