Last-Minute Terrarium Gift Ideas

If you are still looking for a last-minute gift it is probably too late to make a full-blown living terrarium for someone.  You still have time to make a "terrarium" ornament!  Or, make a faux terrarium if you are willing to brave the craft store.  Hazel and Agnes prove that a non-living "terrarium" can be classy and not cheesy with the right approach.

Video Demonstration: Cutting a Bottle With Thread and Acetone

Everyone loves those upcycled cut-glass bottle terrariums and we've discussed how to cut bottles at home on the blog before.  The easiest method we seemed to find involved using lighter-fluid-soaked thread to burn around the circumference of a bottle and then plunge the bottle in cold water to snap off the edge.  Whoa!  Still sounded scary to me.

Lo and behold this awesome video, in which the crafty crafters use acetone (nail polish remover) to achieve the same effect.  Maybe this is silly but- as I handle acetone frequently it sounds less scary to me to try it this way.  You can bet I am trying this at home once I collect some nice bottles.  Bottoms up!

Can You Combat Terrarium Mold With Diluted Hydrogen Peroxide?

I'd like to say this is a Q & A feature but I only have the "question" part and I'm looking for your answers.  As you may or may not know, I strongly recommend washing moss before putting it in your terrarium.  It gets rid of foreign contaminants that may be in the soil or the moss and, in my experience, minimizes the chances of mold developing in the terrarium-ensconced moss.  When mold appeared - I would remove the affected moss/plants/soil and if it became rampant - I'd start the terrarium over again.

Recently someone suggested that diluted hydrogen peroxide can also be used to eliminate mold on soil. Has anyone tried this before?  Any tips or tricks for approaching mold removal with hydrogen peroxide?  Or any other solutions for removing mold?

Moss Monday: Hobbit Hole

Maddie Chambers/Brindley and her handmade Bag End dollhouse

I thoroughly enjoyed watching "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" over the weekend.  Yes, as many of the critical reviews note - it was silly at times but hey - so was the book, so it worked for me.  Of course the film was chock-full of awesome New Zealand moss and I was ready to share a still from the film for today's moss monday.

And then I happened upon the most wonderful handmade Bag End dollhouse ever.  I'm sharing one more photo below but if these look remotely interesting to you then check out Maddie Chambers/Brindley's blog madshobbithole and see her entire photo set.  The level of detail is astounding.  Faux terrarium it's not but it is full of fake moss and it is awesome.

Gift a DIY Terrarium Kit

If you don't have time to plant your terrarium gifts - why not package the supplies and gift it as a DIY craft?  Whit & Whistle has an adorable graphic to print and include in your terrarium vessel.