I've always loved miniature things since I was a bit miniature myself. I'd make little models of houses and towns complete with all the details.
When I stumbled upon mini terrariums it was like a kid stumbling onto Christmas, pure elation! These are basically mini landscapes usually using low maintenance plants like moss and cacti, all contained with a glass vessel. Add a few clay ornaments and you have yourself the perfect little world to keep on your desk.
As you can see they can be small and simple or you can make them a bit fancy depending on the glass vessel and plant choice you make. There is a great company call miniscapes based in Melbourne that do wonderful pieces on a commercial basis, their blog is great for some inspiration.
Otherwise if you're attempting your own, just find a glass container. As a beginner, I found one that has an wide opening so I can stick my hand in easier. You can use light bulbs and glass bottles but they require much more fiddling around trying to get everything in. Place some pebbles on the bottom, then soil. Some say to add activated charcoal between these layers but I believe this is only necessary if you have a closed lid system.
Then just add your plants. I stole all of my plants from my mums garden but your local Bunnings or nursery should have moss and small plants. Try to choose a variety of shades and shapes. Also make the surface a bit uneven to give the landscape some texture (like a real woodland). I made my little village mushrooms and ladybugs out of polymer clay (refer to my clothesline tutorial for a how to with clay).
Maintenance is really easy. Just keep it out of direct sunlight and a light spray with water every couple of days. I really love that it looks like little people would move in any minute.
No comments:
Post a Comment