DIY Glass Jar Terrariums

6 Materials
$7
30 Minutes
Easy
I found an old wide mouth glass jar at the thrift store and decided to try my hand at making my own terrarium . . . and then ended up with three of them!
This glass jar was part of an old canister set. It had a wooden lid with a rubber seal that was cracked and dried out. The bad lid didn't matter to me, because the jar was perfect for this project. It measures 7 inches in height. I wanted the jar to lie on its side, so to keep it from rolling, I attached two 4-1/2 inch dowels to the bottom with E6000 glue. I used painters tape to hold them in place while they set and dried.
I put a layer of little white pebbles in the bottom.
I cut a piece from a coffee filter to size to cover the white rock layer. I used this to keep the soil from falling into the white rock layer. Using a spray bottle of water, I misted it before laying it over the white rock base.
When I went looking for a few baby succulents for the terrarium, I found this instead. It already had the plants, soil and some rocks and it was cheaper than buying 3 succulents and I didn't have to purchase the soil.
I emptied the little planter I bought, spooned in soil over the coffee filter, then set the plants, added rocks and a little bit of dried sheet moss. I misted everything with the spray bottle of water.
You can see I still have the painters tape holding the dowels in place. 24 hours after I glued the dowels, I felt like I could start on the terrarium. I left the tape in place for the full 72 hours that was recommended for set and dry time on the glue.
After filling the jar, I still had a couple plants, soil and rocks left. So I grabbed a different jar and started the process all over again.
I couldn't believe it, but I STILL had a plant left, so I used a dollar store glass candle holder for the remaining plant.
To dress it up a little, I topped the glass candle holder turned planter with a mason jar lid.
I had no idea I would get three terrariums out of that little planter! I love them all! This was so easy to do!


For more information on this project stop by my blog for the full post and additional pictures.
The mason jar lid obviously won't screw onto the candle holder, but it makes the candle holder look more like a jar. I love the look.
Suggested materials:
  • Glass jar(s)   (thrift store)
  • Wood dowels   (hardware store)
  • White pebbles   (dollar store)
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Catherine Levings Catherine Levings on May 09, 2017

    how often do I water

  • Linda Linda on Sep 17, 2017

    Really pretty! How long have yours lasted? Any problem with plants turning yellow, getting "leggy" or "rotting"? Did you consider sprinkling charcoal over the base rock or was charcoal mixed into the potting soil?

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2 of 32 comments
  • Doreen Kennedy Doreen Kennedy on Nov 03, 2020

    I love the look of your mini terrariums.

  • Teri Vinson Teri Vinson on Jan 24, 2023

    Inspired? Yes. I also have a number of little cute or interesting empty jars that I have collected. Can't help myself, either. Thank you for the inspiration, as I have a large pot of succulents that are begging to be redone. Also, though, instead of buying dowels to put the feet on, may I suggest chop sticks with your next oriental take-out. ooo, this will be fun!

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