For this month’s make-it-at-home craft activity we’ve taken inspiration from the beautiful landscape photographs by the American photographer Ansel Adams. We’re going to show you how to make your own mini-landscapes in glass jars, called terrariums.
Terrariums are great fun to make with children, especially when it comes to designing your landscape with plants and rocks.
We’d love to see your terrarium creations. Please do send us photos either by email at web@sea.museum or via Instagram, just tag the photo with our username @sea.museum.
Let’s get started…
Materials
Step 1. Make sure your glass jar is nice and clean.
Step 2. Place a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the jar – about 1.5 cm deep. (The pebbles act as drainage in your terrarium).
Step 3. Soak some sphagnum moss in water to rehydrate it.
Step 4. Squeeze excess water from the sphagnum moss. Place a thin layer of sphagnum moss on top of the pebbles. (This acts as a filtration system in your terrarium).
Step 5. Make your soil mix. Two handfuls of soil, one handful of propagating sand and one tablespoon of charcoal. Add about a cup of water and mix. (The charcoal helps to keep your soil fresh, and the sand helps your plants grow).
Step 6. Squeeze excess water from the soil and create a thin layer of soil (about 2 cm) on top of the sphagnum moss in your terrarium.
Step 7. Plant your plants or moss, and place large decorative rocks into the soil.
Step 8. Decorate your terrarium with pebbles, rocks and sand to finish your terrarium.
Tips: