How to Make a Mini Plant Terrarium

Last week, the kids and I created mini terrariums planters and it was one of the easiest projects ever! With just a few simple materials, you can create a mini hanging terrarium for less than $10!

Mini Terrarium Planter DIY

Earlier this month, I spotted some pink pebbles and rocks in the Target Bins and I knew I had to have them. I did not have a plan on how to use the rocks, but I was thinking they would be good for a mini fairy garden (like the one we made HERE).

Then, last week, I was at the Dollar Tree and I found some plastic terrariums. These containers look exactly like higher end glass containers! Since, I planned to work on a project with the kids, the plastic containers were a perfect solution.

These terrariums are so easy that kids of all ages can make these pretty much on their own!

What you Need to Make a Mini Terrarium:

Terrarium Container * I like the hanging kind but you can use any clear container

Pebbles and Rocks I recommend at least two kinds of rocks to give the scene some texture

Air Plants** or Succulents Both types of plants can be found at Home Depot or Lowes. (In the INDOOR plant section) The cheapest option, is buying a set of air plants on Amazon! What does Amazon NOT have?!

Ribbon or Rope If you plan to hang the container!

*If you can not find these containers at your local dollar store, consider these inexpensive containers.They are very a kid friendly option because they are shatter proof!!

**If you have never heard of air plants before, let me introduce you to the easiest house plant! These little plants require VERY LITTLE care. You just need to spray them with water once a week! Ideally, you also soak the plants every 2-3 weeks in bowl of water. I’ll be honest, that we don’t normally do this with our air plants, but it is the recommended way to care for them! So I plan to now follow these guidelines!

We have a lot of succulents in our home too, although I do find them harder to maintain. Succulents eventually outgrow their space and you will need to replant them. It seems harder to get the watering thing right with succulents. We do love the look of succulents, but it is a harder plant to care for!

How to Assemble a Mini Terrarium

Once you have all the materials, you can start assembling your terrarium!

First, if you are using air plants, when you get them home, you will need to soak them in water for 30 minutes. (Again, ideally you will soak your air plants in water every 2-3 weeks).

After 30 minutes, lay them on a paper towel to dry. While they are drying, you can start assembling the terrarium! You can really build your terrarium however you want! We started with the smaller pebbles and then added the larger rocks. It helped to have the larger rocks on top because the air plant nestles nicely in between the rocks. It looks really pretty to use multiple colors and sizes of rocks!

You can mix in multiple colors of pebbles and rocks, like my daughter did in one of the terrariums.

If you have a hanging terrarium, attach a rope or ribbon to the top!

Then, find a spot in the house with bright filtered or indirect light! I recommend keeping a little water bottle nearby to make it easy to keep the plants watered! We have a water spritzer very similar to this cute one!

The total cost of our project was around $6! Here’s how the cost broke down:

$2 for 2 Plastic Terrariums

$1 Pebbles

$1 Rocks

$6 for 2 Air Plants

$0 Rope (we already had on hand)

If you do a quick search of hanging terrariums, you can spend up to $30! There is no reason to buy a pre-made terrarium when you can make your own in minutes!