Decorative Mini Greenhouse from a Canning Jar

For this mini greenhouse, you will need a 1 pint self-sealing canning jar with lid and ring, a 2 oz plastic condiment cup with the top lid removed, a few tablespoons of soil, sand and very small pebbles, Gorilla glue, caulk, Rain-X wipes (or vegetable oil), and a small, tropical plant seedling such as these or these. You may also want acrylic paint, and a 2½ inch diameter circle of wool, both for purely decorative purposes.

To begin, use a small amount of Gorilla glue to adhere the cup to the inside of the rubber-ringed lid of the jar. Put a slightly thicker ring of the glue around the outside of the cup, to help hold it in place. Place the lid into the sealing ring and on the "top" side, run a thin line of caulk where the two meet.

While the caulk and glue are setting, you can work on the jar. If there is a side with writing on it, consider that the back of your terrarium. You can paint this half of the jar with a dark color of acrylic paint, to make a nice backdrop for your plant. Rub down the front of the inside of the jar with a Rain-X wipe. This will help keep the viewing portion of the glass clear when water goes through the condensation process and make it easier to keep an eye on your plant. This may also be done with vegetable oil, though it will not be as effective.

The next thing is to plant your seedling. First line the bottom of the cup with a single layer of the pebbles. Next pour in a layer of sand, about the same thickness as the pebble layer. Finally, fill half of the remaining space with soil. Add your plant to the center, then fill the cup with soil. Add enough water to make the soil moist, but not wet that water pools if you press the dirt with your finger. Cut a slit from the outside to the middle of the wool circle and wrap it around this like a tree skirt to hide the dirt, if desired. Take the jar lid in your palm and use the other hand to place the inverted jar into the lid. Twist to seal the jar, just as you would if it were right side up. Get it as tight as you can. You may caulk the seal of the lid, then paint over caulk and lid with acrylics. Keep it out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating.