Create a tiny home for Seabrook’s woodland gnomes and fairies using natural materials gathered throughout Seabrook’s forest and beach. This all-ages activity is part treasure hunt, part building project, and a fun way to add your own creation to the ever-changing village along Seabrook’s Gnome Trail.
The best part? There’s no right way to build one. Gather fallen sticks, pine cones, stones, leaves, and other natural finds, then let the forest inspire the rest.
Gather Your Building Materials
Start by looking for natural materials already loose on the ground. Fallen twigs and branches can become walls and roofs, while pine cones, stones, bark, pine needles, leaves, and shells can add texture and tiny details.
Hunting for building supplies is part of the fun and a great excuse to explore more of Seabrook. Wander the trails for forest finds or head down to the beach to look for shells and other natural treasures that could become part of your creation. Just remember to leave living plants where they are and use only loose, natural materials. Store-bought decorations, plastics, paint, glue, and other manufactured materials should stay out of the forest.
Bring a pair of gloves if you’d like, especially when gathering rough sticks or other materials.
Build at Home or on the Trail
There are a couple of ways to create your gnome home. Build a freestanding structure at your Seabrook home and carefully carry it to the Gnome Trail, or gather your materials and build right in the woods.
Building on the trail gives you plenty of natural foundations to work with. Look for fallen logs, tree bases, hollows, or one of the trail’s large old stumps, then use the existing landscape as part of your design. You’ll find gnome homes of all shapes and sizes throughout the woods, from tiny shelters tucked into stumps to larger structures made from fallen branches.
However you build, remember that gnome homes are meant to be temporary. Wind, rain, and time will eventually return natural creations to the forest, making room for someone new to build in their place.
Add the Little Details
Once the main structure is standing, the little details are where your imagination can take over. Add a tiny doorway, pathway, bed, table, chair, fireplace, mailbox, staircase, balcony, or whatever else you think your gnome might need.
There’s no need for everything to be perfect. Work with the shapes, textures, and materials you find and see where they take you.
Find a Spot
When your gnome home is ready, find a spot along the Gnome Trail where it can become part of the village. Explore beyond the main path and look around the trees, logs, and large stumps for inspiration from homes other visitors have created.
Choose a spot that doesn’t block the trail or disturb living plants, then leave your creation for future explorers to discover.
Share Your Creation
Take a photo of your finished gnome home and tag Seabrook on social media. We love seeing what our community dreams up in the woods.
