It has been several months since I propagated one of my succulents and they grew very well and turned out wonderful. I have already given away more than half of the babies to my mom and grandma and today I am going to plant some more of them into a couple of small succulent terrariums.
I’m going to be giving these to my sister in law for her birthday. She has a toddler, a baby learning to walk, two large dogs, and a cat, so I made sure to find hanging terrariums to keep them safe.
I found this cute set on Amazon that looks perfect for this present. I like that they can either be hung from the ceiling or can sit flat on a surface. The fact that they come as a pair and have a nice shape to them appealed to me as well.
They are pretty small, but so are the succulents that I’m putting in them. For size reference, Obie, who was eagerly waiting to help me do some planting, is a large cat, around 15 pounds.
If you’re wondering what kind of terrarium you should use for different kinds of plants, check our terrarium guide for everything you need to know.
I also got this fun Terrarium Starter Kit to help with the setup. My sister-in-law’s toddler loves dinosaurs, so I love that this kit comes with miniature dinosaurs to put in the terrariums. These will be so cute in there.
What Do You Need to Make Mini Succulent Terrariums?
The basic setup for a miniature succulent terrarium is a base layer of vermiculite or pebbles, followed by a soil mix appropriate for succulents, and some moss and pebbles to add in around the succulents.
You can also add in some cute accessories like the dinosaurs that came with the kit I’m using, or various fairy garden accessories to make a tiny little succulent world.
The Base Layer
The first layer to go into the terrariums is either vermiculite or pebbles. These create room for the water to drain below the roots.
This is especially important for succulent terrariums because they do not have drainage holes in the bottom. You don’t want your succulent roots getting water logged. This can kill your succulents, after all, they are desert plants.
For more info, check out our guide to caring for succulents.
Since the opening of these terrariums is so close to the bottom, I had to tilt the terrariums back as I was adding my vermiculite and let the layer sit back at an angle.
The Soil
Once you have a layer of vermiculite or pebbles laid down, you can add your succulent soil mix. I used a tablespoon to add both the vermiculite and the soil, which helped keep things pretty neat and clean.
A good soil mix for succulents will be very well draining. A good formula for succulent potting mix is potting soil, plus turface, plus perlite or pumice. A mix of one part of each should make a good mix to work with.
The Plants
Now that you have your base layer and your soil in your planters, you can start planting your succulents. I took some bunches of baby succulents and gently placed them inside of each terrarium and made sure to cover the roots with the succulent soil.
Decorations
I put the mini dinosaurs in place, which I had to grab before my cat Obie took off with them. It was a little tricky getting them in there behind the plants, but I tried putting them in before and they just kept falling over.
It just worked better for me to slide them in behind the succulents after they were in place.
If the hole in your succulent terrarium is too small for you to get your fingers into, I would suggest trying out your chopstick skills. That was my backup plan if I couldn’t fit mine in with the plants or decorative accessories.
The succulent starter kit that I am using also comes with pebbles and moss, so I mixed in some of each to the terrariums to complete them. I poured the pebbles towards the back and added the moss to the side next to the succulents.
This adds color and textures to your terrarium and also helps regulate the moisture your plants retain. They do seem to help keep the soil from spilling out of the hole as well.
How Did They Turn Out?
My sister-in-law was excited to receive her little succulent terrariums and absolutely loved that there were tiny little dinosaurs in them. She decided to put them on shelves in her living room instead of hanging them from the ceiling, which turned out great.
If you ever need a great gift idea for a birthday or holiday, succulents and terrariums are a wonderful idea that most people will love.
Have you made your own succulent terrariums? How did they turn out? Let me know in the comments below.
What Else Can You Do?
With a larger terrarium or planter, you would have room for more plants, maybe even mixing in some non-succulents. If you are mixing other plants in the same planter as succulents, it’s important to use plants that have similar water and light needs.
You could also make a fun fairy garden with some extra accessories like in this video:
There’s no limit to the fun and cute worlds you can create with your succulent fairy gardens! Have fun and be creative and you’re sure to make something to be proud of.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have lots of baby succulents from a plant that you propagated or you have fully grown succulents that you want to re-pot, making a mini succulent terrarium can be a fun and creative way to pot your succulents. They also make a great gift to give to family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.
There is no end to the creations that you can make, whether you’re making a colorful arrangement of plants, or you’re creating a tiny world of fairies or dinosaurs.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.