Gift-giving season will be upon is sooner than we think! The holidays are coming up fast, so now is the perfect time to get started on buying (or making!) gifts.

In the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing a few easy homemade gift ideas with you so can save some money AND give presents from the heart. Much of the time, it’s far less expensive to give a homemade gift than it is a store-bought one. Plus, now is the perfect time to DIY gifts at home without rushing. With the weather getting so much colder, it’s time to get cozy and get your craft on!

A terrarium is one of those gifts you can give to just about anybody! Who wouldn’t appreciate a green gift? We all see much less greenery around wintertime, so brighten up someone’s day by gifting them plants they can easily keep in their home and look at every day.

Handpick the succulents and cacti to go into the container to personalize the planter for the recipient. Vary the size of each plant and the variety. While I only used succulents and cacti, you can also use other houseplants and even use moss.

One of the best parts about these terrariums is that you can use old glass jars or bottles, potting soil you may have left over from spring, and succulents/cacti you may already have in your garden. I have a TON of succulents everywhere, so I can easily use some of those for these terrariums.

Note: Avoid sharp cacti for those who may have kids in the house, or if you are gifting this to a child. These terrariums are so easy to take care of,  kids can totally do it. Care instructions are at the end of the post.

DIY Succulent & Cactus Terrariums

Supplies:

• Glass jars or fish bowls. The containers should be fully enclosed or only have a small opening.
• Gravel
• Succulents and cacti in various sizes
• Potting Soil
• Optional: figurines like plastic dinosaurs as decorations

The fish bowls are from the craft store, the white gravel is from the pet store, and the plants + potting soil are from my local home improvement store.

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of each container with some gravel. For small bowls, an inch or two inches is fine, and for larger bowls, you can do 3-4 inches. 

2. Fill each container with some potting soil. Fill the container with soil until you have about a half inch left at the top. Pat down the soil a little. 3. Then, dig a hole big enough for the first plant to go in. Add in the plant, and push the soil that came with the plant into the potting soil. Use some water to easily add the plant. Continue adding as many plants as you want.

Remember to vary the types of plants and sizes in each container to create some interest.

4. Add more potting soil if you’d like to the top of each container to fill it up.

And that’s it! You now have a fun terrarium to gift.

Keep in mind that cacti and succulents don’t require much water at all. Realistically, you can get away with watering these terrariums every few weeks. Spritz the soil with water when dry.

Print out these terrarium care instructions on cardstock or other pretty paper to gift along with the terrarium so the recipient will know exactly how to take care of these cute plants!