Wood-land Terrariums DIY

I have a confession to make, I am a murderer...of plants! I was in need of a low maintenance plant that would not die if I forgot to water it for a week err... a month or two. 

In Honolulu there is this adorable succulent DIY store called Paiko and it has become my new favorite place. They source local beautiful plants and pots and also offer coffee through the Brue bar. Everything about this place makes my heart happy. On Thursday evening the hubs and I took the Woodland Terrarium Class. It was so easy, I couldn't believe it. Our instructor went over layer by layer what our little self containing ecosystems would need to survive forever (literally). 

STEP 1: 

Get a glass container with an air-tight lid 

STEP 2: 

Put about an inch of clean gravel 

STEP 3: 

Place wet sphagnum moss over the gravel

Sphagnum moss can be purchased at most pet stores or even on amazon

It is super dry so just place it in a bowl of water 

for awhile until damp 

STEP 4: 

Next, place activated charcoal on top

STEP 5: 

Potting soil is next. Place a good 1 to 2 inches of an 

organic potting soil on top of the charcoal

STEP 6: 

The fun part! Putting in your plants. This is called a 

rabbit fern, because it has those furry "legs" that grow

off the side (sort of looks like a spider to me). 

Dig a small hole down to the moss and place your fern inside.

Make sure to really break up the roots of the fern before you place 

it in the dirt 

STEP 7: 

This is where you can get creative! Paiko had rocks, stones

moss, little twigs, and even little creatures and people we could add

We went with the hula and ukulele player because this is Hawaii, 

we also added moss, twigs and bark to give it texture 

Overhead view 

The last step, not pictured. With a spray bottle, you must spray 

your terrarium down A LOT. Make sure the soil is really wet 

and all the fern leaves are soaked. Place your lid on your terrarium 

and leave it in a dark room for 6 weeks. We were told that they do really 

well without a lot of sun light. So after 6 weeks it can be placed in a room 

with little sunlight. Apparently sunlight will be your main killer of your 

terrarium, so keep it in the dark. Other than that, you pretty much can't kill 

it, which is awesome for a plant murderer like me! 

It's ready to go home! Thanks Paiko for a wonderful class!