Build a terrarium
Plant a tiny garden inside a glass jar and close the lid. The water cycles inside, so it needs very little care. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first jar.
Space neededA shelf or a windowsill
First projectA closed jar in an afternoon
Skill levelBeginner-friendly
Good forSmall apartments, any age
The video that hooks everyone
A sealed jar that's been alive for 12 years
A closed glass jug, sealed for over a decade, and the plants and tiny creatures still living inside it. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't.
Starter kit
01Glass jar with a lidClear glass, wide mouth. A big cookie or pickle jar works.
02Clay pebbles or gravelThe drainage layer. Holds extra water away from the roots.
03Mesh barrierA cut piece of fine mesh. Keeps soil out of the drainage.
04Terrarium soil mixHolds water but stays loose and airy.
05Live mossThe green carpet on top. Buy it or ask a landowner.
06Small tropical plantsFittonia, small ferns, baby tears. They love humidity.
07Long tweezersPlace plants where your fingers can't reach.
08Long spoon or scoopPours the layers in without splashing the glass.
09Spray bottleA fine mist waters without flooding the jar.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Too much waterA closed jar loses almost no water. Add a little, close the lid, and wait a few days. You can always add more.
- 2Putting it in the sunDirect sun turns a sealed jar into an oven. Pick a bright spot that never gets direct sun.
- 3Picking the wrong plantsSucculents and cacti rot in a closed jar. Choose small plants that love damp, still air.
