Instructions

1. The first thing you need for any fairy garden is… a fairy! I found this inquisitive little charmer at Joann’s, and together we immediately set to thinking on where she should live. We agreed that a large, spacious jar would fit the bill nicely!
2. I chose a large jar with a lid, which will allow me to have greater control over the interior climate of the terrarium.  (I got the one I used for this project at Joann’s, but any large-ish glass vessel will work fine.) I also picked up a few autumn decorations. I have to admit; I had a hard time not buying everything in the fairy garden aisle! But really, it's important not to overdo it, because it doesn't take much to fill the floor of a terrarium, and you don't want it to look cluttered. Also, you want to leave some room for things to grow.
3. The first thing you need to do is fill the bottom of your terrarium with 1"-2" of small pebbles. This will assist with drainage. (TIP: Reserve a small handful of pebbles for decorative landscaping as you finish your terrarium.) Mix some water with the potting soil in a large bowl first so that it is uniformly moist. I added a little sand to my potting soil to improve drainage too. On top of the pebbles, loosely pack 2-3 inched of potting soil in the terrarium.
4. Now is the time you want to consider how your terrarium will go together. My terrarium has only two live plants - one for ground cover, and one for height. I left room for a seasonal decoration in the back, as well as a few little touches in the front. Having ample space will make it easy to change out decorations as winter and the holiday season approaches.
5. Lastly, I added the decorative seasonal pieces. The berry stalk (from the floral department) was a great choice. It was very inexpensive, and with it, I created an autumn tree for the back of my terrarium, plus I used the small pieces that I trimmed off the top to make the little "flowers" in the front. This is also the time to place those pebbles that you held in reserve.
6. Oh - I almost forgot! If there is a seal on the lid or jar that you are using, remove it. This will reduce condensation and allow a little air to flow if you choose to keep the lid on your terrarium.
7. That's it. This is one of the easiest DIYs I've ever done.  In fact, it probably took you longer to read this post than it will to create your own fairy garden terrarium. Just be sure to check the soil regularly and water as needed, and you will have a lovely little garden full of life for years to come!