Have you ever wanted to build a terrarium but felt intimidated because you have never done anything like this before? Don’t worry! terrarium plants are easy to construct and don’t require the expertise of a professional. It just takes a little bit of creativity and a willingness to learn new things to get started.

The first thing you will need for your terrarium are the materials for a base and a lid. You will probably use the same basic material as the pots you made for your plant life: gravel, soil, potting soil. For this project, we will use two terrarium plants – a Java Fern and a Spider plant. The Java Fern is a lovely plant to start out with, as it is rather hardy and can tolerate most conditions. If you don’t live in an especially tropical or subtropical area, however, you may want to choose different species to start with.

The next project is to work out how to set up your DIY terrariums, so let’s cover the basics. For the base, you will need sanding and some decorative stones stacked on top. You can use Styrofoam or newspaper to protect the rocks from the weather. To give the illusion of a more natural looking, damp soil, you can add a thin layer of dried manure, leaves, coffee grounds or fish food. As an added bonus, you should also have some sponges lying about.

Once you have your base covered, you can now add some moss and rocks to the terrarium. Mosses are easy to grow and can be purchased from any pet store. If you can’t find any mosses in your area, look online or in magazines for pictures of terrarium plants that come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Mosses are the perfect companion for any aquarium, being aesthetically pleasing and very easy to care for. Mosses will go with many terrariums and will even grow on other plants you place in the terrarium as accessories.

After you have chosen which mosses and rocks to use for your terrarium, you should do a little research to learn about the types of terrariums available. Most of these designs include some type of light source; this can either be fluorescent or through sunlight. There are also several types of terrarium shelving that can be used along with a rock or a mossy shelf. This gives a beautiful visual effect in your terrarium and also gives the plants a sheltered resting area.

For the final step of building your terrarium, you will need to choose what materials you want to use for the container. Many people prefer to use gravel or stones as the base of their container. These can be found at your local dollar store and if you don’t want to buy gravel or rocks, there are several products available for purchase that mimic plant life. Plants, both artificial and live, will thrive in water that has been soaked and allowed to drain. Glass, fiberglass and acrylic all work well as containers and they can be custom designed with whatever size and shape you desire.

The final step of putting your terrarium together is the installation of your container. You will need to clean the container and any rusted or damaged parts of the terrarium, such as the rocks or pebbles. Using a wire mesh or sandpaper, remove any debris from the bottom of the container and fill with water. Then add your vegetation and pebbles and allow them to soak. Drain the water and rinse thoroughly and you are done!

You are now ready to plant your terrarium. The easiest way to do this is to choose a good, sturdy plant container and plant your chosen plants in it. Water the terrarium everyday to keep it damp and healthy. Check the plant every day for signs of fungus or mold and remove it if needed. Make sure the terrarium has good drainage and has been watered daily. When the plants begin to sprout, you will be proud of the efforts you have put into a terrarium made of submerged plants and stones.