Light Bulb Terrarium: Tutorial

I am a big fan of antique stores, with their funky collections of rusted metal, chipped paint, and splintered wood. Even more appealing to me is an antique store with a coffee shop and plant nursery. I stroll through the aisles, absorbing the character of each item, finding inspiration for my next DIY project.

As I meandered through one of these shops recently, I spied miniature terrarium ornaments hanging in the sunlight streaming through large windows. I resisted the temptation to buy one since they each cost $65. Instead, I decided to make one of my own using some recycled light bulbs that were waiting to be incorporated into an art project.

Here is the tutorial on how to make a light bulb terrarium:

Materials Needed:

Recycled light bulb
Charcoal
Your choice of soil or substrate, i.e. Akadama
Small rounded rocks, cleaned beforehand
Sphagnum moss
A variety of small-sized moss
Figurine, twigs, or other ornaments, optional
Needle-nose pliers
Long tweezers
Screwdriver
Scissors
Recycled bottle cap

Directions:
1. Hollow out your light bulb.
2. Place a layer of rocks inside your hollowed light bulb. Fill it approximately 1/3 full with your layer of rocks.
3. Add a barrier layer of sphagnum moss, a layer of activated charcoal and a layer of substrate. Moss requires only a fine layer of substrate.
4. Trim your moss to give it a nice shape, and gently remove soil if you plan on using a substrate.
5. Very gently settle your moss into the substrate and decorate the interior of the terrarium with figurines, twigs or other ornamental additions.
6. Place your terrarium on the bottle cap.