<iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-P46CBCM" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe>
Skip to main content
hands filling glass jar with small rocks

Design a terrarium

Don’t throw out your old glass jars. Here’s a way you can recycle them and make something amazing with houseplants

terrarium activities

What's a terrarium?

It’s like an aquarium, but for plants instead of fish. Inside, you can grow a mini garden that can become its own world

terrarium activity

To get started, you'll need:

  • A clean glass jar with a lid
  • Small rocks and stones
  • Potting soil
  • Small houseplants – try to pick different colours, shapes, and textures

You could also use:

  • Moss
  • Decorative pebbles
  • Fun decorations like pine cones, shells, and toy animals
terrarium activities

Step 1: Pick a theme

  • You can choose to have a plain terrarium or choose a fun theme like a fairy world, dinosaur land, or one based on your favourite movie or show
terrarium activities

Step 2: Choose your plants

  • You’ll need plants that won’t grow too big, you’ll be able to find lots at the garden centre where you can always ask someone to help you choose
  • Small foliage plants, spider plants, and mini succulents work best

 

Step 3: Start layering

  • Start with a layer of small stones on the bottom. This helps the water drain so that the roots of your plants don’t get too wet
  • Now add your soil until the jar is half full
terrarium activities

Step 4: Planting

  • Start by deciding where you want your plants to go
  • Pull the roots apart when you take them out of their pots and remove some of the old soil
  • Arrange them and plant so that they have enough space to breathe and grow and pat down the soil around them
glass terrarium

Step 5: Decorating

  • Add your final decorations to make your terrarium look like a mini garden world, and don’t forget to add things that fit with your theme
  • Add a little bit of water and seal the jar with the lid – then you can put your terrariums somewhere that doesn’t get too much sunlight
terrarium activity

Proud of your creation? We’d love to see what an amazing job you’ve done. Use #DobbiesLittleSeedlings and tag us

Instagram@dobbiesgardencentres

Facebook@DobbiesGC

Twitter@dobbies