Make Your Own Terrarium

It is my boyfriend's birthday this weekend and he is notoriously impossible to buy gifts for. However, a few weeks ago we went to a great botanic garden and he was really interested in the cacti and succulents in the greenhouses. He has always appreciated a handmade gift so I decided to make him a terrarium this year. Terrariums have become really popular as great house decorations that are easy to look after, but instead of paying a fortune for one I can show you how to make your own so that it is cheaper and more personal. Your friends will be dying to know where you got it from!

You Will Need:

• Glass container
• Potting soil
• Aquarium gravel (I used aquarium gravel so I wouldn't be left with loads left over)
• Sand (I used a small bag of sand for bird cages for the same reason)
• Cactus or Succulent plants

First off, you need a good place to buy your plants from. I got mine from a Cornwall based company called Surreal Succulents. Their prices are reasonable (avg. £5.00 per plant) and they have a wide variety to choose from. They also offer you advice on how to care for your plants if you are new to gardening and they also distribute overseas.

Instructions:

1. Firstly, clean the glass container you are using by running it under the cold tap and remive and stickers or labels from it.
2. Pour the aquarium gravel into the base of the glass container (Tip: tip the container on its side if you are worried about breaking the glass). The gravel should be about 3-4cm deep. The gravel looks good but is also useful as this will provide drainage when you need to water the plant as your container won't have any holes in the base.
   
3. Next you will need to pour the soil on top of the gravel. Pat the soil down so that the base is firm but make some dips where the roots of your plant will go.
   
4. Carefully place the plant into the hole you have made in the soil and use your fingers to secure it in place by patting the soil down around the base of the plant.
5. Now that the plant is secure, begin to pour the sand into the container. Keep turning the container around so that you get an even coverage and try to avoid getting too much sand on the plant.
   
   
   
6. Wipe the sides of the glass to remove any residual soil or sand and then you are done! If you want you can add little ornaments as well, just make sure your plant has enough space to grow.

Here is the practice attempt...

...And here is the larger one I intend to use as a gift!

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