This project started when we were finishing the patio extension by the putting green. The spot needed a lamppost — but I didn’t want a plain post. I’m a longtime fan of the Magic Kingdom and a bit of everyday magic, and I’d always dreamed of building something on our property that felt like a fairy-tale village. So that’s what I set out to make.
I sketched the design on paper myself. The idea was a tall, substantial post topped with a little copper-roofed cupola. One side would carry an old forged lamp — the kind you’d expect on a castle wall. The other side would hold a cluster of tiny houses, like birdhouses dressed in copper and brass, floating on the post like a miniature village. And below it all, a set of directional signs pointing to cities and countries around the world — Tokyo, Rome, Hawaii, Montreal, Chicago, New York, and more. That was the vision, and I decided to build it.
The Post
For the post, I picked up a 6×6, ten feet tall, from Menards. To anchor it, I used a heavy-duty 6×6 base bracket rated for four concrete anchors. It arrived in black, so no painting was required — a nice bonus.
The Cupola
For the crown, I found a 24-inch-by-24-inch cupola with a real copper top on the local marketplace. It was brand new with a few dents on the very top — invisible from the ground — so I got it for a fraction of the price. To mount it, I bought four 7×7-inch corner brackets on eBay; they came primed, so I painted them black.
The Copper-Wrapped Shelf Post
I needed a short shelf post to mount two of the houses, so I cut a 4×6 beam I had on hand down to 32 inches and wrapped it in a very thin copper film — both for the magical village look and to protect the wood from sun and weather. I kept every seam hidden at the bottom near the bracket and held the film in place with tiny copper nails. To attach it to the main post, I used a 12×12 bracket (also from eBay), which I primed and painted.
Painting Everything With 2K Spray Max
I’m a big fan of 2K Spray Max black — a two-component epoxy paint — and I used it on all the steel: the 12×12 bracket, the four cupola corner brackets, all of it. It lays down a tough, durable finish.
The Forged Medieval Lamp
The lamp was a real find. On eBay I came across a handmade forged lamp made by a blacksmith in Ukraine — medieval in style, with real painted glass (oak-leaf detailing and all). The maker shipped it all the way to me, and it’s genuinely beautiful; it has to be seen in person. Instead of a standard bulb, I fitted an LED flickering bulb, so at night it dances like candlelight in warm red and orange tones.
The Magical Houses
For the houses, I bought four custom birdhouses on Etsy. They were fairly plain on their own, so I used them as a foundation: I took each one apart and rebuilt it with real copper, brass, and salvaged plumbing parts. I added chimneys, clad every roof in copper (sealing each one against water), and used copper for door trim and accents. A fun touch — I capped the chimneys with kitchen cabinet door knobs for that storybook look.
I wanted each house to glow from within, as if there were life inside. So I cut small discs from recycled plastic bottles, glued them over the round birdhouse openings, and painted them to serve as little windows. Once the houses were finished, I sealed every surface — and the copper cupola — with two light coats of 2K Spray Max clear. It dries perfectly clear and adds the protection these pieces need. (Do it outside; the fumes are strong.)
The Angled Brackets for the Floating Effect
I didn’t want the houses lined up in a neat row. I wanted them floating at different angles, each tilted slightly downward so you can see it clearly from the ground. To do that, I cut pieces of treated 4×4 on my table saw at angles, so every house sits a little twisted and a little tipped — like an enchanted village that grew there on its own.
Wiring the LED Lights in Each House
As I mounted each house, I drilled a 3/8-inch hole and inserted a small 2-watt, 12-volt DC LED, soldered to 18-gauge wire to tie into the circuit. I siliconed each wire entry so no water could get in. Behind the four houses on the beam, I added a small junction box where all the wires meet and run to a low-voltage controller. The houses are on one circuit; the lamp runs on its own.
Staining the Post
For the post itself, I used PPG stain from Home Depot in a dark cedar tone — the same stain I used on my gazebo (you can see that in my DIY outdoor kitchen gazebo build). I applied two heavy coats for solid protection.
Assembly — Putting It All Together
With the stain dry, I anchored the base bracket, bolted the 6×6 to it, and started assembling. First, the four corner brackets went on with heavy lag screws, then the 24×24 cupola dropped onto them, screwed from behind with outdoor-rated screws. Next, lower down, I mounted the 32-inch copper-wrapped 4×6 onto the black 12×12 bracket with lag bolts.
Then came the fun part: positioning the houses. I set all four at slightly different heights and angles to build that floating-village effect. On one of the horizontal angled wood brackets, I used a piece of flashing to cap the top so water would not damage it, and I sealed every bracket-to-post joint. Everything was sealed and color-matched — dark wood with gold accents, copper roofs, the copper cupola, and the copper-wrapped post. It’s a lot of magic, in my opinion.
The Directional Signs
With the houses floating and the cupola up, I moved to the lower section and added the directional signs. I had most of them custom-made on Etsy — you specify the destinations and they make them — and a few I made myself. I sealed every sign with 2K clear, since the acrylic paint wouldn’t survive the elements unprotected. I even painted the mounting screws in different colors rather than leaving plain silver or black on a bright yellow sign. And a detail I love: I oriented each sign to its true compass direction — if Tokyo is west, the sign points west — with the real mileage on it.
The Moment It All Came to Life
When everything was wired into the outdoor circuit — controlled by a photocell and the controller — I waited for nightfall. When the sun went down, I couldn’t stop looking at it. Each tiny window glows in warm orange tones, so every house lights up from inside; you’d swear a little society of creatures lives in there. I called my wife and kids out to see it, and none of us could look away.
That’s How We Built the Magic Post
That’s how the “Magic Post” came together: directional signs, a cluster of copper-and-brass storybook houses, and a forged medieval lamppost with flickering candlelight. I’ve listed the main parts below.
And one last thing—never stop creating. The world could always use a little more imagination, and your backyard, workshop, or home is the perfect place to start. Build something unique, build something meaningful, and most importantly, build something that brings a little magic into your everyday life.
Parts & Tools I Used
- Treated 6×6 post, 10 ft (Menards)
- Heavy-duty 6×6 post base bracket with concrete anchors (Amazon)
- 24×24 cupola with real copper top (MarketPlace , eBay or Home Depot)
- 7×7 cupola corner brackets (×4) and 12×12 mounting bracket (eBay)
- Thin copper film and copper nails (Amazon)
- 2K Spray Max black epoxy paint and 2K Spray Max clear coat (Amazon)
- Handmade forged medieval lamp (eBay) with an LED flickering bulb (Amazon)
- Four custom birdhouses (Etsy), plus copper sheeting, brass, and plumbing parts
- 3-watt 12V DC LED lights (×4), 18-gauge wire, junction box, and a low-voltage controller with photocell (Amazon)
- PPG stain in dark cedar (Home Depot)
- Custom directional signs (Etsy)
Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps support these Homeject build posts. Thank you!
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