Easy to make and easy to care for, this lamp terrarium will add a touch of feel-good green to a dark corner of your room. You can transform an old Mason jar and lamp shade into a unique design without spending a fortune. Don’t forget to share your upcycled results on our Instagram or Facebook page.
What you need
• Bucket
• Jeyes Fluid (£9/1L, wilko.com)
• Sponge, cloth or stiff brush
• 1 gallon Mason jar
• Terrarium kit (£15.97, amazon.co.uk)
• Terrarium plants (from £5.99/6cm pot, waitrosegarden.com)
• Garden gloves
• Drill
• Lamp wiring kit for glass jar (KIT29, £17.99, lampspares.co.uk)
• Lampshade in a colour of your choice
How to do it
- To clean your Mason jar – using a measuring jug, pour 5L of water and 250ml of Jeyes Fluid into a bucket.
- Wear some rubber gloves for protection. Dip a cloth, sponge or stiff brush inside the solution and use it on the inside and outside of the Mason jar. Then rinse the jar and allow it to completely dry.
- Use the terrarium kit to fill your jar. Start with small stones and pebbles for the base for drainage.
- Grab a small handful of moss and place it on top of the pebbles.
- Layer 3-4 spoonfuls of soil on top of the moss to give your plants a base to put their roots into.
- Create a shallow hole in the soil where you will place your first plant.
- Place your plant in the hole and cover the exposed roots with soil. Repeat for the other plants.
- Add some pebbles to cover the soil, and then anything else you want in order to personalise your terrarium. Spritz your creation with enough water to moisten all the compost (it will turn a darker brown) using a hand mister.
- Drill a hole in the centre of the metal lid of the Mason jar ready to attach the lampshade.
- Follow the instructions that accompany the lamp kit to construct it. Ensure you do not have the kit plugged in when doing this step and keep away from water.
- Add the bulb and a lampshade of your choice.
Keep your terrarium looking tip-top
Position in a spot that gets good overall light, but not direct sunlight, in a reasonably warm room. As your terrarium is sealed, you won’t need to water it often. Just keep an eye on the compost and if it turns light brown, mist it again, waiting until the sides of the jar are dry before reattaching the lamp.
What to read next
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