This post is about my newest passion....making fairy garden terrariums.
It seems that when I see something I love, I have to make one and give it as a gift. It all started when my husband gave me a fairy garden kit for Christmas. It came out so cute.
It sits on the kitchen window sill so I can see it whenever I am at the sink.
When my daughter saw it she said "I want one!". So I decided to try and make one for her for her birthday. The first picture and the one below are of the terrarium I made for her birthday.
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| Can you see the green watering can and spade? |
When I started to gather supplies to make terrariums, I bought any and every jar or container I thought might work. Any clear glass bowl, with or without a cover, will work. Make sure the jar you choose has a large enough opening so you can fit your hand inside to place the pretty accents! A covered jar works best to create the ecosystem contained in the jar that terrariums are made for. Of course I got them all at thrift stores for $1 or less. I gathered so many that I could make four different ones for four gifts.
The other supplies needed are potting soil, activated charcoal (purchased in the pet area of a garden store), small pebbles (Lowes garden department), large stones or glass beads (from my stash), Spanish moss (any craft store), fresh moss, and your decorations...ie. fairy house, mushrooms, little accents, and of course a fairy. All of the supplies come in containers large enough to make five terrariums plus extra for more. Most of the houses, a fairy and the accent pieces you will see came from Jo-Ann's. The mushrooms were found at Michael's. Of course you can find more online.
The first thing to do is to wash and dry your container. I used an open container for demonstration purposes.
Soak the Spanish Moss in water.
Fill the bottom of your jar with the small pebbles.
Add a layer of larger stones such as river rocks, or the craft glass beads that come in a variety of colors. I chose a mix of blues for this one.
Put a layer of the wet Spanish Moss on top...
Then sprinkle on some activated charcoal....
Put a layer of the potting soil over that. You can be creative and make hills and valleys if you'd like and have room in your container.
Spritz the dirt with water to make it moist. This is the view from the side of the glass bowl.
I then pulled small pieces of the fresh moss from the bag I ordered (see link above). It came in a ziplock bag in one patch of moss. It was enough to make four terrariums.
I tucked each piece of moss into the dirt to create the yard and left the middle open for a path to the house. I spritzed the moss with water and then added my accents.....a daisy stepping stone path with a ladybug, a wooden barrel filled with flowers and some mushrooms scattered around. Of course the thatched roof cottage is the focal point. No fairies in sight though (couldn't find one small enough!).
I wanted to thank my dear friend Kim for always being so supportive of the things I do so I made a miniature fairy terrarium for her, just because. It is in an apple shaped jar with a lid that has a stem on it.
What I didn't know, that Kim shared with me when she got this garden, is that our mutual dear friend Lora loves everything fairy! I was sick for her birthday party so hadn't been able to give her a gift yet, so guess what I made for her? Her terrarium is extra special because I found a small enough fairy to perch at the end of the path. This garden made it's debut in my last post.
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| I used terrarium moss for this one as opposed to live moss. |
I just followed the same layering process for all of these. The fun is making them in
different shaped jars, using different stones and accents to make them unique.
You can even use an antique porcelain dish....
This one sits on my mantel in the parlor. Because it is open to the air it has to be spritzed every now and then. None of the terrariums should be put in direct light.
I hope you try one for yourself or a gift. They really are fun and easy to make.
The next thing I want to try is a fairy garden in my old dented, rusty galvanized bucket for outdoors this summer.
Stay tuned!
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One last tidbit....
In my last post I mentioned that our dear friends Karl and Diane are moving out of
state. We had them over to spend a day with them before they went on their way.
They brought me a going away gift and it couldn't be more perfect or more ME!
It is a Fenton and it is AQUA!!
I love it. I think it was Karl's mother's and I was so honored to have it passed on to me. I will treasure it always.
So, will you get into the world of fairies and invite them into your home or garden?
AnnMarie xoxo
I am linking up with these fun blog parties:
