Make a Terrarium to Give as a Gift

 

Terrariums make perfect Christmas gifts. These mini gardens are incredibly easy to put together using just a handful of materials, and you can make several at once to gift to teachers, friends, family or keep for yourself.

You’ll be amazed at how little time these take. You don’t even need to remove the plants from their pots, which simplifies the process. It also makes it easy to get kids involved the next time they’re home from school or stuck indoors. 

Materials for this project:

• Terrarium (several if you’re doing multiple gifts)
• Rocks or pebbles
• Decorative sand
• Plants such as succulents, cacti, mini tropical plants and ferns
• Optional: Gems
• Optional: Christmas ornaments and ribbon
• Optional: Moss

 

Get your terrarium started by pouring in decorative sand. We used black sand so it stands out in the terrarium. Fill the bowl with about 2/3 of a 5-pound bag.

 

Next, arrange your plants and place them one-by-one in the terrarium. Just push the pots down into the sand. When all the plants are added, add more sand on top to level with the rims of the pots.

 

Now add decorative rocks or river pebbles. For additional decor, you could drop in some small Christmas ornaments. We added red shiny and glittery ornaments to ours.

 

If you’re making several terrariums, you can vary the look. Try terrariums in unique shapes, then place decorative materials inside. The geometric terrarium above features white pebbles and mystical sea glass. 

 

This terrarium uses succulents, sand and just a handful of pea pebbles. A terrarium acts like a miniature greenhouse, creating an oasis for the plants. The water will condense on the sides and if enclosed, it will drip back onto the plants.

 

Create cool angles with your decorative sand for a more modern look. If your terrarium has a cover, remove it once a month to let in fresh air. 

Water only when the plants and soil look dry. If your terrarium doesn’t have a top, water when needed. Note: if you use succulents, remember that they come from hot, arid climates, so don’t overwater.

 

Terrariums make perfect gifts, even last-minute, because they’re compact and work well in tight spaces.

They can hang just about anywhere, so long as it sits away from direct light since the sun will burn the plants through the glass.

OTHER DIY GIFT IDEAS:

• Bring Joy to the Season with a DIY Christmas Wreath
• Make a Festive Holiday Hanging Basket with Succulents