Making beautiful terrariums is a perfect way to bring the outside indoors during the winter months.
Tools and Materials
Arrangement of succulents
Glass container with wide opening
Gravel
Cactus mix soil
Sand
Fertilizer
Straw
Accents or garden ornaments: cement mushrooms; iron birds and snails; large river rocks; and glass bugs and spiders
Succulents Used on the Show
-Aloe marlothii: thick leaves edged with brown teeth, 2- to 3-inch orange spike of flowers.
-Cotyledon orbiculata: 1- to 2-inch silvery circular leaves, red bell-shaped flowers.
-Crassula lycopodioides: 6-inch-tall spires, spreading lime-green.
-Echeveria species: 6-inch Rosettes of blue-grey leaves, tall hot pink and orange flower spike.
-Lewisia cotyledon 'Sunset Strain': 10-inch mixed colors, native to California.
-Orostachys iwarenge 'Chinese Dunce Cap': tiny rosettes form spires as they grow.
-Sedum spurium 'Voodoo': mahogany foliage, 6-inch rosy-red flower heads.
-Senecio mandraliscae: 2-inch-tall spiky blue foliage.
Succulents Terrariums How-To
1. Pick out succulents that you would like to use in your terrarium.
2. Select a glass container. Remember to choose a container with a wide opening to prevent accumulation of moisture.
3. Place a 2-inch layer of gravel on the bottom of container; this provides drainage.
4. Place a layer of cactus mix soil, a fast-draining soil that retains little moisture.
5. Remove plants from pots and place roots in soil.
6. Add layer of sand.
7. Using a straw, blow into vessel to create windswept bluffs.
8. Add accents or garden ornaments, such as cement mushrooms; iron birds and snails; large river rocks; and glass bugs and spiders.
Care Tips
1. Give the terrarium direct sunlight every day for at least five or six hours.
2. Water the terrarium every two weeks.
3. The water should freely drain to the bottom. After watering, there should not be more than an inch of water visible in the gravel at the bottom.
4. Fertilize only in the summer (May through September.)
5. Use half the fertilizer indicated in the box's instructions every other watering, which will be about once a month.
Resources
All plants used in this segment are from Annie's Annuals. Special thanks to Annie's Annuals for giving our studio audience a catalog, plus 20 percent off their next purchase. You can find gravel in an array of textures and hues in the fish tank department at pet stores.
Special thanks to Swallow for lending us the white glass spider created by Fig Studios, the glass bee created by Loy Allen, and the glass brown fawn created by Ria Charisse, which were used as accents inside the terrariums.

I just made a wonderful succulent terrarium! I bought my plants locally and from a mail order site, Simply Succulents. I also installed small rocks, a tiny wheel barrow and miniature terra cotta pots. I used a 14 inch terra cotta saucer as my base, and will move out plants as they outgrow it. Meanwhile, it's awesome! Thanks for the good directions.