DIY: How To Make A Terrarium

I don't know about you, but I have fallen for terrariums, and I have fallen hard!

I mean, who doesn't want to build a beautiful mini indoor garden in every empty glass container they have? 

Low maintenance and perfect for anyone who lives in a tiny flat in the city, this diy is ideal for those of you who don't naturally have a 'green thumb' but would love to bring some greenery into your home... or office... or studio... in fact, it is so small and perfect, you can take it anywhere!

Itching to make your own? 

Get ready to get messy!  

You will need:

any kind of glass container

pebbles

activated charcoal (found in garden centers)

soil  

moss

optional: small high humidity plants (it gets hot in there!)

First up you need to pick a glass container for your terrarium. I have a tubby little one which is perfect for me, but you may want to play about with a bottomed bell jar or a tall tumbler or even some scientific number. Whatever you choose to make your tiny planet in, make sure you give it a good wash with some soap and water first. Once dried, add in your pebbles and activated charcoal. These are great for drainage in your little garden as it is going to get hot and wet in there!

Add in your earth and compress it down so it is packed tightly. If you are adding in any plants, dig little holes where you plan to put them. As it is going to get hot in your little green house, you want plants that can cope with humidity. Think about plants that would grow well in a forrest or you could use air plants or cactus etc.

You will need to make sure it is a small plant or it is a plant you can trim down to fit in your glass container. If you are using a cactus you will need to be even more careful adding it in because of the needles! If you're not too sure, you can still make your terrarium with only moss in it too...

 Moss is ideal for terrariums as they like to soak up lots of water. There is lots of different kinds of moss too, so go wild when picking it from the garden - the more the merrier! If you are worried about your drainage system, you can always add in a cheeky layer of moss between the pebbles and the soil too. I think moss is beautiful so I am happy to have it everywhere!

Now your terrarium is all made up you can add in some wee friends! Vivid HQ happens to have lots of these teeny tiny deers everywhere, so naturally they were the first pick to pop into our new little green house. You can add in anything you can dream up as long as it can fit in. Bring on the toadstools :D

*Ta*Da*

Hooray! Isn't it unbearably cute? I fast foresee a lot of these being made as gifts and a house with at least one in every room :) They are really easy to take care of too, just give them a little bit of water once or twice a week depending on what you popped in. Remember to give it a good air out if you are keeping a lid on it too; if you start to see your jar with lots of condensation he is telling you he needs a good breath of fresh air :)

We hope you have lots of fun with our latest tutorial! If you have any suggestions for friends or what kind of jar to try this out in, we'd love to hear it!

Happy making x