This October I decided to do all of the spooky things possible to celebrate Halloween (along with my 31 Days of Horror Movies Challenge and several Halloween parties I attend) and so my friend Jessica and I decided to create our very own horror themed terrariums.
Terrariums have had such a boost in popularity in recent years and it’s not hard to see why. Some are their own ecosystems and they are a beautiful way to bring a touch of greenery, whimsy and even comedy into your home. They are an easy and fun crafting project to do and the possibilities are endless! Looking online I found so many great ideas for a spooky, Halloween or horror themed terrarium build (and you can even buy a kit of your own if you would prefer it to come with everything you need) and so I decided to make myself a haunted forest themed terrarium complete with tombstones and human remains.
What you need:
- Figurines (I bought mine from a Dollar Store and got some from Warhammer hobby shops)
- Small plants you would like to put in the terrariums (we went to a local market and picked out little spooky ones such as one that looked like it was covered in cobwebs)
- Dirt, rocks, charcoal and a netting to line the base of the terrarium
- A glass jar, bowl, or vase in which to create your terrarium
What you need to do:
1. Set up your work station and get prepped. Clean your jar and set out all of the items you wish to use.
2. In the very bottom of the jar you are using for the terrarium, place a layer of rocks to cover the whole bottom. This will act as the drainage for the terrarium.
3. Next, place some charcoal over the top of the rocks – just a small layer will do.
4. Cut a piece of netting to size of the jar and place over the charcoal and the rocks you have lined the jar with. Netting that you would use if you were fixing a fly screen would be perfect and is available very cheaply at most hardware stores.
5. Next, cover the netting, rocks and charcoal with potting mix. Use only enough to cover – more can go in later.
6. Then repot and position your little plants in the jar, making sure the roots are buried in the dirt. You can add spagnum moss over the top if you would like, but we chose not to in the end as the colour didn’t match the haunted forest style theme we were going for,
7. Decorate to your hearts content! Add in little figurines or decorations that you would like and fiddle around with the placements. When you’re done, add some more dirt to any areas that might need a bit of bulking up.
8. Give your little terrariums a good spritzing with a water bottle and then display!
Courtney Hope | Author 