2/05/13 2/02/13

DIY Terrarium Instructions and Tips

Terrarium Making 101: It's Easier Than You Think!

February 2, 2013 by Angela Elias

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Terrarium Making 101: It's Easier Than You Think!

Sure, you can get your sweetie some flowers for Valentine's Day but how about raising the bar this year with something you made yourself? Terrariums are the perfect solution! Not only do they last longer than fresh flowers, they can also incorporate sentimental tokens and can be endlessly adapted to fit a range of decorating styles. We know what you are thinking — it sounds hard! We thought so too but after taking a terrarium tutorial from the owners of one of our favorite local floral and curiosity shops, Crimson Horticulture Rarities, we saw how easy (and fun!) it could be. Leigh Oakies and Allison Futeral prove that all it really takes is a few household items, a nearby garden and pet store, and some creativity. If we can do it, you can do it!

Start by selecting your glassware. Decide whether you would like to hang your terrarium or place it on a tabletop, mantel, or desk. You can either purchase glass vessels – stores like West Elm have an amazing selection – or you can see what you have at home. Leigh and Allison have experimented with everything from beakers to mason jars!

Next, gather your plants. Leigh and Allison especially love using air plants. You can water larger air plants by running them under water, shaking excess water off, then drying them in the sun before returning them to their vessels.

For smaller air plants, simply immerse them in a bucket or sink of water and let them soak for an hour. Shake off excess water and allow them to dry in a sunny spot before returning them to their vessel. Watering should be done once a week.

Aside from using large plants like air plants, succulents, and cacti, you can also add other things like reindeer and sheet moss – which come in a variety of colors like lime, coral, teal and nude – and lichen-covered branches. The small blue bowel to the left holds a pile of activated charcoal. For leafier plants like succulents and ferns, add activated charcoal as the first layer in your terrarium before adding sand or rocks, and soil. This will soak up excess water and keep the plants from developing mold. You can easily find activated charcoal at pet stores.

Next, layer your plants with other found treasures that are small enough to fit into your vessel. Leigh and Allison especially like using things like lotus and eucalyptus pods, petrified wood, feathers, starfish, tiny animal figurines, and metal objects like coins or tools. They can be items that you've collected from hikes, walks on the beach, or flea markets.

This leafy terrarium has multiple layers of activated charcoal, sand, and soil. Aside from soaking in excess moisture, the layers create a really cool multihued effect that we love.

If you have a terrarium with a lid, don't be concerned if you see condensation – that's a good thing! Just remove the lid overnight once a week to allow it to air out. Be sure to keep lidded terrariums out of spots that receive a lot of direct sunlight because the heat may become too intense for the plants.

Regardless of the shape of the vessel you are using, the process is generally the same. This is a simple rectangular bud vase.

Leigh and Allison mainly rely on paintbrushes, small shovels, and large tweezers to insert items into vessels and move them around until they are satisfied with their arrangement. Chopsticks are also unexpected but handy tools for arranging terrariums.

If you're using air plants, it's fine to skip the activated charcoal and just use small rocks.

This is a teardrop-shaped vessel that can also be hung.

Here, a beaker is the perfect vessel for a vertical terrarium. For tall and skinny shapes like this, have fun with layering sand and rocks. Top it with a small air plant.

After you lay your first layers of either activated charcoal and rocks, or just rocks, add moss by stabbing it with the end of a paintbrush and carefully inserting it into the terrarium.

Next, slip in a varying texture, like lichen-covered branches.

Finally, top it off with larger pieces like air plants, animal figurines, and other interesting or meaningful objects.

This beautiful teardrop terrarium is ready to be gifted and hung. We love the little blue bird figurine that Allison added!

Leigh's beaker terrarium is all set too.

If you have an inspiring terrarium that you've created, share it with our community group Su Casa. Your terrarium might just end up on CasaSugar!

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