Having plants in your home can make the space feel calm and beautiful. Bringing the outside inside can only make you feel closer to nature and like you are living in a tropical haven when you are not. A terrarium is a decorative prism or ball that has succulents, pebbles and other things placed within them to create a beautiful home decoration. So how do we make one for ourselves?
Step 1 – Finding a Container
You first need to find a container to build your terrarium within so that it suits your home or fits the surface that you want to place it on or hang it from. You could use jars, bowls, or other objects that are made of glass or plastic and has a gap to place the stuff inside. If you are using a smaller surface then a jar would look great on them with possibly a cork lid to close it, however if you want it hanging from the ceiling then bowl might be more appropriate.
Step 2 – Collecting the Elements
You then need to start thinking about what you want to include in your terrarium, whether it is pebbles, crystals, or anything else to add some colour into the planter. You will also need some soil for your terrarium so that the plants have something to stick their roots into and stay alive for as long as possible. You can also layer this as aesthetically as you like by adding the pebbles, soils, and other things in different levels and you can use things like chopsticks to help layer the items if you have a deeper container that you cannot stick your hand into properly.
Step 3 – Buying the Succulents
Buying a variety of succulents is a great way to bring some vibrancy to the terrarium. Many succulents are plain green so if you could find a few with dots on them or some pink ones too, that would add a little bit more selection to the terrarium. In that regard, Copper Pinewheel, otherwise known as Aeonium ‘sunburst’ could be an excellent choice for a terrarium. This type of succulent has a unique appearance, with rosettes that are a vibrant chartreuse color, edged with a bright red that deepens in color as the plant is exposed to more light. In addition, it is usually a relatively compact plant, making it ideal for small spaces. It also has a slow growth rate, which means that it will not quickly outgrow the terrarium or overcrowd other plants in the terrarium. The best thing about such succulents is that they are pretty much indestructible in the sense that they do not need to be overwatered, and they do not need tonnes of sunlight, in comparison to flowers and other plants. This means that you don’t need to stress if you miss a day of watering.
Step 4 – Preparing the Terrarium
Make sure that you clean the container and ensure that it is completely dry before you put the pebbles, soil, and anything else so that you don’t have condensation or mould growing inside the container. Then put you bigger plants into the container followed by all the little succulents but also do not jam pack the container full so that the plants have more room to grow. Then layer more pebbles and accessories on top so that it looks fabulous and then you are done! Your terrarium is complete!
Remember your terrarium is personal to you and you can put whatever you like in the container. It is really exciting to go shopping and find so many different things to put inside the terrarium and make it so personal towards you, you could even laminate some pictures and put them inside to make it more of a memory box rather than just a regular planter. I think there is something special about decorating your home with something that you have made for yourself to make it very personal and unique. Too often people go into someone’s house and find identical furniture and products but with a terrarium that you have made yourself you will never need to worry about it ever again!
