Tag: terrariums

For the Fairies. And Zombies.

Eleanor is really into fairies right now. They visit her at night and give her sweet dreams, and they help her grow. All kinds of things. We haven’t seen any in person, but that’s because they’re very shy, and also because they sleep during the day and only come out at night. Brandon bought a toy for E when she got her white belt in karate a few weeks ago, and he left it on top of her dresser as a surprise. Of course, she saw it when she woke up and immediately assumed it was a gift from the fairies, so they got all the credit.

We think they’ve been hanging out in the dollhouse, but we’ve talked about creating a fairy garden for them to live in outside, too. My friend recommended Wannemaker’s for supplies, so we went out there on Sunday.

We already had plenty of planters to choose from and it’s too cold for outdoor plants yet, so we concentrated on finding the perfect decorations. If the design were up to me, it would be like an open terrarium with a cute house tucked away in one corner. Maybe a little patio too, complete with charming vintage-style furniture. The design was rightfully up to E though, so we have a giant! house, a couple of fairy figures, a bridge and blue glass pebbles (water), plus a beach chair and umbrella. August wasn’t that into it, but he did choose both of the fairies for Eleanor.

That house took up so much room that we ended up creating two fairy gardens. One is for their home, and the other is a beachy scene in which I planted a pothos that we already had on hand (I’ll either harden it to the outdoors or swap it out for something else in a few weeks). I want variation in texture, with larger plants juxtaposed against tiny ones, and something with small flowers. The kids want dirt patches for their zombie toys, because the beachy scene is now a zombie garden. So, maybe we won’t be adding more plants? They really like everything as it is now, and this is for them after all.

Eleanor was worried that the fairies might find their new home only to be frightened off by the zombie toys. But we discussed it and they’ll be fine, because zombies are not real. (Fairies are.)

She goes to check on her fairy gardens each morning, first thing when she wakes up. She still hasn’t seen any, but she told me that she has been singing songs to the fairies in hopes of gaining their trust. Much like the rabbits in our yard that bound away immediately, but that she has leaves carrots for. So hopeful, that girl is.

March 25, 2014
How to Make a Terrarium (Video)

Remember the punch bowl that I turned into an open terrarium? I put together a quick little video, showing how I made it.

p.s. Today is the last day to vote for your favorite table setup in the Mystery Box Challenge. You’ll be entered to win all of the items we received in the challenge too, just by voting.

August 20, 2012
How To Make A Succulent Sea Terrarium

by Andrea

My daughter turned seven last week and requested a mermaid themed pool party. While color schemes, garland and paper pom poms are an important part of a birthday bash, in our home the craft station is usually a large focus as well. My kids love arts and crafts time, and so I wanted to come up with something that would be a hybrid of things that we all loved, with some attention to design. My goal was not to create more clutter for the kids to bring home, but to help them all create something sweet and simple that they would hopefully be able to display at home for awhile. Thus, the succulent sea terrarium craft was born. The kids terrariums came out so pretty that I had to create a few “grown up” versions for myself.

I chose succulents as the focal point in the terrariums because even though they are really dry, desert dwellers, their shape and color also remind me of algae and seaweed you would find in the ocean. I selected tall, spiny looking succulents for the arrangements, with a few grass-like ground covers as well, to represent algae. The glass globes were picked up at a local craft store and although they are technically meant to be votive holders, their shape remind me of old glass fishing balls. In addition you will need some coarse sand and cactus soil.

I wanted the terrariums to have a sandy soil to mimic the bottom of the ocean, however since succulents need some kind of organic rich soil, they most likely would not survive in pure sand. So I created a sandy bottom with a little crater for some cactus soil to rest in. We, well mainly my husband, has been growing succulents for over 10 years now. He likes to claim that he loved succulents before they were cool. All this to say that we’ve had a lot of experience growing, and sometimes failing at growing succulents. We started out using regular potting soil, but have found that the more arid cactus soil works much better, allowing good drainage and circulation for the succulents. So once you’ve laid out your sandy bottom and base of cactus soil, you’re ready to start planting.

The nice thing about working with succulents is their shallow root system and how little soil they really require to survive. If some of your plants are a bit too large for your vessel, you can simply trim off a bit of the root or some of the leaves and stick them right in the soil. I’ve read that dipping your succulents in a rooting hormone before planting helps encourage growth, but I’ve never used it and have always had great luck. It’s always an option though in case you’re a little nervous. Once you’ve got your planting done, gently add in a bit more sand to cover up the cactus soil. It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact I think it looks quite nice having a bit of the soil peeking through the sand.

If you wish you can add a little mermaid or two, and some pretty rocks or shells to complete your seascape. The miniature mermaids are actually cocktail drink markers I found online and spray painted them white to be a bit more sophisticated.

The final result is pretty little terrarium that combines my daughter’s love of all things mermaid related, my husband’s love of succulents, and my love of good design. To care for your succulents, simply add just a touch of water every other day for 2-3 weeks to get them started. After that, a light watering once a week should do the trick. In small vessels like this I’ve had my succulents last for at least 9 months, but of course play it by ear and know that you may have to refresh your plantings every once in a while. Succulents are easy to care for, but they’re not completely maintenance free. If they do in fact grow you will have to transplant them.

And in case you’re interested, for the kid’s terrariums we used quart size mason jars for the vessels, and I left the mermaids their original color. We set the table up outside and let them each create their own fantasy mermaid world, and they loved packing their jars with as many shells, stones, and brightly colored mermaids as they could fit.

April 25, 2012
How to Make a DIY Terrarium

I had been meaning to make a terrarium for a while now, but I finally got to it last week. I put together a post about the process for west elm, using their tall glass jar.

The full instructions and list of materials needed can be found at west elm’s blog, Front & Main. I also talked about how to care for your terrarium, and what I would have done differently.

You could simplify the process by choosing a smaller container and just placing moss inside (like this one) with a few interesting rocks or objects. Of course, you could make it more complex too, by choosing an extra wide vessel and combining more plants of different sizes and textures.

I’d love to try a succulent terrarium next time, switching out the rich potting soil for a sandier blend, and using an open-air container. I think it would be fun to gather some HO scale model items to make a little scene, too. I do have a special fondness for miniatures, after all.

April 17, 2012
Mini Terrarium and Fern Centerpiece

I made a terrarium last week that I will share with you soon, but this isn’t it. This is a little premade guy that I picked up at Sprout Home while I was gathering supplies to make my own. The fern was supposed to go inside the one I made too, but it was too big for the container so I’m trying it in the dining room. Apparently it’s a high maintenance plant, a lover of humidity that will require a daily mist. It is also particularly appealing to the cats, so I don’t think it’s going to last long. I’ve had that tree stump planter forever though, tucked away behind the computer on my desk, and it’s nice to give it center stage with a new plant in it.

And how many trends can I gather in one setting? If you were playing a decorating drinking game, you’d be pretty smashed! Birds, a terrarium, a tree stump (painted silver for a bonus!), an agate geode, a big hunk of rose quartz…

April 16, 2012
Terrarium Craft

This book looks fantastic. I bought teeny little deer and even teenier little mushrooms last month, and when Brandon saw and asked me about them, I sheepishly told him that I was going to make a terrarium for Eleanor. I think he thought I had gone a little nuts. I’m going to need this book for some inspiration (and to show him that terrariums can be cool).

p.s. The publisher is having a giveaway for Terrarium Craft, along with a DIY terrarium kit here until June 30.

June 13, 2011