A Terrarium How-To

This week's post is something new I learned.

I found it so TADA! that I had to share.

Again we go back to my favorite store, Anthropologie,

where they had two workshops for Earth Day 2011.

The first was "Crafting with Cork" and

the other, "Terrarium How To".

Jojo Agatep was our terrarium-guru.

He has a background in the medical & insurance

field, but he decided to follow his passion of

combining nature and art.

And with jaw-dropping results!

Here are samples of his work:

Gorgeous right?!

Jojo is the creative arm of The Slug and the Squirrel,

a dreamy studio stationed in Philadelphia.

You can get these one-of-a-kind creations

through their shop or on Etsy.

But you can also make one of your own!

Here's what you'll need:

A clean glass vessel {a good way to turn old jars, bottles &

vases from blah to TADA!}, a cover to fit the vessel

opening and some river stones or garden rocks.

You'll also need small plants {with the roots intact}

and moss.

You may add sand, pebbles and drift wood {sourced

from the park or the beach}.

On the right are some of Jojo's tools of the trade,

but no need to invest in these. Reuse old household

items like spoons and screwdrivers.

Step 1: Think of composition and scale.

To add height to your terrarium,

use twigs or drift wood.

Jojo recommends holding the container in

one hand as you build, rather than

having it sit on a surface.

Step 2: Add the rocks, pebbles or sand.

Move around or push into place

with a pencil.

Step 3: Add the plants, tucking the roots

in between the rocks and wood with

the aid of long tweezers or a pencil.

Use the "less is more" principle here.

Step 4: Add water using a spray bottle.

Take it easy on the spritzing -- you

just want to add enough moisture,

not a pool of water.

Let this sit uncovered overnight.

Step 5: Once you are pleased with how

your terrarium looks, put on the lid.

Jojo makes a permanent seal by

attaching the lid to the vessel with

silicone glue similar to this; hot glue

is another alternative.

The beauty of closed terrariums like this one

is that they are a self-sustained environment.

They hardly need any watering or maintenance.

The workshop was hands-on so we got to

make our own and bring it home.

Here's the terrarium I made.

TADA!