DIY Miniature Succulent Terrarium: A Fun, Easy and Inexpensive Gift Idea

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Growing up, I always made hand-drawn Christmas cards for friends and family. As an adult, I have enjoyed giving hand-made gifts. In the past, I sometimes chose projects that took quite a bit of time and detail to put together. Now, I’ve got a family of my own that I want to spend time enjoying the holiday season with. I don’t want to spend too much time pouring over intense projects. That being said, I do still aim for something pretty, special and unique. I try to make things that won’t become dust collectors – things that people will want to proudly use or display in their homes.

 Last year, I made each person on my list a mini succulent terrarium. These are easy to make, a fun project to involve your kids in, and they are absolutely adorable.

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

What You’ll Need

Here are all the things you will need to create your own mini succulent terrarium at home. I used Miracle Grow Cactus, Palm and Citrus Potting Mix for my soil, although I bet any potting soil would work well. Activated charcoal (or carbon) is used to keep mold and bacteria from growing in your finished succulent terrarium as it ages. You’ll also need some small stones or pebbles, glass cups or jars, and of course, your succulents. We also used a couple of decorative glass stones to finish our terrariums, but those definitely won’t make or break your finished product!

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

How to Assemble

First, grab a scoop or a spoon to easily get things out of their receptacles and into your cups. Start with a thin layer of pebbles for water drainage, like so:

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

After you’ve got your pebbles placed, you’ll want to add a decent layer of activated charcoal. We did three tablespoons per cup, which made a nice, even layer to cover the rocks.

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

On top of your charcoal, fill your cup with soil. It’s up to you how full or not-full you want them to be. Just make sure your soil is deep enough to accommodate the root of your succulent.

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

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Next up, transplant your succulents. If you have your kids helping, you may want to take over for this step. Many succulents are very fragile, and easily fall apart if they aren’t handled with extreme care. There are also a lot of succulents that can be somewhat prickly!

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

Once your plants are in, surround them with a decorative layer of pebbles. Then, if you decide to finish off your terrarium with some glass stones, place them on the pebbles for a bit of flair.

DIY mini succulent terrarium albuquerque moms blog

And just like that, you’ve got a sweet little succulent terrarium to nurture and enjoy!

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Just for fun, here are a few that I planted last year. They started out tiny, like the ones above, and look at them now!

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A mini succulent terrarium is small enough to fit on a windowsill, and insanely easy to care for. I would suggest watering every 1-2 weeks, or as necessary. Succulents retain moisture, and don’t really want to be over-watered. Wait until your soil is almost completely dry before you give your plant a watering.

Other Things to Note

The soil and the pebbles came from Lowe’s, but any home improvement or gardening store would have similar items. The activated carbon came from Amazon, and this is the kind I purchased. My succulents came from Amazon as well, and you can find them here. The reviews on the succulents were all over the place, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I was really happy with mine. The quality, size and price were reasonable, and they were exactly what I was looking for. The glass beads can be found at any crafting store. My glass cups and jars came from all over the place. Stemless wine glasses from Dollar Tree, a couple of vintage brandy glasses acquired years ago, and used jar candles that I cleaned the wax from before using.

I hope that you enjoy this project if you give it a try! Do you make gifts for your friends or family members?