Nature in a Jar

Let's give it up for Friday because it's finally here!

This week I had a ball turning these glass

containers from blah to TADA!

With carefully selected rocks, twigs and plants,

I made some really cool covered terrariums.

I read that these "thrive on neglect". They make use of

whatever moisture is in the jar, allowing the plants to

survive. No constant watering needed. Yahoo!

I got to reuse some blah plastic containers

to collect my materials, too.

And if I may digress, can I show you

some springtime photos; a souvenir

of the day I went hunting & gathering?

You have to love all this spring time bounty!

Wish I could preserve fresh flowers inside a bottle.

Anyway, back to my project:

I used this blah jar.

And turned it into a TADA! terrarium.

I think this will find a good home on a desk

or bookshelf {near a sunny window}.

I just had to take a family portrait

of my handiwork.

Have a sweet weekend ya 'all!

Into the Woods

A big thank you for visiting my blog today!

If you've been tuning in this week,

I've got my nose deep into making terrariums:

Yes, in every possible jar I could find.

And because I found these arched twigs...

Plus these interesting plants in the park nearby...

I could already envision the kind of terrarium this

blah pickle jar would be: a TADA! miniature forest!

I piled on the rocks, then the plants,

and then the twigs.

Check how the terrarium looks on all angles.

Make any adjustments and spray some water.

Add a cover {I used a glass dish meant to hold

a candle; it fit perfectly!}.

TADA! It's my little forest right in my living room.

Glass Refuge

I'm trying my hand at making terrariums and I'm really

enjoying it. It serves so many purposes -- I'm learning

something new, I'm able to recycle jars and I get to

spend time outdoors as I gather stuff to put in my

glass containers. And at the end of the day,

I have a terrarium to dress up my home!

The flat sides of this blah jar makes it perfect

to use as a terrarium.

Add some freebies from nature.

Arrange them artistically.

Then finish off with spritzes of water.

Tiny, neglected toys -- animals, fairies and sure, robots --

can find a new home in the terrarium.

Make sure the terrarium looks pretty on all sides.

For visual interest, I used an upturned glass votive

holder as the dome of my terrarium.

No money was spent or animals hurt

in the making of this TADA! project. :-)

Hunting & Gathering

Hello Lovelies!

I just made my own terrarium and

realized how easy the process was,

so I'm making a few more.

I also liked how I was able to use

a lot of stuff from my recycling bin:

Bottles and jars make splendid vessels.

Paper and plastic containers come

in handy when scavenging for

items to put inside the terrarium.

Plastic utensils for digging up sand, dirt & plants.

Chopsticks to help assemble things inside

the glass containers.

Now that we've got the tools, let's hunt and gather!

It's a good thing sunny skies and warm

temperatures are upon us.

The backyard, neighborhood park and

beach are great places to explore.

Just some of the things I found:

Twigs...

and rocks...

and tiny plants like ferns & moss.

And how about this cute soda bottle, huh?

I cleaned it inside and out & removed the

sticky label.

Fashion a funnel out of paper and slowly

pour in some sand and pebbles.

Add the plant and anchor the roots

in the sand & between the pebbles.

{Chopsticks come in handy for this!}

Add a generous spritz of water

from a spray bottle, allow to sit

overnight and replace the cover.

TADA! A handsome terrarium if I do say so myself!

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!

Roller Coaster

We made it to the end of the week and

I myself can't wait to start the weekend.

But before I do, here is a final idea

to turn old cork from blah to TADA!

Here are coasters my husband owned when he

was a bachelor. We still use them for everyday,

but when we have friends over, we break out

the leather ones or the ones made of glass

that we received as presents. {Not really

to show off, but when else would

we use them, right?}

I thought these coasters made of cork

were becoming too blah.

So with a needle and some yarn,

I turned them into TADA!

I think these are ready for sun-shiny weather

and outdoor meals.

Oh by the way, here's another TADA! idea

for blah wine corks:

Roll excess thread or yarn around each cork and

put these in a box. For current sewing projects,

use the end as a pin cushion. This keeps

needles sharp and also prevents accidents.

Happy weekend folks and to all the moms

out there -- HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!