Terrariums are super easy and affordable to make, and they also make wonderful gifts!!

They don't need much light so they make great additions to the office, bookshelf, dorm room, wherever!

Before we get to plants, here is what else you will need:

soil

activated charcoal ( you can find this in the aquarium section of a pet store)

gravel or small stones (again, can be found in a pet store)

spray-nozzle water bottle

decorative items (you can use stones, tiny statues, all kinds of found items

your plants

There are certain types of plants that you will want to use for your terrarium since the idea is to keep them out of direct light. Here is a list of some plants suitable for terrariums that you can easily find at a nursery :

baby tears (my favorite! very hardy)

moss

swedish or english ivy

maidenhead spleenwort

maidenhair ferm

strawberry begonia (another favorite)

spider plant

african violet (best to use the miniature variety)

artillery plant

*****IMPORTANT********Do make sure when making mixed plant terrariums that the plants you chose can all coexist. Some plants will strangle others. A good rule of thumb is to chose one plant that grows upward, and one that spreads or grows outward.

Also, Be careful not to over water your terrarium. It will only need a light misting or a small sprinkle every two weeks. A good way to be sure is that if the terrarium glass is foggy or has condensation, then you are water it too much! over-watering will cause mold and spores to grow and your plants will die.

There are limitless options to what you can contain your terrarium in. You can choose to either keep the top open, or even put the terrarium inside a closed container. The plants make enough of their own gases, that they will be fine in a closed container.

A good place to go for terrarium vessels is a consignment shop or your local goodwill and salvation army stores. There, you will find fish bowls, apothecary jars, glass cookie jars, vases, etc!!!     Be creative. You just need room for a few inches of dirt and the plants. But remember that it will take up a bit more space than you might expect.

Here we go!

Step 1:  fill the bottom of the vessel with about half an inch of gravel. This helps the water drain properly from the soul. The bigger the terrarium, the more gravel you will use - you just want to be sure that the bottom surface is covered and there is a nice beginning layer of it. Too much gravel won't hurt, but too little will not help your terrarium.

Step 2: Next you will add a smaller layer of the charcoal. this just needs to cover the gravel but you do not need a visible layer - the charcoal helps with the moisture, keeps the air clean and helps prevent fungus.

Step 3: you can now add the bottom layer of dirt - enough as you would if you were potting this plant. Now add the plant and the top layer of dirt.

Step 4: pat down the dirt around the plant, make sure its in there right! Give the plant a nice spritz of water. Now is the time to add any decorative rocks or treasures. If this is a closed terrarium, close it up!

Congratualtions! You just made a terrarium! This little baby can live nad breathe all on its own and can be kept anywhere in your house! They don't need direct light to thrive. A good rule of thumb is - if the light in the room is bright enough that you could see to read something, then the terrarium is ok in that room.  

Now you can collect more vessels and use the extra soil to make terrarium gifts for your friends and family.