DIY Terrarium For Plant Lovers Living In Tiny Spaces

Credit: Roosevelt’s Terrariums

If you’re living in a small space, whether it’s a room you’re renting in a house or an apartment in a big city, it’s likely that you’ve considered getting a houseplant for your tiny area to (literally) liven up the place and prove that you can take care of plants. While most people turn to a simple succulent in a pot, there are those that are looking for something more eye-catching without being too big. For those people, the below terrariums are the perfect addition to the place you call home.

What’s even cooler about these terrariums is that they can be constructed using virtually any glass container you think would look best in your space. Read below to find out how to make these as a gift to yourself or others.

Materials:

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

A clear glass jar, vase, bowl, glass, or whatever interesting glass container you have on hand
Rocks, pebbles or recycled glass chunks
Activated charcoal (sometimes called activated carbon)
Potting soil appropriate for your plants
Moss (optional)
Figurines, sticks or decorative items (optional)
Various small plants
A scoop, spoon or shovel
Scissors
Gloves

Check out your local thrift store if you’re looking for a more inspirational piece of glass to hold your terrarium, as these stores often take in interesting pieces that you would never have considered on your own. As for plants, you can choose anything from easy succulents to tropical plants, but make sure to keep the same types of plants together because they’ll have the same watering schedule. You’ll also want plants that don’t grow too tall because it would be a shame if they outgrew the terrarium. Buy the appropriate soil for your type of plants and use the rocks at the bottom to ensure proper drainage.

Step 1: Prep

Remove price tags and stickers from your glass and wash the piece thoroughly. Take a moment to envision the arrangement of your plants in the jar.

Remove any price tags or stickers from your vessel and wash both the interior and exterior thoroughly to ensure that there are no unwanted residues that could affect the health of your plants. Envision how you want to arrange your plants inside the jar.

Step 2: Drainage

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

Once the container is ready, fill the bottom with the rocks. Since there is no hole at the bottom of the glass like there is with pots, these rocks will act as a drainage layer so that excess water can settle and not flood the plant. The depth of the rocks depends on the size of the container, but can range from 0.5 to 2 inches.

Step 3: Add Activated Charcoal

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

Be warned: the charcoal is messy. You can get charcoal of any consistency, whether it comes in shards or granules, and you don’t need a lot. You just need enough to cover the rocks with one layer, and doing so will improve the quality of the plants by helping to reduce bacteria, fungi, and odors.

Step 4: Add Soil

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

Be sure to use the type of potting soil that’s acceptable for the type of plants you bought. You’ll need special soil for cacti and succulents, but just regular soil for any other plants will work. Add enough soil so that the plant roots will have tons of room to fit and then grow. Aim for a depth slightly greater than the height of the biggest plant’s pot.

Step 5: Plant

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold
Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

Remove the plant out of the pot and gently break up the hard soil ball until you get down to the dangling roots. You may want to trim the roots if they’re especially long; don’t worry, they grow back. Using a spoon, your fingers, the end of a brush, or even a pencil, dig a well to place your plants roots in. Add more soil around the top and compact the soil down, making sure the soil covers the top of the roots. Continue until you have planted and arranged all your plants. Make sure to keep the plants away from the edges.

Step 6: Add Accessories

Credit: Inhabitat

If you want, you can add little accessories to really complete the look of the terrarium. These can include a blanket of moss (dried or living), figurines, old toys, glass beads, shiny metal objects, stones, or sticks.

Step 7: Clean and Water

Credit: Bridgette Meinhold

Making a terrarium is messy work, so your glass will likely have dirt on the sides. Wipe these down with a wet towel on the inside and you can (carefully) use glass cleaner on the outside. Give the terrarium a little bit of water, but soaking it isn’t necessary.

If you’ve used this guide to create your own terrarium, comment below and let us know how it went!

Source: Inhabitat

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