How to Make a Terrarium

By: Abigail Clement, Austin Mitchell, Conner Daly, Taylor McClellan, and Tony Mcjohnston

Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents

Sections Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. v

Materials ....................................................................................................................................................... 1

Preparations .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Instructions and Maintenance ...................................................................................................................... 5

Clean Up ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 13

Introduction v

Introduction

Anyone who follows these simple and

detailed instructions will be able to make

a terrarium. A terrarium is a collection of

small plants growing in a transparent,

sealed container. In a Terrarium you can

see a closed plant environment, and can

actually be used to illustrate how an

ecosystem works. Inside a terrarium

many different natural processes can be

observed like photosynthesis, respiration,

and the water cycle. If anyone wants to

perform a simple, fun, and inexpensive project, the terrarium is the way to go. This project can

be done by an elementary school student and any age up, due to safe materials and easy

instructions. Materials for the terrarium are not hard to get access to. Instructions for a terrarium

are easy to follow and have a lot of detail. A terrarium can be used for a decoration or can make

a great gift for a friend.

Required Materials 1

Required Materials

Figure 1: Materials A to F, L

A. Mason jar with lid

B. Potting Soil

C. Pebbles or Gravel

D. Activated or Terrarium Charcoal

E. Sheet Moss or Preserved Sheet Moss

F. Decorative Items

G. Small Plants (Not Shown)

H. 13 Gallon Trash Bag (Not Shown)

I. Broom with Dustpan (Not Shown)

J. 2 Wet Paper Towels (Not Shown)

K. Chopsticks (Not Shown)

L. Krylon Spray Paint

Preparations for Work Area and Mason Jar 3

Preparations for Work Area and Mason Jar

Before you start on your new, homemade terrarium, you have to start on some vital prep work.

Since you are going to be working with dirt, start by finding a hardwood floor area that you

would not mind getting messy. Afterwards, if you will be using a used mason jar, you might

want to check for any logos, sticker residues, and labels. If they are in site, follow these

instructions:

1) For logos on the lid, carefully spray paint the cover with Krylon spray paint. Wait about

10 minutes for the spray to dry.

2) If you have sticker residue on the glass, you can soak the Mason jar with soapy water. If

that doesn’t get the entire residue off, you can gently scrub it off with a cloth or towel

with vegetable oil on it.

3) After following these directions, wash your mason jar, and dry it off with a towel*.

4) Now you are ready to build a new homemade terrarium.

*Refer to Troubleshooting section for additional information

Instructions and Maintenance 5

Instructions and Maintenance

1) Add 1” layer of pebbles to the Mason jar to give your terrarium a strong base.

2) Lay a thin layer of charcoal over the pebbles to help filter the water later on. This will

also stop future mildew smells.

3) Place 3”-4” layer of potting soil on top of the layer of charcoal.

4) To add greenery, take the sheet moss and tear it into pieces

5) Place the pieces of sheet moss in a single layer inside the jar.*

Decorations*

1) First, add a variety of pebble on top of the sheet moss.

2) Next, you can add shells, for a tropical look.

3) Now add different plants to fill your terrarium. This can include ferns, flowers, etc…

*Refer to Troubleshooting section for additional information

Instructions and Maintenance 7

Maintaining your Terrarium

1) Lightly water your terrarium until you can see moisture in the pebble layer.

2) Screw on the lid.

3) Every 2 weeks, you will need to re water your terrarium. You can do this by spritzing the

inside of the Mason jar with a spray bottle.

4) Make sure you can see droplets of water.*

*Refer to Troubleshooting section for additional information

Clean Up 9

Clean Up

Cleaning up the mess you made as you created your terrarium is rather simple. All you need is a:

13 gallon trash bag

A broom with a dustpan

2 wet paper towels

Simply hold open the trash bag at the edge of whatever surface you decided you create your

terrarium on, use one of the wet paper towels to scrape all of the excess soil into the bag. Use

the other wet paper towel to wipe down your area and remove all stray particles left over.

Finally, use the broom and the dust pan to brush up and material that may have fallen on the

ground as you were constructing your terrarium. Dup the remaining particles into the trash bag,

and your area should now be clean.

Troubleshooting Tips 11

Troubleshooting Tips

Always rinse the jar, rocks, and ornaments with hot water before use! This prevents

disease from being introduced into the terrarium.

Never use rocks or shells from the beach! Salt will kill the plants.

Your hand may not easily fit into the mouth of the jar, so you can use chopsticks to

orient objects within the terrarium.

While droplets of water are ideal, remove the lid for a short amount of time if the

glass becomes foggy.

NEVER place your terrarium in direct sunlight.

Moss is used to humid climates, so those living in dry areas may need to water every

few weeks or so. Monitor the soil conditions every few weeks to ensure proper

moisture content.

Over-watering can cause disease and mold to fester. This can be indicated by a rotten

odor coming from the jar. This can also be indicated by the attraction of bugs and

insects. If this occurs, re-pot the plants in a new jar, or in some cases, dispose of

them.

If plants begin to appear unhealthy, you may add ¼ packet of a weak, household plant

food.

Works Cited 13

Works Cited

Michaels, Kerry. "Container Gardening." Mason Jar Terrarium n.pag. About.com Guide.

Web. 24 Apr 2013.

<http://containergardening.about.com/od/floweringcontainergarden/ss/Mason-Jar-Terrarium.htm>.

Ryan, Jenny. "CRAFT Project: Mason Jar Terrarium." Make: Craft. N.p., 17 Mar. 2009.

Web. 24 Apr. 2013.

<http://blog.makezine.com/craft/craft_project_mason_jar_terrar/>.