Create Your Own Enchanted Terrarium At Home

A cozy, miniature garden you can build in under an hour.

There’s something magical about a tiny world living inside glass—soft moss, sculptural branches, maybe a fern frond or two. Whether you use a traditional terrarium container or a vintage-style glass cloche, this project is beginner-friendly, affordable, and endlessly customizable.

Think of it as gardening… but make it whimsical.

Why Terrariums + Cloches Are So Charming

Terrariums give you a self-contained, low-maintenance environment where plants practically care for themselves. Think: moist, earthy, and lush. Cloches, on the other hand, offer a slightly more curated, airy look—perfect for sculptural botanicals or seasonal arrangements.

Both look stunning on coffee tables, kitchen counters, bookshelves, and bedside tables.

1. Choose Your Glass Vessel

You’ve got options—each one creates a different vibe.

Closed Terrarium

  • Best for: moisture-loving plants
  • Look: foggy, lush, rainforest vibes
  • Popular shapes: round globe, apothecary jars, lidded glass canisters

Open Terrarium

  • Best for: succulents, air plants, or drier botanical displays
  • Look: airy, sculptural, minimal
  • Popular shapes: wide bowls, geometric terrariums, low open cylinders

Glass Cloche (Bell Jar)

  • Best for: decorative botanical displays (not always living plants)
  • Look: vintage-meets-museum-curated
  • Works beautifully with dried flowers, moss, branches, or a single miniature potted plant

If you love the idea of a “living terrarium,” choose a vessel with enough airflow or easy access for maintenance. If you want something purely decorative, a cloche is effortless and so elegant.

2. Pick Your Plant Style

Mix and match—or keep it simple.

Moisture-Loving Plants (for closed terrariums)

  • Baby ferns
  • Mosses (sheet moss, cushion moss)
  • Mini peperomia
  • Pilea varieties
  • Fittonia (nerve plant)

Dry-Loving Plants (for open terrariums)

  • Succulents
  • Mini cacti
  • Haworthia
  • Echeveria
  • Air plants (no soil required!)

Non-Living Botanicals (perfect under cloches)

  • Dried hydrangeas
  • Pressed flowers
  • Preserved moss
  • Branch clippings
  • Feathers, seed pods, or seasonal ephemera

3. How to Build Your Terrarium (Layer by Layer)

Here’s the simple formula every terrarium needs:

Step 1: Start with Drainage

Add a 1–2″ layer of pea gravel, small stones, or horticultural charcoal at the bottom.
This keeps water from pooling around plant roots.

Step 2: Add Activated Charcoal

A thin layer (¼–½”) keeps things fresh and prevents odors.

Step 3: Layer in Your Soil

Use moist potting soil for leafy plants or gritty cactus mix for succulents.

Step 4: Plant Your Mini Garden

  • Create small wells in the soil
  • Tuck plants in gently
  • Add more soil to secure the roots
  • Avoid overcrowding—they will grow!

Step 5: Decorate the Surface

This is where the magic happens:

  • Moss patches
  • Pebbles or crushed quartz
  • Twigs, crystals, lichen, driftwood
  • A tiny figure or fairy-garden element (optional but adorable)

Step 6: Clean the Glass

Wipe the inside of the glass with a dry cloth so your tiny world sparkles.

4. Caring for Your Terrarium

Low-maintenance doesn’t mean no-maintenance—here’s what to know.

Watering

  • Closed terrarium: water lightly every 3–6 weeks
  • Open terrarium: water succulents sparingly, every 2–3 weeks
  • Air plants: mist weekly or soak for 10 minutes every 1–2 weeks

Light

Bright, indirect light works best. Direct sun can scorch or overheat your plants inside the glass.

Airflow

If condensation builds up heavily in a closed terrarium, crack it open for an hour to rebalance humidity.

5. Terrarium Do’s + Don’ts

Do

✔ Choose plants with similar water needs
✔ Keep your glass clean
✔ Use charcoal to avoid mold
✔ Trim plants before they outgrow the space

Don’t

✘ Overwater—#1 cause of terrarium sadness
✘ Put it in direct midday sun
✘ Use fertilizer (it causes excessive growth)
✘ Overcrowd—leave breathing room

Terrarium vs. Cloche: Which Should You Pick?

Choose a terrarium if you want a lush, living mini-garden.
Choose a cloche if you want a sculptural, low-effort botanical display.

Both are beautiful—honestly, you may end up wanting one of each.

Shopping List

Copy + paste this into your notes before heading to the garden center!

For Terrariums

  • Glass terrarium vessel (open or closed)
  • Small stones or pea gravel
  • Activated charcoal
  • Potting soil (or cactus mix)
  • Moss (living or preserved)
  • Miniature plants (ferns, succulents, air plants, etc.)
  • Decorative pebbles, twigs, crystals, or other accents
  • Spray mister

For Cloches

  • Glass cloche
  • Wooden or ceramic base (optional)
  • Dried flowers, preserved botanicals, branches, or moss
  • Mini vase or low bowl (optional)

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