Terrariums

Terrariums

I needed a few small gifts.  A friend is celebrating her birthday this weekend and another friend will be having her birthday in two weeks' time.  I also need two small "thank you" gifts to give to my supervisor and a colleague. 

My friend who will be celebrating her birthday this weekend would like a terrarium, according to her daughters, and so, I decided to make terrariums for both friends.  Not big terrariums, due to space considerations as both friends live in apartments and space is limited).

Usually, a terrarium is planted in a container that can be closed to retain moisture, but, they can be open containers, too.  I chose to do an open container as they are less expensive and I was planning to plant succulents, which don't require a moist environment.

I went to the dollar store for most of my supplies:  two round vases/bowls, a bag of pebbles, and a bag of sand; and I went to the garden center for 3 small pots of succulent plants.  The dollar store I went to for the supplies didn't have any plants.  So I stopped by another dollar store, and they had plants, but not succulents and what they had were too big for the planters I had bought. They would have worked well for a different type of planter.  I also used a cup of cactus planting mix, from the bag I had bought earlier.

Supplies: Glass Bowls, Pebbles, Sand, Planting Mix and Plants

First, I added a layer of the pebbles to the bottom of the glass containers:

The pebbles provide drainage space for any excess water; succulents don't like their roots to be soggy.
Next, I added a layer of the cactus planting mix:

I had selected plant pots which held 4 tiny plants each.  Next, I watered the plants and then, separated out the individual succulents:

And added one of each type of succulents to the glass containers:

Next, I poured a little of the white sand over the soil (more for a decorative effect than anything else, but it will help keep the soil moist a bit longer); and I added a few more of the pebbles on top of the sand, as shown in the picture at the very top of this post. 

I used the leftover plants to make two tiny planters, using two blue and white china pots I already had.  Each pot has a layer of pebbles at the bottom and then, the cactus planting mix.  I chose not to add any white sand, because the plants pretty much fill the opening.  They will be thank you gifts to my supervisor and a colleague for helping me with something.

The bowls I bought today and the blue and white china pots I already had, as well as the bag of pebbles and the bag of sand, all cost $1 each; the succulents plants cost $2.50 for each pot; the big bag of cactus planting mix cost $6 or $7, but I only used a 12-oz. cup of it, which, I am going to assume, cost about $.25.  So, $4 for the four planters, $7.50 for the plants, $2.25 for the planting mix, pebbles and sand.  A total of $13.75 plus tax ($1.23) for the supplies.  I spent just under $15 for four gifts and I have half the bag of sand left and enough pebbles for one more planter or another project. 

The plants were the most expensive items, so I am planning to take some cuttings from the plants I have growing in my garden and rooting them for future projects.  I have several items (tea cups, bowls, etc.) that will make great containers for planters (not necessarily terrariums) and they'll all make good gifts.

Have you made terrariums and planters?  Is it something you might consider making?