When I was trying to decide what to do with my lantern for this month’s lantern challenge, I thought the lantern would make a perfect terrarium, and I think I was right. I love the way my lantern terrariums turned out, and they were really simple to put together. Today, I’ll show you how to make a terrarium lantern – let’s get started!
How to Make a Terrarium Lantern Supplies:
- Darice Candle Lanterns (I used a 7″ x 7″ x 18″ and a 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ x 12″)
- Darice Faux Succulent Plants
- Gold Spray Paint
- Small River Rocks
- Darice Spanish Moss
- Wire Cutters (optional, but probably useful)
Originally, I was planning on using live succulents, but when I found out Darice makes these gorgeous faux plants, I knew they would be perfect. They look great, and are much, much harder to kill, which is perfect for those of us lacking a green thumb.
How to make a terrarium lantern:
Step One. Carefully remove the glass from the sides of the lantern by lifting the tab from the top and slowly sliding the piece out. Be very careful!
Step Two. Give the lantern a couple light coats of spray paint until it is all nice and shiny. Then, very carefully replace the glass sides, and push the tabs back down.
Step Three. Add a layer of spanish moss to cover the bottom of your lantern.
Step Four. Add succulents! I found it was easier to work with the succulents if I first removed the tube around the stem wire. Bend the wire to change the height of your plants and to help them hold their positions.
Be sure to balance a mix of succulent shape, colors, and heights.
Step Four. Add river rocks around the plants. They can help to position the succulents and hide wires.
And that’s it! Enjoy your beautiful lantern terrariums, and don’t worry about watering them!
I hope you liked this how to make a terrarium tutorial and will try it for yourself!
Alexis Middleton is a lifelong crafter/DIYer and blogger at Persia Lou. She started crafting at a young age. As a girl, she spent summers with her grandmother crocheting baby doll afghans, making coasters out of plastic canvas and yarn, and canning apricot jam. Today, Alexis spends a lot of time dreaming up and working on projects for her family’s home. She loves mixing traditional crafting techniques with a more modern aesthetic.
Really clever idea! I love it!