Visual Magic: Enchanting and Stress-Relieving YouTube Channels

We all need a break every now and then. Now especially, during Covid, it can be refreshing to visit the YouTube site of a “real person” vs. watching fictional films and television all the time. We are craving human connection, and of course if you’re visiting this blog, you’re probably one of those who have always craved magical connection as well. Recently I had a friend ask me if he could have an updated list of some of my favorite YouTube channels to follow, and I thought…why not share them with you all?

First a caveat, the image quality of these photos does not reflect the quality of the channel’s videos. My iPad and internet connection just weren’t having it when I went to screencap their videos.

Jeri Landers’ gorgeous garden.

A butterfly in Landers’ garden.

First up is Jeri Landers of Hopalong Hollow. This channel features the artist Landers, who creates gorgeous story books, paintings, and felt sculpted farm animals. Her channel features her incredible cottage garden full of whimsical details like fence posts shaped like rabbits, and her old-fashioned home and baking. It’s just a cozy and lovely channel. Beware the occasional peacock call that can wake you up or startle your pets if you try to watch this while going to sleep.

Green Witch talks about a spell.

Green Witch

The Green Witch is a pagan/magical channel, but with a very organic, natural and calming energy, and gorgeous visuals. I appreciate her recent trend toward the idea of creating your own rituals and making your workings your own.

Gorgeous visuals in Daughter of Old

Daughter of Old makes a pattern from flower petals.

Daughter of Old is the Green Witch’s aesthetic channel, focused more on nature and baking and less on magical workings. Also gorgeous visuals.

A glowing fairy tale book made by Merveilles Enpapier

Beast from the classic fairy tale, as made by Merveilles Enpapier.

French paper sculptor Laetitia Miéral shares her work and her whimsical life, décor, and fashion on this charming channel, Merveilles Enpapier.

Jonna Jinton forest bathing in a Swedish summer.

Jonna Jinton in sunlight.

One of the two channels on this list you’ve most likely already heard of. Jonna Jinton lives in northern Sweden in a gorgeous house on a lake, and her channel is full of lush visuals of her wandering in nature, kulning to cows, filming the sounds of ice singing in winter, and much more. Jinton has over a million followers for a reason.

Rambalac’s night time wanderings in the city put me in a calm place for sleep. They are especially welcome in this time of Covid when we crave human connection.

Rhododendron fields from Rambalac.

Rambalac’s channel is one that has helped me with recent insomnia. He films extremely high quality 4k videos of Japanese ambiance…walking down city streets and through country lanes. All sounds are atmospheric, there is no voice over.

Nyangsoop’s cat, Taco, is about the cutest thing ever.

Nyangsoop’s whole aesthetic reminds me of a Ghibli film.

Nyangsoop is such a cozy and lovely channel. She lives in a very Miyazaki-esque cozy cottage in Korea, and mostly just bakes and cooks. But in a relaxing, cozy, stress-free way, with her adorable cat.

Erwin Saunders searching for pixies.

Erwin Saunders being pixie-led.

Many thanks to Mister Finch for letting us know about this amazing channel. Erwin Saunders lives…somewhere in England? And in these videos he traipses through lush green forests searching for pixies. The channel is presented as a nature film, and surprises abound in each episode. If you know anything further about Erwin Saunders, please let me know…I would love to feature him on the blog.

Bealtaine Cottage has thrived under O’Neill

A sacred site at Bealtaine Cottage

Colette O’Neill of Bealtaine Cottage started a goddess permaculture experiment with her new property in Ireland over a decade ago, and has transformed it from barren land into a wonderland of nature magic. She and her dog Jack wander the property and share their findings with you on this channel.

Fairy food set out by the Herbologist to encourage them to bless and help her plants grow on Goodnight Moon ASMR.

The Herbologist is only one of almost a dozen characters telling their stories about Babblebrook on Goodnight Moon ASMR.

Generally speaking, I am not super into ASMR, but Erin of Goodnight Moon’s Babblebrook series goes beyond ASMR. She creates all the story lines, sets, and props in a fantasy setting and you become as riveted as if you were watching a big-budget television series.

Moonlight Cottage takes your order

Mixing herbs on Moonlight Cottage.

Moonlight Cottage is a newer French ASMR with a more historical than fantasy bent, but she also puts a ton of work into her sets and props.

A fairy house magically emerges from cardboard and recycled glass bottles on Creative Mom’s channel.

Creative Mom paints a gorgeous fairy abode.

You’ve probably seen one of Creative Mom’s videos on Facebook. She makes gorgeous fairy houses from bottles, cardboard, and other materials.

Liziqi astounds us all with her skills and creativity.

Liziqi and her grandmother work with cotton.

Liziqi is a goddess who lives in rural China, and honestly can do anything. Videos show her harvesting fruit and foods from fields and forests, making her own gowns from fabric she weaves herself, making her own clay fire oven shaped like a cat, and so much more.

The Menagerie plays a soothing song.

Woodland creatures make music at The Menagerie.

Kate Covington of Erutan has a side project called The Menagerie. There are only a handful of videos, but they are gorgeous and magical and memorable.

Woodland Patterns runs away to the woods.

All of Woodland Patterns’ creations sell out on her Etsy within a minute.

The wonderful Instagrammer @liskin_dol’s YouTube channel, Woodland Patterns, features beautiful aesthetic videos of her wandering the woods, baking, and crafting.

Hernandez in a field of flowers.

The fairy that is Priscilla Hernandez.

Musician Priscilla Hernandez has some of the most gorgeous and magical music videos around.

Rachel Maksy from her Anne of Green Gables look book.

Maksy recreating vintage ads.

Honestly, Rachel Maksy’s vintage and cosplay channel may not fit a fairy tale aesthetic all of the time (sometimes it does!) but I adore it so much, I have to promote it. I’ve seen every single video she’s ever posted and she’s an all-time favorite YouTube vlogger.

Honorable mention…

These are not channels, but if you’re looking for some lovely television shows to watch on YouTube, I’d recommend episodes of

Escape to the Country: A British house-hunting show featuring cottages and locales out of a fairy tale.

Love Your Garden: A touching reality show where people in need have their back yards transformed into havens of flowers.

And finally, episodes of any of the farm shows where a team of specialists and historians live for a year or a season using the farming methods of an era:

Medieval Farm, Tudor Farm, Stuart Farm, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, and Wartime Farm. Unlike American reality tv, there is no drama on this show, unless it’s Mother Nature causing it.

Do you have any other channels you love to follow on YouTube for their enchanted and relaxing content? Please share!