Thursday, December 18, 2008

Last Minute Handmade Gift Idea- Moss Terrarium


Did you forget Aunt Sally or Great-Auntie Stella? No problem! This quick, easy, and almost FREE Christmas gift is great for a last minute gift. It's also not a bad idea to make a few extra gifts for someone you may have forgotten, but don't recall or someone decides to bring their neighbor along to your holiday festivities. You all know during the holidays you can never tell what could happen especially with those out of town relatives who tend to do the craziest things. Have fun and happy creating! Put a little handmade in someone's life this holiday season!




Terrariums are easy and VERY inexpensive since all of your materials other than the container can be found in nature. I found the tall apothecary jar at a local thrift store for $1 and the other is just a small canning jar I had around the house.

To create a terrarium you will need the following materials:
1. jar
2. small pebbles (just enough to cover the bottom of the jar)
3. soil
4. moss

First, make sure your jar is clean and dry. Loosely place the pebbles in the bottom of the jar, careful not to chunk them in and break something. Make sure your pebbles cover the bottom of the jar, but aren't layered too thick. Next, place about an 1/2"-1" of soil on top of the pebbles. All that is left to do now is to place your moss on top of the the soil. You can layer your moss and tuck smaller pieces into the cracks of the larger pieces. Just experiment with it and decide how you like it. You can also add small things like tiny ferns, just pick one by the root and stick it in a crack around the moss so it's in the soil. You can also add cute miniatures if you can find some or have any on hand. These give the terrariums a sweet little feel.






Caring for your terrarium- Ok you don't have to have a green thumb to keep this a live. Simply water once every week or so with a SMALL amount of water such as a 1/2 tea spoon full. Place the lid on and watch it thrive. If there is a lot of condensation on the inside of the jar then it's probably to damp. Take the top off and let it breathe a little until some of the condensation has gone away. A little condensation is a great thing, it means your terrarium is happy! Have fun with this and ENJOY!



4 comments:

KellyNTN said...

I have been wanting to make a couple of these cute little jars but was wondering where I could find the moss. Besides searching the woods is there somewhere that sells it that you know of? Yours look great! Thanks!

CassieMarie said...

Not that I know of. Mine grows abundantly in my yard thanks to some huge oak trees. I would suggest if you live in an area that has dirt roads, just ride on them and look around. I know here in the south every dirt road I go on there is moss everywhere and usually you don't have to go into the woods for it.

KellyNTN said...

I live in NE TN but where i live no dirt roads. I think I will have a drive around and see what I can find. Thanks!

CassieMarie said...

Look around in places that hold water such as bottoms or near creeks. You should have some luck. If I knew how to successfully mail some to you I would. :)