Urban Gardening and Homesteading is becoming a popular way of life and a trend that is returning to modern day families. The idea is to become less reliable on your grocery stores, distant farmers, natural resources, gas stations, processed foods, hybrid and Genetically modified food sources, to eat a clean diet, spend less money, know where you food comes from, consume less harmful chemicals and pesticides, spend less money, live a frugal way of life and many more reasons.
Creating a terrarium is a wonderful way to entertain your children, spend a winter afternoon, introduce your family to gardening and to learn about science, nature and plant life. terrarium can lead to more intricate educational opportunities and even a new hobby.
The following is a tutorial to create a terrarium. You may choose to recycle anything from an old light bulb to a spaghetti sauce jar. Please view the video from the Etsy Blog for detailed information on how to prepare the light bulb.
To create your unique Light bulb Terrarium, you will need:
•Any container of your choice. You may use an old light bulb, a canning jar, an aquarium, a large water jug container,
•Charcoal
•Rocks
•Moss
•Plant life
•Needle-nose pliers
You will need tools if you plan to work with a light bulb. The Etsy Blog suggest the use of:
•Long tweezers
•Screwdriver
•Plants
Please note the following Safety Warning:If you choose to work with a light bulb, You must wear eye goggles for safety. This is a job for the parent to complete prior to the decorating of the terrarium. If you are using a light bulb as your terrarium container, you may choose to use the following tools to work with the light bulb. You will need to gently take the top of the light bulb off. Once you have removed the top of the light bulb, you will need to take the inside gadgets of the light bulb out. This should leave you with an empty glass container or light bulb if you will.
To make your terrarium:
- First add rocks to the inside of your container. Make sure first that this is a container that can hold water. weirdwolf of the Etsy blog suggest that as an option, you may choose to use "expanded clay pellets as your rock portion of the terrarium. Fill the Terrarium about 1/3 of the way up your terrarium container." You may use any type of rocks that you would like. If you add a live reptile, insect or animal, use good judgement on the items that you chose to create your environment with.
- Next, you will want to add the greenery to your terrarium. No terrarium would be complete without plant life! Green moss is a popular choice as a "grass" of your terrarium. you will also need to add your soil from outdoors or potting soil if you prefer to purchase the planting soil. Make sure that add enough of the potting soil or outdoor soil in your yard to plant the plants will adorn your terrarium.
- Now for the fun part of creating a terrarium! Add the decorations. You can:
Paint rocks as lady bugs.
Add Fairies or Gnomes.
Hang a little wooden swing from a plant branch. You can make the swing from wood and cross-stitching thread, known as floss!
Add little rocks to look like a walk way.If you choose to use an aquarium or large container, you can add a brook or even create an environment of half terrarium and half land. Add turtles and goldfish. Make sure to provide the turtles a place to sunbathe and a place to rest upon a rock. Be sure to research the relationship between the plant life that you desire and the creatures that you add to your project, Make sure that the plants are not poisonous to the turtles or fish that you wish to use.The options are endless. You can add Polly Pockets, little toys or small figurines to your environment. Have fun with the design of your terrarium environment. You can grow a variety of plants, moss, and even herbs in the terrarium.
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