Grace + Trevor's Baby Shower Part 4: DIY Mini Jungle Terrarium

For the centerpieces for G+T's baby shower, I thought it'd be fun to create some mini terrariums that resembled jungle scenes. These were a huge hit at the party, and several of the guests took them home with them! From what I hear, they're still thriving.

Materials: tiny twigs, dirt, small pebbles, moss, small plants, plastic animals, chopsticks, screwdriver, clear jar

I went to a nearby park and collected some small pebbles, dirt, and moss for the terrariums (is this allowed? Dean was my lookout....). The jungle animals I found in the favor section at Party City. You'll need the chopsticks for placing the animals and positioning the plants and moss. If you don't know how to use chopsticks...I'm sorry. Maybe tweezers? It's hard because when the jar is tall and the opening is narrow, you can't reach in with your hands and fingers at all. The screwdriver's great for packing down the dirt and making sure things stay in place.

Step 1: Start with a layer of small pebbles in the bottom of your jar. This helps the water drain.

Step 2: Add in the dirt. Pack it in with the handle of the screwdriver. You can create little hills and valleys for added interest.

Step 3: "Plant" your small plants into the dirt and lay your moss over the dirt and around the plants.

Step 4: Add in any extra decorative elements, like small twigs, larger "boulders" and animals. Mist your terrarium with a little water and then cover it up with a lid. The water inside the terrarium should recycle itself, and you shouldn't have to water it very often, if at all. Make sure the terrarium gets lots of sunlight!

Oh, and I spraypainted all the jar lids with some chalkboard paint, and Nancy helped me decorate them with colored chalk. :)