10 Stylish Ways to Decorate Your Home with Plants

7. Terrific Terrariums: Miniature Green Worlds

There’s something so incredibly satisfying about building a terrarium. It’s part science project, part art class, and all fun. It’s a fantastic DIY project for a quiet afternoon, and the result is a beautiful, living piece of decor that’s uniquely yours. Trust me, once you make one, you’ll be hooked!

Your Tiny Terrarium Team: Plants That Love Close Quarters

Choosing the right terrarium plants is super important. My first attempt? Let’s just say “learning experience” is an understatement – it ended up a bit of a swampy mess because I didn’t quite get the plant choices right for the container I used!

Here are some tiny titans perfect for these glass gardens:

• Air Plants (Tillandsia) are amazing for open terrariums because they don’t even need soil! They just kind of hang out, looking cool and sculptural.
• Small Ferns, like button ferns or tiny maidenhair varieties, are perfect for closed terrariums because they adore humidity. They create such a lush, woodland feel.
• Moss is practically a terrarium essential, especially for closed systems. It adds that vibrant green carpet and really helps maintain moisture.
• Miniature Succulents can work beautifully in open terrariums where things stay a bit drier. Just make sure you pick true miniatures, as some “small” succulents can outgrow a tiny space fast!

You can find great DIY terrarium supplies online or at your local garden center.

Glass Act: Choosing Your Container & System

The container is half the fun! You can use old glass jars, pretty bowls, elegant cloches, or those cool geometric terrarium containers.

The big decision is whether to make an open terrarium or a closed terrarium.

• Open terrariums have an opening that allows for good air circulation, making them ideal for plants that prefer drier conditions, like succulents and air plants.
• Closed terrariums have a lid, creating their own mini-ecosystem with high humidity. These are perfect for humidity-loving ferns and moss. It’s like a tiny, self-sustaining rainforest!

Remember the layers! The layers, it needs to be right for a healthy terrarium: a drainage layer (like gravel or pebbles), a bit of activated charcoal (for closed systems, to keep things fresh), and then your potting mix.

Designing Your Little Landscape: A Fun DIY Project!

This is where your inner artist gets to play! Arranging the plants, adding little stones, pieces of driftwood, or even tiny miniature figurines to create a scene – it’s such a creative process. It’s like miniature garden design!

You can create a tiny desert scape, a lush forest floor, or whatever your imagination cooks up. There are no hard and fast rules, just have fun with it! Using different textures and heights with your miniature plants makes it more visually interesting.

Showcasing Your Glass Garden: Styling Tips

Once your masterpiece is complete, where should it live?

• Terrariums make fantastic centerpieces for a coffee table or dining table.
• They’re also perfect accent pieces on a desk, bookshelf, or even a nightstand, bringing a little bit of nature indoors. One of the best things about terrariums, especially closed ones once they’re established, is that they are generally very low-maintenance. This makes them perfect for busy lifestyles, whether you’re in a bustling city like Washington, DC, or sunny Dallas. A little world that mostly takes care of itself? Yes, please!

Building a terrarium is such a rewarding way to get creative with plants and add a unique touch to your home decor. Ready to take your greenery to new heights – literally? Click that “Next” button, because we’re exploring the world of wall-mounted marvels next!