We have a love affair going on with air plants, and it’s not going away anytime soon! Interesting, trending and easy to care for, air plants are the perfect plant pet for anyone with a brown thumb. However, since they don’t get planted in a pot of soil like other indoor plants, where to display them can be a problem. Fortunately, we have a great way to do that… in an air plant terrarium! These terrarium gardens differ from ordinary terrariums in that they are not closed spaces… air plants need good air circulation to thrive. But with special terrariums made for succulents or air plants, you can create a miniature garden perfect to display your air plants in a more natural setting.  (Though we love them anywhere from just laying on a windowsill, wired to a plant wall, to setting them in a small decorative pot and everything in between!)

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How to Make an Air Plant Terrarium to Display Your Plant Pets

 

DIY Air Plant Terrarium

How to Care for Air Plants

First of all, you might want a little primer on how to care for air plants before you invest in making this awesome terrarium. Lucky for you, it’s really easy! This is what air plants (otherwise known as Tillandsias) need in order to thrive.

  • Air plants prefer bright light, and can even take some direct sun. Too low of light can cause air plants to suddenly fail and die. Once they get to that point, saving them is difficult, so make sure you take care of their lighting needs.
  • Watering air plants is easy… Once a week, gather all your air plants in a large bowl or sink and soak them in water for 20-30 minutes. Let them drain upside down on a towel. Air plants are prone to rot if water is allowed to pool in their leaves, so make sure to give them a little shake before you lay them out to drain.
  • Every other watering during the growing season, add a water soluble fertilizer at half strength to the water you soak them in.

That’s it! So here is how to make an air plant terrarium that is not only an amazing way to display your plants, it also adds to your home decor.

 

Air Plant Terrarium Supplies

  • Open glass container or terrarium that allows good air flow
  • Sand or aquarium gravel
  • Decorative stones, rocks, and wood
  • Air plants, preferably different types and sizes

 

This first air plant terrarium we designed with a minimalist in mind. This is simply white sand, a few stones, and two gorgeous air plants. Notice the one is in bloom! There is a myth that once air plants bloom they die. The fact is that while they will eventually die after blooming, they still have a lot to do. Blooming indicates the plant is about to produce air plant pups at it’s base… otherwise known as baby air plants. So never toss an air plant that has bloomed… it isn’t even close to being done yet!

 

Air Plant Terrarium Instructions

  • Add a base, either sand or gravel to the bottom of the terrarium.
  • Add rocks, stones, wood or other natural items you love.
  • Add air plants to your desired effect. One or two for a more minimal look… or as many as you can fit for an urban jungle effect!
  • Done!

 

There are many different varieties of air plant as you can see here. Some are fine leaved and others more coarse in texture. Different sizes, colors and even watering needs.

 

We also wanted to style this air plant terrarium with a more natural theme. In this DIY terrarium, we used foraged objects such as a piece of driftwood, and a stone covered with barnacles from our local beach. A little preserved moss and three different air plants contrasted each other well, and we love this terrarium!

 

 

Air plants are on trend with the plant parent revolution, and this just proves they can be as beautiful and as interesting as any philodendron or fern!

 

Where to Buy Air Plants

All the air plants, preserved moss and the terrarium in this post were provided by Etsy seller ‘Spyloh‘, and we are so happy with them that as of now, we won’t buy our air plants anywhere else!

We hope you are ready to make your own air plant terrarium. Create the perfect display space for your plants! We think you will also love out post on Clever & Cool Indoor Garden Ideas & Projects and also check out our post on What are Air Plants? or how to DIY Branch Chandelier Air Plant Display on OhMeOhMy!


 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.

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