Lantern Terrarium Tutorial

Last month, Darice gave all of their bloggers the challenge to make something with one of their lanterns. I love a little bit of a challenge and tried to come up with something a little different. I liked the clean lines and simple shape of this lantern and had the thought that it would make a very pretty terrarium. The problem is that I am not the best at keeping plants alive - even hearty plants like succulents - but when I saw some of the beautiful faux succulents that are out there I was sold. I really, really like the way my lantern terrariums came out, and the best part is that I don't have to worry about my plants dying! Want to make one for yourself? Let's do this! Start off by collecting your materials.

To prep the lantern for spray paint, you need to carefully remove the glass from the sides of the lantern by lifting the tab from the top and slowly sliding the piece out. Do you see the emphasis on slowly and carefully there? I've had a few bad run-ins with glass, so I can tell you from experience - be very careful!

2.Move the party outside and give your lantern a couple light coats of spray paint until it is all nice and shiny. Then, again, very, VERY carefully replace the glass sides, and push the tabs back down.

3.Add a layer of spanish moss to cover the bottom of your lantern.

4.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, or you can use those wire cutters to trim off any excess wire.

5.When you are arranging your plants, be sure to balance a mix of shapes, colors, and heights. One tall plant in the back helps to fill up the lantern space.

6.Add river rocks around the plants. They can help to position the succulents and hide wires.

7.And that’s it! Enjoy your beautiful lantern terrariums, and don’t worry about watering them!