Upcycle Wine Bottles to Terrarium Wonderlands

Wine-Bottle-Terrarium-Photo Do you love eco-friendly crafts?  How about succulent plants?  Combine the two by creating your own whimsical land of tiny garden fairies, mushrooms, moss and more with this DIY terrarium wine bottle world.  This project is simple is completed using artificial moss and succulents for those of us with less than a green thumb.  What great gifts, home décor and centerpieces for your woodland themed birthday party these would make!

SUPPLIES:

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 1

 

 -Cut wine bottles with varying heights (See How to Cut Wine Bottles)

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 2

-Artificial Moss

-Various artificial succulents

-Hot glue gun and sticks

-mini mushrooms, fairies and gnomes (found in most hobby stores for doll houses and miniature trains)

-Glass knobs or big glass prism or crystal beads

-E6000

-Latex or nylon gloves are optional

-Various round objects for the base of your wine bottle cloches; jar lids, candle lids, etc.

 TUTORIAL:

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 4

 Clean the surface of your cloche base and begin hot gluing your moss and filler.

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 3

 Build with layers, adding miniatures and succulents.

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 5

  When you are satisfied with your scene, place your cut wine bottle cloche top over the tiny world you created.  You can glue this if you would like.  I left mine removable so I could change things later.

 Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 6

To add a special touch, use E6000 to glue a knob or glass bead to the top.

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 10

EXTRA TIPS

○ Cut the metal threading  off of antique flea market drawer pull using bolt cutters, for a flat surface you can glue onto the top of your cloche.

Wine Bottle Terrarium Photo 8

If you like this post, you don’t want to miss:

50+ Wine Bottle Crafts to Make 

50+DIY  Terrarium Projects to Make

Make a DIY Terrarium Necklace

[pinit]DIY Terrarium Necklace Tutorial using Tim Holtz Corked Cloche @savedbyloves[pinit]

This tiny little treasure is easy to make and takes just minutes.  I found a new to me product from Tim Holtz called Corked Domes and knew immediately that I would be making a terrarium pendant with them.  There is glass drilling required, but do not fear.  You can do it, no problem.  I will help you and you will be a pro in no time.  I am warning you now that I used fake plants to make my terrarium.  You can use live plants.  It is way hipper if they are alive, but I have a tendency not to water things, so I went plastic.  If you are honest and you don’t have a PhD in succulentology, you’ve gotta give me that they look like the real deal.

SUPPLIES:

Rotary tool (I use Bead Landing Rotary Tool

Diamond Drill Bits

Tim Holtz Corked Domes

Small container of water and lint free towel

Hot glue/glue gun or Flora Bond if using live plants

Necklace Tutorial

Moss, small stones, mushrooms and whatever you want in your dome

Succulents (live or fake) – I got my fake succulents at Michael’s

20 Gauge copper wire or eye pin

Round Nose jewelry pliers

Flat nose jewelry pliers

Needle nose pliers

 Flush wire cutters

Chain or cord for hanging your pendant

DIY Terrarium Necklace

TUTORIAL:

First you need to drill a hole in the top of your dome for a place to insert wire for hanging the pendant.  Follow the detailed instructions I showed you in this tutorial:  Mason Jar Chimes Tutorial and Drilling in Glass.

NOTE:  These glass domes are very thin.  I tried drilling the hole using my dremel and shattered the first dome I attempted.  I like the rotary tool used in the tutorial linked above because it is way fewer RPMs than my dremel and it has adjustable speed.  Many people swear by their Dremels for drilling glass.  I find my rotary tool way easier and I have success 99% of the time with it.

Make a pendant bail

Either use an eye pin (pictured) or cut a lenght of wire about 4 inches and create a loop in one end with your round nose pliers.

How to Wire Wrap

Insert wire through Dome hole so that loop is on inside, then use flat nose pliers to bend wire to 90° about 1/8-1/4 inch above where it exits the top of the dome.

Jewelry Making Tutorial Terrarium Necklace

Use round nose pliers to grab the a few mm past the bend.  With your free hand, grab the wire end and wrap wire around the pliers to form a loop.  (That gunk on the round nose pliers is Tool Magic – it coats your jewelry making tools so they don’t leave scratches and dents in soft wire).

Handmade Jewelry Tutorial Saved By Love Creations

Wrap the remaining wire starting at the base of the loop down to the top of the dome.  Trim off excess wire with flush cutters and tuck in the end with needle nose pliers.  Now you have your wire bail for hanging your pendant!

Necklace Tutorial

Lay out your goodies and start gluing things into place on the cork.  Flora Bond works with live plants and won’t kill them!  I used hot glue since mine are artificial.

How to make your own jewelry

Once you have everything in place, add the dome and string your chain.  You are now super cool…

How to make a Terrarium Necklace

These would be cute as keychains too.  If you go crazy and your junk won’t fit in the dome, just tear some off and patch up any glue spots showing with moss.  Play around until you are satisfied with how it looks.

Remember last year when I showed you how to make bigger terrariums?

How about our 50+ DIY Terrariums and Creative Planters?

Make a Live Succulent Wreath

[pinit]
How to make a living succulent wreath via Garden Therapy, featured @savedbyloves[pinit]

Are you in love with the look of succulents?  Terrariums and other decor using these hardy plants are crazy popular right now, and I can see why.  They are so easy to care for, and are a great way to add a splash of green to any room.  Learn how to make this gorgeous live succulent wreath with a detailed step by step tutorial at Garden Therapy.

You may want to visit our terrarium tutorial while you are at it:

And of course, there is a 50+ for that!  TERRARIUMS AND CREATIVE PLANTERS

Make Terrariums Galore in Under 1 Hour

Terrariums3

How to Make a terrarium, DIY @savedbyloves

How to Make a terrarium, DIY @savedbyloves

Today I am excited to share my first terrarium project (aside from the pendant I made in Cynthia’s class that I told you about yesterday’s 50+ Terrarium Projects to Make).  Since I have a habit of hoarding random glass containers from my junkin adventures, I had just the collection to whip up 5 different succulent planters.  The project was done in under 1 hour, and cost about $20 total!  I am giving some as gifts, and adding some to my own display in progress.

How to Make a terrarium, DIY @savedbyloves

On this $1 glass bowl from the dollar store, I etched “GROW” using Martha Stewart’s Glass etching cream that I showed you in this doily etched wine bottle post from Monday.  Perfect for a terrarium!

DIY Terrarium Supplies

SUPPLIES

Various succulents from your local nursery – I even found some at Walmart

Succulent Soil

Activated Charcoal

Little Rocks

Moss

Thrifted glass containers, jars, etc

How to make a terrarium

TUTORIAL

Terrariums9

Put some small rocks at the bottom.  These drain the water from the soil.

If you are working in a closed container, you want to put a layer of charcoal next.  This prevents mold from forming in the closed vessel.  If you are working in an open container, this is not necessary.

Next put a layer of moss (I found the bright purple, green and white in a variety pack at Michaels).

Put an inch or 2 of soil next, then stick in succulent cuttings as you like.  You can cover the soil with moss, pebbles or other embellishments as desired.

How to Make a terrarium, DIY @savedbyloves

Your succulent will take root if all goes as planned.  As Cynthia Bee pointed out, if it dies, just start over.  You are out just 1-2 bucks.  Watering frequency will depend on your local environment.  It is better to underwater than to over water, as the latter leads to root rot.  Spritz with water once a week or so, and place in indirect sunlight.  Too much direct sun will burn your plant!

How to Make a terrarium, DIY @savedbyloves

 Easy DIY Terrariums

Over 50 Succulents, Terrariums and Creative Planters

Over 50 Terrarium Succulent and Creative Planter Projects to make @savedbyloves
I went to SNAP, a creative blogging conference in Utah, where I took a super fun class on succulents and terrariums taught by Cynthia Bee.  Terrariums have been all the rage in the design world for a few years now, and it is no surprise.  They are lovely, hardy and versatile, and can be planted in just about anything!

In the class I took, Cynthia taught us to make lovely live succulent terrarium necklaces.  She posted a great tutorial here:

How to make a living terrarium necklace

Living Arrangements: Terrarium Necklace Tutorial

I am in the process of making a Mother’s Day terrarium gift, and created a round-up of some of my favorite projects I found during my research.  You will find succulents, terrariums and creative planters of all kinds.  Enjoy!

 



What are your favorite terrarium projects?

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