DIY: Crystal and Succulent Terrarium

      

      It's no secret that I love gardening and spending time outdoors, however I also love to bring nature into my home decor! My dining table is wedged under a staircase (how very Harry Potter) and I always struggled with what to have as a centerpiece. After spending time in Gram's garden I was inspired by her long term friendship with succulents (some plants she has been growing for over 10 years!) and decided to build my own terrarium to feature on my empty dining table. I found the glassware that I used at the Goodwill and nestled my collection of crystals between small succulent plants to showcase a bit of nature in my cozy home! Here is an outline of how you can create one on your own with this simple and elegant "do it yourself" project:  

Supplies:
-Glass terrarium 
-Variety of succulents
-Seashells (marbles would be a great alternative)
-Crystal clusters or rocks

Getting Started:
1: Filled the base of your terrarium with seashells (I collected mine from various beaches over the years) or use marbles as another option.

2: Next, layer small succulents into your terrarium. These plants are easily found at most any garden supply store or nursery.

3: Finally, place and arrange crystals or local rocks into the top layer surrounding the plants.

I used natural amethyst, citrine, and quartz crystals for my terrarium
 but feel free to experiment with your own combinations!

Succulents do not need very much watering which makes them perfect for inside the home, less maintenance!

For an extra touch, I picked up this diptyque candle as a souvenir
last time I was in San Francisco and it's lovely fragrance
really makes my home smell like a fresh garden!

      Now my dining table feels like a natural, calm, and inspiring place to savor a delicious meal (maybe I'll make this recipe). I was really lucky to find the glassware that I used in perfect condition at a second hand shop and I am already hoping to stumble upon more to create other nature shrines thru the rest of my home! Do you think you might try building your own terrarium?

Yours,
Nico

PS: You can get a better idea of my dining area from this post on how to construct your own birdcage chandelier!

*Supplies for this post were from:
Goodwill, Santa Cruz (glassware)                                                             
Probuild, Santa Cruz (succulents)
Gemshow, Capitola (crystals)
Mountain Spirit, Felton (crystals)