PINTEREST INTEREST: Thrifty Terrarium

Pinterest has taken over the Internet by storm, making it one of the most popular websites college students have begun to use. The Features section will begin a weekly column highlighting either a craft or a recipe idea that The Spectrum’s Pinterest page re-pinned. Each project will be graded according to its skill level and will be tailored so that it is affordable for college students to complete.

Follow “The Spectrum” on Pinterest to find out what we will be crafting or cooking for upcoming issues. Once we re-pin something, be sure to follow up on how our project turned out in the Features section. Then, if you completed a project, feel free to email us a picture at features@ndsuspectrum.com.

For our debut “Pinterest Interest” project, we decided to start with a simple succulent terrarium. This project features succulents found at Fargo’s local farmer’s market and glass bowls purchased at a thrift store.

The best part: It costs less than $6 to make and requires maintenance only once a month.

Here are the steps required to create your very own succulent terrarium.

Pick your plant
The succulents used for this project are called “hen and chicks.” The reason for the name is because the main succulent will eventually sprout babies that pop up alongside the main plant. These particular succulents were found at a local farmer’s market that is set up on Sundays at 349 E Main Avenue in Fargo. They cost only $.50 for each of them.

If you want to use a different plant, Lowe’s Home Improvement in Fargo is currently having a sale on their cacti, ranging in price from $.99-1.99. Otherwise, you may find a wide variety of cacti and other succulents at Country Greenery in Fargo and Moorhead.

Buying the dirt
Choose Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Citrus Soil for your terrarium. This soil is not quite as dense as normal potting soil, which will allow your plant to breath easier and grow better.

Picking up rocks
Instead of spending money on an expensive bag of rocks at a craft store, pick a few up from outside! Rocks that vary in size, shape and color found near your house or around campus will also look much more unique in your terrarium because they are local and natural looking instead of polished and uniform.

Choosing your bowl
The glass bowls for this piece were found at the Arc Thrift Store on University Drive in Fargo and cost less than $1 each. Try to choose a bowl that has an opening large enough to fit your plant through, so steer clear of vases.

Instructions:
Step 1: Place a layer of rocks on the bottom of the bowl and make sure it is even. The rocks will aid the plant with drainage.

Step 2: Grab a handful of soil and place on the rocks. If your rocks are large, simply place a square piece of mesh on the rocks before scooping on the soil -- this will prevent the rock layer from being completely filled in by the soil.

Step 3: Gently remove your succulent from its planter and place into the bowl. Make sure you don’t shake off a lot of the dirt surrounding the root of the plant.

Step 4: Fill in the bowl and around the plant with more cactus soil. Next, gently pack the soil around the plant.

Step 5: Lightly water the plant by sprinkling on water or by using a squirt bottle. Remember, plants like the kind used here do not need to be watered more than once a month, especially because they are in glass bowls that do not allow the extra moisture to escape the bowl.

Step 6: Place in an area with a lot of indirect sunlight. They need at least 3-4 hours of sunlight per day, but more would not hurt.