DIY terrarium: mission complete.

I'll spare you the details but after three weeks with a nasty bug and one week of severe writer's block, I am finally back at it. With this being the first time I've ever had a three week ailment, I didn't realize just how gray you see everything once you've finally come to. Then I remembered... when in doubt, DIY.

So, to help bring some life back into my place, I decided to try out the terrarium idea (as seen here). To complete this, you need the following:

• pea gravel
• Horticultural charcoal
• moss
• top soil
• some sort of succulent plant

One big learning is that horticultural charcoal is very hard to come by - especially in the winter. Luckily after tons of running and calling around, an absolutely adorable greenhouse called H.J. Benken ended up having it (giant props to the boyf for heading up there earlier to figure this all out for me). I also got my pea gravel there and caught myself searching for more things to buy. Fortunately, I was reminded of my brown thumb and opted to just go with what I needed.

I started with a thick layer of pea gravel for drainage then added an equally thick layer of horticultural charcoal to help soak up excess moisture. From there I layered moss, top soil and more pea gravel solely for visual purposes. I topped it off with my favorite succulent, some more moss and a couple of pretty white stones for some added texture and contrast. Did a little watering and the voila - a terrarium. The best part about it? I felt like I was gardening without the added stress of knowing I had to constantly water it and praying for it to stay alive.

Fearful of trying to hang, I opted for placement on a side table in my living room that gave it just the right amount of visual interest and helped balance out the rest of the greenery in the space. Another idea if I had more space, would be to create 3-5 terrariums in various sized and shaped glass holders to place in the middle of a dining room table. Also a great idea to arrange on a floating shelf to help fill an empty wall. 

above two: my terrarium

shelterness

living life out loud

pewter and sage

Light at the end of the terrarium.

Ugh I am so sick of this weather! It's cold and rainy one day, snowy and freezing the next. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun, let alone a bright blue sky. With the "grass" covered yet again by a thin layer of bright white, it makes spring seem light years away. Then I thought, why not incorporate some greenery inside to serve as a reminder of what plant life looks like.

Below are some examples of hanging plant terrariums - an adorable glass container you can fill with your favorite succulents. Add small little chotskies and moss for a unique effect. Hang one, two or maybe even three in an empty corner, along a kitchen window or anywhere else to help you remember that spring is coming. Eventually.

DIY: Grab a rounded vase, cookie or mason jar, fill with dirt and add some plants. Opt to keep these versions table top thought - no one wants to come home to broken glass and scattered dirt.

From top to bottom: Take Sunset, Luxe and Lucid, The Herb Companion, aha! Modern Living, Ladies & Gentlemen, Design*Sponge