![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday I made a tiny terrarium in a spice jar to hold some lichen-covered twigs. Earlier I was out walking and spotted some good ones. Then at lunch, I used the last of the pumpkin spice blend, so I put the fresh bottle in its place. Then I washed the new bottle and used it to make a tiny terrarium for the lichens.
I recently bought a big jar to make a terrarium. Spotting the twigs and spice jar reminded me of making terrariums out of random containers when I was little, usually using all found materials rather than purchased ones. Everything but the jar came from my yard. Total cost: $0. Technically the jar of pumpkin spice was $4.75 but since I bought it for the spice instead of the jar, that doesn't count. I didn't buy anything just for this project. You can do the same thing with a bigger jar if you like. Juice jars are often lovely, with a slightly wider mouth and sometimes decorative designs near the top.
I used an empty jar of pumpkin pie spice and its two lids to make a tiny terrarium for several lichen-covered twigs. A full jar is also shown, with a ruler for size comparison. This brand is actually quite roomy for a standard size range spice jar.
The ruler shows how tall the jars are.
The ruler shows how wide the lids are. It's nice to have a perforated lid and a solid lid that go together on the same jar, which makes it easier to control humidity and air flow.
This is my gathering tray, with a ruler on the long side. It came with a package of curry, but I don't use the trays for heating that. They have lots of other uses, because they're a couple inches deep, a good size, and have a waterproof coating on the inside.
This shows the short side of the gathering tray. This size works great for collecting items to go in a small to medium terrarium. Much bigger, though, and you might want separate containers to hold different types of item.
This is a wide view of the full gathering tray. From left to right it holds twigs covered in lichens, moss, a wet sycamore leaf, and a bit of gravel. You can use pretty much any natural item that you like and will fit in your jar. Permaculture says "Obtain a yield" -- when you're making a found terrarium, almost anything can be a yield. Terrarium building, like permaculture, is all about the art of seeing possibilities in the most prosaic things. I usually avoid materials like walnut which discourage other plants from growing, unless I'm doing a terrarium of walnut-tolerant plants collected under a tree. You can also do science experiments on "Will juglone kill this?" in small jars. I saw a lot of mossy walnuts. But the twigs and bark I picked up probably came from the mulberry tree.
Here is a closeup of the twigs and moss. The larger piece of moss is growing on bark, but I wound up not having room for that one. The nice thing about making a terrarium with found objects is that once you finish, you can toss any leftover materials back in the yard with no problem.
Here is a closeup of the leaf and gravel.
In this layout, you can see the comparative sizes of the lichen-covered twigs and the empty spice jar. It's good to choose items of different shapes and sizes.
I put the gravel in the jar, then I placed the jar on the sycamore leaf. Conveniently, this type of leaf has some squarish corners that nicely fit the shape of this jar. It's important that the leaf is wet -- it's raining today -- so that it's soft and flexible.
I tore the leaf around the edge of the jar to make a dividing layer. This will keep most of the leaf litter and soil from getting down into the drainage layer of gravel.
Leaf litter collects on the patio. Periodically I collect it for use on flowerbeds or mulch around trees such as oaks that like a leaf blanket. It's a much darker and cooler chocolate brown, but the flash makes it look lighter and warmer.
I'm actually after this underlayer that has basically broken down to soil, which is nearly black in natural light.
Those little bumps at the edge of the patio are worm hills, where the worms push up their castings around the edge of their holes. This is good rich stuff. Also, you can see that my yard has lots of earthworms. I rarely use agrochemicals, so it's very worm-friendly here.
I used a trowel to scoop up a little bit of leaf litter, then grabbed a random stick to tamp it down. Next I dug up one worm hill, added that, and tamped it down too. Here is a top view of the jar with leaf litter and worm castings inside, showing the texture.
A side view shows the layers.
Here is the random stick that I used to tamp down the layers. This would've been easier if I'd had some terrarium building tools, like long tongs and a tamper. I might buy some later. But you don't have to spend money on special tools. Fingers and found objects work with a little finagling.
I put in the small piece of moss to cover the soil. Then I added the first few lichen-covered twigs. They look a lot like logs on a forest floor.
Next I added more twigs. I had to shorten the longest one so it would fit inside the jar. I did a tolerably good job keeping crud off the sides of the glass. You can use a funnel or a rolled cone of paper to minimize smudges, or just clean the glass with a swab after filling the jar.
I put on the plastic lid. This snaps securely in place. It offers a way to moderate the air flow, between no lid or the metal lid. This kind of terrarium can be pretty much self-maintaining. If it gets too foggy, you can take the lid off and set it in the sun for a little while to evaporate some of the water. If it starts drying out, just mist it and put the lid back on.
I put on the metal lid. It's not screwed tight, just enough for the threads to catch, so that should allow some air flow. You can take the lid off once a week or so to let in fresh air.
I placed the finished terrarium in a part of the fairy window that shouldn't get direct sunlight.
The really cool thing about this kind of found terrarium is that you can make it on a whim with no risk. If it doesn't work out, you'll learn something about maintaining a model ecosystem, and you can return the remains to the yard before washing or discarding the jar. But usually if you stick to things like moss and lichens, they can take care of themselves pretty well and last a surprisingly long time. Some folks like to seal a jar completely and see what happens. If you get the balance just right, it can actually work that way too. It's just easier with a little air flow and occasional input like misting or adding a bit of new leaf litter. If you want a bigger native terrarium, here's a good tutorial video.
EDIT 3/8/25 --scrubjayspeaks has made a pair of small-jar terraria. :D
I recently bought a big jar to make a terrarium. Spotting the twigs and spice jar reminded me of making terrariums out of random containers when I was little, usually using all found materials rather than purchased ones. Everything but the jar came from my yard. Total cost: $0. Technically the jar of pumpkin spice was $4.75 but since I bought it for the spice instead of the jar, that doesn't count. I didn't buy anything just for this project. You can do the same thing with a bigger jar if you like. Juice jars are often lovely, with a slightly wider mouth and sometimes decorative designs near the top.
I used an empty jar of pumpkin pie spice and its two lids to make a tiny terrarium for several lichen-covered twigs. A full jar is also shown, with a ruler for size comparison. This brand is actually quite roomy for a standard size range spice jar.
The ruler shows how tall the jars are.
The ruler shows how wide the lids are. It's nice to have a perforated lid and a solid lid that go together on the same jar, which makes it easier to control humidity and air flow.
This is my gathering tray, with a ruler on the long side. It came with a package of curry, but I don't use the trays for heating that. They have lots of other uses, because they're a couple inches deep, a good size, and have a waterproof coating on the inside.
This shows the short side of the gathering tray. This size works great for collecting items to go in a small to medium terrarium. Much bigger, though, and you might want separate containers to hold different types of item.
This is a wide view of the full gathering tray. From left to right it holds twigs covered in lichens, moss, a wet sycamore leaf, and a bit of gravel. You can use pretty much any natural item that you like and will fit in your jar. Permaculture says "Obtain a yield" -- when you're making a found terrarium, almost anything can be a yield. Terrarium building, like permaculture, is all about the art of seeing possibilities in the most prosaic things. I usually avoid materials like walnut which discourage other plants from growing, unless I'm doing a terrarium of walnut-tolerant plants collected under a tree. You can also do science experiments on "Will juglone kill this?" in small jars. I saw a lot of mossy walnuts. But the twigs and bark I picked up probably came from the mulberry tree.
Here is a closeup of the twigs and moss. The larger piece of moss is growing on bark, but I wound up not having room for that one. The nice thing about making a terrarium with found objects is that once you finish, you can toss any leftover materials back in the yard with no problem.
Here is a closeup of the leaf and gravel.
In this layout, you can see the comparative sizes of the lichen-covered twigs and the empty spice jar. It's good to choose items of different shapes and sizes.
I put the gravel in the jar, then I placed the jar on the sycamore leaf. Conveniently, this type of leaf has some squarish corners that nicely fit the shape of this jar. It's important that the leaf is wet -- it's raining today -- so that it's soft and flexible.
I tore the leaf around the edge of the jar to make a dividing layer. This will keep most of the leaf litter and soil from getting down into the drainage layer of gravel.
Leaf litter collects on the patio. Periodically I collect it for use on flowerbeds or mulch around trees such as oaks that like a leaf blanket. It's a much darker and cooler chocolate brown, but the flash makes it look lighter and warmer.
I'm actually after this underlayer that has basically broken down to soil, which is nearly black in natural light.
Those little bumps at the edge of the patio are worm hills, where the worms push up their castings around the edge of their holes. This is good rich stuff. Also, you can see that my yard has lots of earthworms. I rarely use agrochemicals, so it's very worm-friendly here.
I used a trowel to scoop up a little bit of leaf litter, then grabbed a random stick to tamp it down. Next I dug up one worm hill, added that, and tamped it down too. Here is a top view of the jar with leaf litter and worm castings inside, showing the texture.
A side view shows the layers.
Here is the random stick that I used to tamp down the layers. This would've been easier if I'd had some terrarium building tools, like long tongs and a tamper. I might buy some later. But you don't have to spend money on special tools. Fingers and found objects work with a little finagling.
I put in the small piece of moss to cover the soil. Then I added the first few lichen-covered twigs. They look a lot like logs on a forest floor.
Next I added more twigs. I had to shorten the longest one so it would fit inside the jar. I did a tolerably good job keeping crud off the sides of the glass. You can use a funnel or a rolled cone of paper to minimize smudges, or just clean the glass with a swab after filling the jar.
I put on the plastic lid. This snaps securely in place. It offers a way to moderate the air flow, between no lid or the metal lid. This kind of terrarium can be pretty much self-maintaining. If it gets too foggy, you can take the lid off and set it in the sun for a little while to evaporate some of the water. If it starts drying out, just mist it and put the lid back on.
I put on the metal lid. It's not screwed tight, just enough for the threads to catch, so that should allow some air flow. You can take the lid off once a week or so to let in fresh air.
I placed the finished terrarium in a part of the fairy window that shouldn't get direct sunlight.
The really cool thing about this kind of found terrarium is that you can make it on a whim with no risk. If it doesn't work out, you'll learn something about maintaining a model ecosystem, and you can return the remains to the yard before washing or discarding the jar. But usually if you stick to things like moss and lichens, they can take care of themselves pretty well and last a surprisingly long time. Some folks like to seal a jar completely and see what happens. If you get the balance just right, it can actually work that way too. It's just easier with a little air flow and occasional input like misting or adding a bit of new leaf litter. If you want a bigger native terrarium, here's a good tutorial video.
EDIT 3/8/25 --
scrubjayspeaks has made a pair of small-jar terraria. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-06 10:02 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2025-03-06 10:39 am (UTC)A spice jar makes a great small terrarium for things like moss and lichens. The kitchen offers many more options such as wide-mouthed jars for spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, fruit juice, and so on. Also consider clear glass cookie jars or flour jars. If you have one with a worn-out gasket, peel that off and you should have a perfect terrarium lid -- usually you don't want an airtight seal, and wider is better. It's just easier to work with if you can get your fingers in a shallow jar or your hand in a deeper one.
When gathering materials, aim for minimal disruption and pick up only a little bit of anything, and only common things. I have moss and lichens all over my yard. Sidewalks and parking lots often have bits of moss. Trees will drop twigs that may have lichens or moss on them. Branches that stay on the ground usually start to grow moss. Shed bark is great. Thick seedpods can add visual interest and places for soil creatures to hide. If you gather rocks from anywhere that might have road salt or chemicals, wash them thoroughly before use.
It's fun just to go on a little treasure hunt. If you're out walking, a tray is less convenient. Take a few baggies, empty pill bottles or film cannisters, a small tupper, maybe a spoon and tiny snippers.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2025-03-06 11:05 am (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2025-03-06 11:31 am (UTC)In challenging situations, there's another trick that can be very useful. You don't necessarily need to find whole plants to bring home. Just look for places where soil and water have collected, like a mud puddle, and gather a little earth from there. Look for corners where leaves collect and break down into flakes; scoop up a bit of that. Check the bases of buildings or around steps for a bit of green; that's a good place to find moss or liverwort if you can't find them on trees. If they're growing on concrete, though, they'll want a rock to sprout on rather than soil.
Put your mishmash in a good-sized jar and water it until moist but not dripping. You can landscape with a rock or twig, but leave plenty of soil exposed. Set the jar in a window with good indirect lighting, such as north. Then wait. Light, heat, and moisture will cause seeds and spores to sprout. Eventually it'll green up, and you'll get to see what you caught.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-06 05:45 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2025-03-07 07:30 am (UTC)I'm glad you liked it.
>> I've been wanting to do little terrariums but never thought about using spice jars as the vessel.<<
Spice jars and condiment jars are things that most people have available for free. :D Give it a try, it's fun.
>> The pictures are super helpful too! <3
Yay!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-07 12:53 am (UTC)Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend! Thank you for the step-by-step and, as you so often do, making projects seem accessible instead of overwhelming.
Go for it!
Date: 2025-03-07 01:48 am (UTC)The smallest I've seen is a fingertip-sized pendant, which is smaller than I'd want to go. But at hand size, you can fit in a few interesting things and there lots of options such as spice jars and empty perfume bottles.
>> I've wanted to try making one, but size constraints and intimidation stopped me. I have tons of spare spice jars floating around, though, and definitely enough room for one in a suitable spot. It *is* moss season here, too... <<
You should totally give it a try. It's fun, doesn't cost anything, and not very hard to get right.
I agree, late winter to early spring is the best time to go moss-hunting. Lichens also show off in cool damp weather.
>> Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend! <<
Yay! I hope you have fun with it.
>> Thank you for the step-by-step and, <<
*bow, flourish* Happy to be of assistance.
>> as you so often do, making projects seem accessible instead of overwhelming. <<
I actually learned much of my teaching style from Bob Ross. This is not hard. It doesn't have to be expensive. You don't need to use fancy tools if you don't want to. You can make something fun in an hour. This is your world, so you can do anything that you want to do.
Re: Go for it!
Date: 2025-03-08 09:34 pm (UTC)I made two jars today, and I posted photos of the process, if you'd like to see. :D
Re: Go for it!
Date: 2025-03-09 11:18 am (UTC)Sooth. I didn't even realize how much I'd picked up from him until someone asked for a poem about him. I looked up some references and that reminded me of it, so I could see how much matched up.
>> I made two jars today, and I posted photos of the process, if you'd like to see. :D
Yay! I'm delighted that you made some too. :D