DIYs How To Make a Terrarium Garden

Looking for ideas on how to make a terrarium garden? Here’s everything you need to know to create the cutest tabletop garden.

Such a fun and easy inside gardening project. Here’s how to make a terrarium garden and tips on how to decorate it and care for it.

disclosure: This post is sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart.

In Texas this is the season for gardening.

Before we left for the Cape we cleaned out the beds and replanted a few things and worked on the yard and cleared out the bushes and trimmed a stray branch or two.

Texas is open for spring planting.

But what if you are still under two feet of snow where you live?

Or what if you live in an apartment?

Or a place with a yard that needs any help from you at all?

No worries.

I have the perfect garden project that takes minutes to put together and is filled with plants that manage to basically take care of themselves and look cute all at the same time.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to make a terrarium garden.

Spoiler alert: it’s SO MUCH easier than it looks.

How To Make a Terrarium Garden

supplies:

small rocks or pebbles

potting soil

moss

stones

spray mister

terrarium tool set

any other small decor items you may want to add

succulents

(you may have these items around your house or Better Homes & Gardens has a kit with everything you need to make your own terrarium here)

Step 1: Choose your container

There are so many different containers you can use to make your own terrarium.

Here are some things you want to consider:

shape
size
large base
glass or plastic

You’ll want to determine where you’ll house your terrarium in the home to help determine the size and shape of the container. It’s also it’s important that the container has a large base for the plants and accessories to fit along with the rocks and dirt.

Either glass or plastic will work, but I like the transparency and shine of glass. The key is to get creative and find a container that you love.

Like this one.

I just bought this incredibly beautiful terrarium container with glass on all four sides and the top with the cutest handle. It has a top that is hinged and closes with a latch in the front.

You can see it here.

I also think this container is pretty with a different shape and size.

Step 2: Add a layer of rock

You’ll want to start with a drainage layer. This helps give a place for the water to go and helps keep it away from the plant roots.

Make sure the layer is about two inches deep so there’s enough drainage.

I used these small pebbles for the base of the terrarium.

Step 3: Add a layer of potting soil

Next, add a layer of soil on top of the rocks.

I used the rake from this terrarium tool set to smooth it all out and make it level.

Make sure to add about 4 inches of potting soil to give the plants a nice healthy home. The key is adding enough soil for the plants–but not adding too much to allow the plants to touch the top of the terrarium.

Break up any clumps in the dirt so it’s a smooth even surface.

Step 4: Choose your plants

There are so many good choices for a terrarium, but I chose the easiest, lowest maintenance plant of all, the beautiful, wonderful succulent.

It comes in so many different colors and sizes and textures.

Here are the succulents I chose.

Almost anything slow-growing (like succulents) will work and here are some other great options for terrarium plants:

air plants
ferns
dwarf palms
mondo grass
sedums
cacti

Step 5: Plant your plants

Plant the succulents in the layer of dirt and fill in with additional soil. I took the succulents out of the original containers and shook the extra soil off the bottom of the roots before planting them.

Cover the soil with moss to keep in the moisture and then add a little personality to your terrarium with a few extra decor items.

Here are some suggestions:

rocks
seashells
pebbles
ores
branches
driftwood
mini houses
dried flowers

Here is my finished terrarium all ready for summer.

It took me about 30 minutes to put together and I LOVE how it turned out.

I had enough supplies left over to create two additional terrariums in smaller containers. These are open-air terrariums without a lid and the process is the same.

You can see the smaller containers here.

Make sure to keep the terrarium out of direct sunlight to avoid it from overheating It only needs watering about twice a week with a spray mister like this one.