Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Terrarium Imaginarium

Fifty-something keys, tangles of hemp and embroidery thread, an odd thrift-store find, and a hanging cord kit later, I bring to you a DIY key chandelier. Tres anthropologie, non?


With this new lighting fixture, I think it's safe to say that my living room is complete (for now).

Yes, those are terrariums on the coffee table if you were wondering. Such a fun project! All you need are some bowls (thrifted these for .50 cents - $2), some small pebbles or rocks, filtered carbon (found at Petco in the aquarium section), cactus mix, and some clippings from your neighbor's yard.

Pour a 1-2 inch layer of pebbles (or rocks) into the bottom of the bowl. Now, sprinkle some carbon on top. The carbon helps in filtrating the air inside of the terrarium so that it won't stink. Next comes the cactus mix. You want to use enough cactus mix so that your clippings can take root, but not so much that your plants are sticking out of the bowl when you arrange them.

When it comes to arranging your succulents, there aren't any real rules. I personally have a tendency of placing my tallest plant in the middle, but this is entirely up to you. However, make sure that your plants are at least an inch apart from one another. They need room to grow!

Now comes the fun part - decorating your terrarium. I used leftover pebbles and figures (dinosaurs and mushrooms, mostly) made out of polymer clay (a fun project in itself).

Terrariums need lots of light, so keep your mini ecosystems near a sunny window. They don't need a lot of water. I'd say every 2-3 weeks or so.


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