How to Make Your Own Terrarium

With few simple steps one can easily make a beautiful terrarium right at home. Making your own terrarium can be perfect DIY activity to be carried out with kids or for school projects. Terrarium both open as well as closed can be perfect decor to lighten up your house as well as office. It is all about selecting the plants for Terrarium, the right terrarium container, getting the right materials and planning some landscaping around it. Once you have all the materials you need to make the terrarium, then the steps to follow are pretty easy. You needs to find a glass jar or a glass bowl or even a wine glass as a desired terrarium container in which you wish to make your own terrarium.

DIY Terrarium kits are nowadays easily available online which can help out novices to make their own terrarium. These DIY Terrarium kits come out handy when you are not sure about the right material to use as well as selecting the right terrarium plants. For the first timers who wish to learn making their own terrarium, DIY Terrarium Kits are really useful. These DIY Terrarium kit comes with either one or two succulents, gravel, a terrarium container, some decorative items, sand and charcoal. The kit comes with easy step by step instruction manual which helps you to make your own terrarium. But for those enthusiasts who do not wish to buy a terrarium kit online, can definitely give it a try by just gathering some simple materials and make their own terrarium garden. These materials can be easily made available from a plant nursery. Terrarium Containers can be selected as per your own wish. People who are in the habit of collecting pebbles and decorative materials can use their imagination and make a beautiful terrarium garden of their own. Follow these simple steps and learn how to make your own terrarium garden.

Materials to Make Your Own Terrarium

Terrarium Container - 1, any of your choice
Spoon - Preferably with a long handle, depending on your terrarium container
Plant - 1 or 2 succulents or any other small, slow growing plants of your choice
Gravel - preferably small pea gravel of any color you prefer
Activated Charcoal
Moss - Some sphagnum moss (optional)
Potting Soil
Vermi-compost
Sand
Decorative pebbles or rocks
Small toys or clay items

Method to Make Your Own Terrarium

1

Let us start with a clean, clear open top glass bowl. I have used a fish bowl for my open terrarium. Make sure that the terrarium container you are using is clean and dry.

Clean and dry terrarium container

2

Depending on the length and opening of your terrarium container either with the help of a spoon or with your hands start placing gravel at the bottom of the terrarium. Add gravel at least 1 to 2 inch layer. This gravel layer works as a drainage for your terrarium. The small rocks that you add in your terrarium container collect the water drainage.

Adding gravel as the first layer

3

Add a thin layer of activated charcoal on the top of the rocks. This activated charcoal layer should be at least 1 to 1/2 inch placed evenly on the gravel. The activated charcoal layer is an important part of any terrarium both open or closed, as it prevents bacteria to develop in the terrarium and also prevents bad odour. Learn more about How to take care of your terrarium

Adding activated charcoal to the terrarium container

4

Once the activated charcoal layer is evenly placed, add a layer of potting soil with help of the spoon. Mix a potting soil with vermicompost and start adding it over the top of the charcoal layer. Make sure that you do not add too much of vermicompost, as you do not want the plants to grow fast. The soil layer should be at least 3 to 4 inches, depending upon the size of your terrarium container. Before adding the potting soil make sure that the soil is evenly moisten but not soggy.

If you are planning to plant moss in your terrarium to prevent the soil from mixing into the gravel then place the moss over the activated charcoal before adding the potting soil.

Adding potting soil to your terrarium container

5

With the help of the spoon stem, make a hole within the soil and place your first plant. The hole made should be big enough for the plant to root into the soil. Remove the plant from its pot, gently tap the plant to remove the excess soil and then gently nestle the plant inside the hole you made and tap lightly on the soil for the plant to hold up firmly in the place where it is planted.

Planting succulent in your terrarium container

6

If you are planning to plant more than one plant inside the terrarium, start doing so. Continue planting the plants that you have chosen to plant within the terrarium container. These terrarium plants could either be succulents or any other  terrarium plants of your choice which grow slow. You can also opt for flowering plants. It is advisable to start planting at the back of the terrarium container and then move your way forward. Or you can plant sideways depending on the size of the terrarium container. If you are planting tall plants in the sides, you can use extra layer of the potting soil for tall plants.

You can place more than one plant in a terrarium

7

Once all the plants are been potted and arranged, place one layer of sand over the potting soil. This layer should at least be 1/4th inch in thickness.

Adding a sand layer

8

Once you have done planting, you can start decorating the terrarium by adding accessories that you have collecting for your terrarium garden.  This could include a moss carpet, toys, glass beads, buttons, pebbles, sea shells, shiny objects, etc. Use your own imagination and finish the landscaping. This landscaping will complete the look. You can always change the landscaping afterwards and replace the decorative items.

Decorate the terrarium with pebbles and sea shells

Your terrarium garden is ready!


Learn more about Open Terrarium Care