When warmer weather arrives, so do the fairies. Flowers bloom, birds sing and fairy-inspired content dominates social media feeds. Today, you don’t need wings or pixie dust to fit in with the magical fair folk. Anyone can invite magic into their own lives with a little bit of ‘fairycore.’ A simple search for the term on Instagram or Pinterest brings up thousands of images of flower-entwined hair, flowy skirts, and mystical forest scenes. So, what exactly does a fairycore summer entail?
There are so many approaches to fairycore that there’s no one answer. Some draw their fae inspiration from grungy goblins, while others prefer the aesthetics of delicate florals or whimsical mushrooms. Though each individual has their own approach, they all evoke magic.
I spoke to Aliya, a fairycore content creator on Instagram and TikTok as @hyacinthoney, about their take on the aesthetic. With over 35K followers on Instagram and 85K on TikTok, they like to incorporate the aesthetic into their #OOTD fits with lace and floral patterns. When it comes to fairycore, Aliya says, “There’s no one way to ‘do it right.’”
From beautified baking rituals to fantastical outfit accents, here are eight ways to make your summer perfectly fairycore, whatever that means to you.
1. Fill Your Wardrobe with Flowy Skirts
Fairycore is all about the natural, including fashion aesthetics. The main feature of a fairycore wardrobe is skirts and dresses that flow and sway as you move like they’re spurred by a summer breeze. The styles can range from boho grunge to lacy vintage, but the skirts are firmly placed in the fairy world with their romantic vibe. Aliya’s popular outfit TikToks often feature nightgowns or slip dresses styled for everyday wear.
When it comes to accessorizing, you can DIY a necklace out of a fallen acorn. Other nature-themed jewelry pieces like leaf-shaped earrings or animal-inspired rings can also elevate the look. For the hair, try braiding flowers and ribbons into your go-to hairstyles. Obviously, a glittery, pastel eye makeup look won’t hurt.
2. DIY Fairy-Inspired Decor
Once you look the part of a fairy, your space deserves some attention too. Adding a plant here and a teacup there can go a long way to immerse one in a woodland, fairytale world. Materials to make a DIY fairycore decor piece can come from your nearest craft supply store or even right in your backyard.
Hot glue some artificial moss and butterfly decals to an ordinary mirror to make it a portal to a magical realm. Get outside and forage for mushrooms on trees to turn them into shelves. A summery, forest-like atmosphere indoors can make even cloudy days bright.
3. Craft a Fairy Home for Your Garden
When your own home is sufficiently whimsical, try making a home for the fae themselves. With sticks, bark, flowers, or gourds from your own yard or local park, you can build miniature homes to really up the magic in your life. Embrace the fantasy and escapism that fairycore offers with these beautiful, sentimental creations. Even if you don’t believe there’s anyone inside, the small touch of imagination is sure to make you smile.
4. Customize Your Phone Home Screen
Of course, summer often comes with rain. Still, there are ways to craft a fairy space from your couch. Believe it or not, your phone can become something of a fairy garden itself. Widgets on iPhones allow users to fill their home screens with personalized images and apps. You can set up a widget to feature fairycore photos from your camera roll or rotate between showing different images from aesthetically pleasing Pinterest boards. Also, use the Shortcut app hack to make all your apps fit the fairycore look. Lastly, remove rarely-needed apps from the home screen to maximize personalization.
5. Picnic in Nature
Greenery and the natural world are key elements of fairycore. Enjoy this aspect of the aesthetic by setting up a picnic with your friends in a forest or field of flowers. Soon you’ll feel like a character in a classic fairy tale book as you lounge under looming trees and enjoy sweet treats. Simple foods like honey, apples, and bread evoke the timeless fairycore feeling. Fairy-inspired baking content on social media provides a guide for picnic desserts like mushroom-adorned cupcakes. Afterward, lay down, look up at the trees and soak in the simple joy of nature.
6. Bake a Fairycore Cake
If one fairy picnic isn’t enough for you, don’t worry. Savannah, cake content creator on TikTok as @444lover and Instagram as @4s4a4v, has advice for those who want to take their fairycore baking to the next level. Her enchanting cake-decorating videos have amassed over 17 million views on TikTok.
“I think the key to making a fairy cake is adding ‘moss,’ butterflies made of sugar paper/chocolate, flowers, sugar crystals, mushrooms,” Savannah says. “Anything straight from nature that would make it look like you found that cake itself there.”
To make edible moss for your own cakes, you can crush golden Oreos and add green food dye. Additionally, you can fashion mushrooms out of buttercream. Transforming a plain cake into something otherworldly might be easier than you think. Finally, top it off with a dash of edible glitter.
7. Visit a Renaissance Fair
When at a Renaissance fair or festival, you’re sure not to be the only fairy-inclined person around. This is your chance to wear the most fantastical get-up that you can get your hands on. Order fairy wings from Etsy or Amazon, lace up a corset, and go all out. Besides having the chance to dress up, a Renaissance fair is a place to really immerse in the world of magic that fairycore hints at. What’s more fairytale-esque than watching a jousting tournament in a pretty dress while drums and horns play in the distance? Nothing. The answer is nothing.
If you don’t know where to start looking, The Renlist has a map and list of festivals across the U.S. on its website.
8. Walk Through the Woods to Fairytale Tunes
To truly connect with fairycore is to connect with nature and childlike wonder. Fairycore enthusiast Aliya says they’re drawn to fairycore because it reminds them of the magic in their childhood.
“I spent most of my time outside, turning up rocks, climbing trees, splashing in creeks, and believing in magic,” they say. “Back then the world had a sort of sparkle to it, and embracing fairycore today helps me keep that sparkle alive, even if it’s only in a small way.”
So, lean into your childhood spirit by letting it guide you through nature. Walk through the woods closest to you and admire the towering trees, rays of sunlight, and mystique of nature. When you’re not tuning into the chirping of the birds, pop in an earbud and hit play on a fairycore playlist, like this one from Spotify. Indulge in the warmth and magic of a summer’s day in nature.
No matter how fairycore finds its way into your life, you can find a way to use it to keep the sparkle in your life too.
