When we moved into The Empty Nest Garden house, a rather large light fixture was in the hallway. Every piece of furniture we moved in had to dodge this light. Halfway through the move, I heard my husband give our son’s best friend permission “to just smash it, go ahead, do it”! I didn’t care for the light fixture, but it was such a unique shape that I knew I could do something with it! Plus, covid had just begun, so… I was desperate for projects. Then, an idea – I could upcycle the light fixture into a terrarium!
How do bottle terrariums work?
Basically, a closed (or bottle) terrarium is a garden in a sealed container. It works like a mini ecosystem mimicking the earth. Just like your sixth-grade teacher taught you about the greenhouse effect. Except in a closed terrarium, the glass is the atmosphere. The plants photosynthesize and respire water vapor which condensates against the glass and flows back into the soil – essentially recycling water.
A closed terrarium ecosystem must replicate various natural processes allowing it to feed (with dead plants), clean (charcoal and pebbles), and restore (grow more plants) itself. A self-sustaining terrarium is essentially a finely balanced plant ecosystem sealed within a closed container.
Turning the light fixture into a terrarium
Because our terrarium vessel was a light fixture, I needed to create something to stabilize it, a stand or feet. I had wine corks on hand, so I cut two in half, using three as feet. If you also choose to use corks, boil them to make them pliable and get a nice clean cut. Using e6000 glue will ensure a clean, transparent, secure, and permanent attachment point.
How to upcycle light fixture into a terrarium
- Step 1: Start by adding 2” layer of small, rinsed stones or pebbles to your terrarium container.
- Step 2: Add a very layer of horticultural activated charcoal.
- Step 3: Add a layer of dampTerrarium Soil.
- Step 4: Finally, add your terrarium plants.
- Step 5: Add some water – but do not soak.
- Step 6: Seal the container.
Recipe
I’d love to be able to give you a recipe, but containers come in various sizes, so the definitive amounts wouldn’t work for every container. I will tell you that my container is 12” tall and 12” wide (at the widest point). I would estimate it to hold three gallons of water if it were empty. With this in mind, I have 2” of pebbles, 1” of activated charcoal, and 2” of terrarium soil. These three materials fill 1/3 of the container. *Note my container is more like a ball than anything else, so the quantities don’t look right in the photos.
Plants
I added several different kinds of plants to my terrarium; some died, and some flourished.
Project Materials
- Container similar to mine – if you don’t have a container, carboys are very popular
- Wine corks
- stones or pebbles
- Cork lid
- Terrarium Soil
- Horticultural charcoal
- Terrarium plants
- e6000 glue
Tips and Tricks
- Keep in bright indirect sunlight (NOT in a window). Terrariums are great for the middle of a bright room.
- Water once and place the airtight lid in place – no need to water again. The system works if condensation collects inside the container on a sunny day.
- Keep away from heat sources.
- Choose the correct plants.
- To dissipate chlorine in tap water, let it sit 24 hours before watering for the first time.
- Rotate your terrarium every once in a while.
- Succulents and air plants will not survive in a closed terrarium.
In theory, a perfectly balanced closed terrarium, under the right conditions, should continue to thrive indefinitely. In fact, the longest-living sealed terrarium, built by David Latimer, has lasted on its own for over 53 years.
*Updated March 24, 2023: My upcycled light fixture into a terrarium has been going strong for three years! After three years, I’ve noticed that the ferns were the strongest and have taken over.
~ Lola
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments!”
Do you have a terrarium? Did you inherit it, make it, or purchase it? If you’d like to give it a try, see the materials below! Have fun, and let me know how it goes!
Materials to make a terrarium yourself!
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Gardens we’ve built
Why I Garden; if you grow it, they will eat it
Community Oasis Garden; exploring the passion
The Gardening Passion Expands; the garden that created a bidding war
Quick Turn Garden; two years and counting
The Empty Nest Garden; totally out of control
Coops we’ve built
How NOT to Build a Chicken Coop
The Bored Engineer’s Coop
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