Make your own terrarium

Make your own terrarium

As our Terrarium obsession continues to grow, we decided to make our own. Terrariums are very easy to make and are a lovely addition to any room, giving a calming dose of greenery to even the smallest of spaces. Enjoy the benefits of the garden without the burden. 


To make our Terrarium we used Romeo & Succulents Terrarium kit.
The kit included:
1 x Long Spoon
1 x Bamboo Needle
1 x Brush
1 x Small Bag of Activated Charcoal
1 x Small Piece of Live Cushion Moss
1 x Piece of Mesh
2 x Bags of Sand in Black and White
1 x Small Bag of Gold and Copper Decorative Stones

You will also need:
A glass vessel of your choice
A selection of small house plants, we chose Mosaic plants and Caladium.
Houseplant soil
Gravel
Scissors
Spray water bottle

Romeo & Succulents Terrarium kit

  1. Once you have chosen your container, make sure it’s cleaned and dry. Do not use any harsh cleaning products as this could affect the plants. It’s best to use a container with a wide enough opening to accommodate your hand.

  2. Put a layer of gravel into the bottom of your container and level out, be gentle when you are adding your gravel as you don't want to chip the glass. This step is important for drainage in your terrarium.

  3. Next, cut your mesh to fit the inside of your terrarium and lay on top of your gravel. This will act as a protective layer to stop soil falling into the gravel, keeping your terrarium looking neat. Now add a thin layer of soil, pat down evenly, and neaten around the edges of the container using a brush.

    Adding the gravel to our vessel

  4. Carefully add a layer of sand around the edge of the terrarium where the soil meets the glass, the sand doesn’t need to go in the middle of the container. Use your paintbrush to neaten the edges.

    Adding soil, sand, and then more soil

  5. Add your final layer of soil across the whole terrarium, sprinkling in your charcoal as you go along, which will help prevent bacterial growth and keep the plants healthy. Ensure that the soil is deep enough to plant the roots of your plants. Tidy any soil that’s crept up the glass with your paintbrush.

  6. Decide where you want to place your plants, starting with the biggest. Using your long spoon, poke some holes in the soil, place in your plant, and firm the soil around it. Make sure your plants don’t touch the sides of the container. This step can be a bit fiddly and we found using the needle to wiggle the plants in place very helpful.

    Plant madness, choosing out plants

  7. Now it’s time to add your finishing touches. We added the moss from our Romeo Succulents kit, some gravel, a piece of driftwood, and completed our terrarium with our Mini Model Castle, but our Mini Model House and Ferris Wheel look equally as good. 

  8. Finally give your whole terrarium a spray with water, ideally with rain or filtered. If your terrarium has a lid - close it! Place somewhere with plenty of light but out of direct sunlight, and keep away from drafty areas or areas of extreme heat such as radiators. 

Our final terrarium with Mini Model Castle

Care tips:

Lightly water your terrarium every 1-2 weeks, or if it’s looking dry. Use a spray bottle for even watering and so you don’t disrupt your scene. This is also a good time to remove any dead leaves.

If your terrarium is building up condensation (which never seems to go away) open the lid for a few hours to allow the extra water to evaporate.

Don’t have a glass container? No problem! You can repurpose an old bowl or finished candle pot.

Terrarium in an opaque bowl

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