{ DIY Terrariums and Cloches }

It's official...Spring is here.  To celebrate the arrival of this season I organized a special project for my bible study group.  We worked together to create mini terrarium's that we gave away as gifts.

These terrariums are easy to assemble, not very expensive and so pretty.  Wide containers are a bit easier for this project but any container that will hold dirt and water will work.  For my samples I used a clear salad bowl, trifle bowl, mason jars and vases.   Small plants work best - scale is important.

If you would like to make a centerpiece or something pretty for your windowsill you might want to consider adding a glass cloche to your terrarium collection.  Cloches or clear bell domes are glass domes traditionally used to warm soil.  They are quite popular right now to highlight small collections or to cover special miniature plants.  I found mine at an antiques store.  If you want to try a DIY cloche chose any type of glass vase - turn it upside down and glue a decorative bauble on top.  For oneof my DIY cloches I glued a bright green drawer pull to a standard rose bowl.

Under my antique glass cloche I decorated for Easter using a plastic child's lamb with a small "lambs ear" plant and moss.  The plant is potted in a small votive candle holder.

For our small terrariums we used several sizes of mason jars.  If you'd like to make your own first add a thin layer of small pebbles to the bottom this helps collect water.  Next, add about an inch of potting soil.  Then select small flowers to plant in each - for our mason jars only 1 flower fit in each jar.  (For my larger bowls and vases about 3 plants fit into each.)  Use a small spoon to add a bit of soil around your flower - so that all the small roots are covered.  To finish each jar we used small paint brushes to "dust" the flower and to clean the inside of the jar.  Add cute ribbons and tags to personalize your gift.  You may want to add care instructions - terrarium needs a light spritz or a tablespoon of water about two times a week.

The ladies did a wonderful job decorating their gift tags with rubber stamps and cute ribbons.