This is a neat little idea that was submitted to me by a web visitor (Shelley) Check out her project and craft blog here It is a nice little refrigerator magnet terrarium and it just requires a few basic materials including a plastic spice bottle and a small piece of sheet magnet like you get for business cards. This is a great idea and it opens up lots of other possibilities for projects!

Lot of nice ideas on her blog and my thanks go to her for letting me know about this project and for letting me post it here to my site. It is kind of reminiscent of my tabasco bottle terrarium. Anyhoo, it doesn't take much to make this terrarium, just a few basic materials and a few minutes.

One day while surfing the net, I found this cute little magnet planter , it was made from a pill bottle.  How fun is that, it is a little planter that has a magnet on it!   So with my recent new love for terrariums, I decided to modify this project.  It is a really fun project to do and very easy.  I already had the items so it took me about 5 minutes to put it together.

Here is the list of items needed:  
one small candy jar
tiny rocks
charcoal 
a tablespoon of soil
tiny plant cutting or sprout
skewer
sheet magnet (like for business cards)

 

 

The first step is to clean the bottle.  You can soak it in warm water, or use alcohol...  I did both, because I am impatient and it makes me feel like it is going faster.   I used the alcohol to rub off the adhesive that didn't quite come off after the soak.

Once it is all clean you can drop in the rocks for drainage, and a layer of charcoal this is very important.  It is important to not overfill the bottle.  You must leave room for your plant, I like the plant to be not crammed at the top of the bottle.  This will not only leave some room to grow, it will also be more aesthetically balanced.

 

The next step is to drop in some soil, I just pinched it in using my fingers.  gently smooshing out any clumps, or larger materials like small sticks, and any other f.o.d  that may need breaking down before going into the little jar.  Once the bottle is about 1/3 to 1/2 full depending on the size of your plant/sprout.  I used these instructions .

I choose a cutting from an asparagus fern plant that I already had.  It  reminds me of a tiny christmas tree.  Then I used the skewer to very gently push the cutting into the dirt and then cover it with the soil in the bottle.  Also use the skewer to push down any dirt that may be on the sides of the inside of the bottle.

I had leftover business card magnets, the kind where you peel off the backing and place your own business cards on, which by the way is also perfect for kid pictures.  I measured the part of the bottle that touches the fridge.  I used the whole area, since you can't see it, and I wanted to ensure there was plenty of magnet on the bottle, so it will stay really good.

I cut the shape I just measured out of the magnet sheet and peeled the paper off, stuck it to the bottle, and held it in place really tight for a good five minutes.

 

 

Tar Tar (to quote Katie)!  Here is the finished product.  It hasn't required to much care... and I would only water it with a literal drop of water!

 

Fern in a bottle - the accidental terrarium
Terrariums got their start when a Dr. Ward discovered a fern growing inside a bottle over 150 years ago. I just received an email with pics from someone who found a fern in a bottle. Its a wonderful re occurrence. Read about the fern in the bottle and see more pics of this one: The Fern in the bottle and the Wardian Case

 

A Magnificent Wardian Case Terrarium
You have got to see this terrarium. It is a wardian case and it was made by Mark Y. My thanks to him for submitting the pics and information to this site. Wardian cases were invented in the Victorian Era and they are how terrariums got their start. The Magnificent Wardian Case Terrrarium

 

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Book: The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature In The New Terrarium , Tovah Martin, one of America's favorite gardeners, introduces you to the whimsical yet practical world of gardens under glass-a no-fuss way to bring snippets of nature indoors. Wherever you are, in whatever little time you have, terrariums are the perfect tool for nature lovers and gardeners everywhere.