Valentine's Day Terrarium

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I know Valentine's Day isn't everyone's favorite. There's lots of talk about it being a made-up holiday to sell greeting cards. If we're honest, though, it seems like most of our holidays have turned into commercial opportunities. To me, it's all in how you celebrate...so why not give in to all the hearts, flowers, and goodness? Valentine's Day is also the perfect antidote to the long dark winter here in Iowa...I will take any and all moments to add color and cheer. I've had the idea for these Valentine terrariums swirling around in my head for a while and was so excited to finally make one! It's an easy project and you might have most of what you need to make it already...even better.

This particular terrarium started with me finding the perfectly sized little succulent planters at Trader Joe's. The options for what kind of plant you use really are endless, though. You just want to make sure the plants will fit in whatever canister you're going to use. Individual plants would work, a small cyclamen, or even a petite ORCHID. The mini planter I chose for this project is simple terra cotta, which I happen to love. If you wanted to customize the look a bit more, you could definitely paint the planter itself or add a bit of ribbon.

I have a large collection of these CANISTERS that get used for lots of different reasons. I've bought some new, but am always on the lookout at the thrift store for them. I would say that more often than not, they are at almost every thrift store that I go to. Even if they're missing their lid, I am still inclined to pick them up, since they're perfect for projects like this.

I would have liked a bit of a fluffier look, but I couldn't find my stash of loose moss (maybe I've used it all?), so I cut a piece of SHEET MOSS I had stashed away. The moss is actually a TABLE RUNNER and, while I would have prefered to leave it whole for a use later on, I'm trying to use things I already have, so this worked just great. I don't have a huge craft stash, but it's nice to have some things on hand when creativity strikes!

I realized my stash is definitely lacking in the paper crafting department. Lucky for me, though, I have a friend who has an amazing collection! I explained to her that I wanted a certain sized heart and wanted them to be double sided. In order to get the two hearts to fit together, you'll want to fold your piece of paper in half, punching two hearts out that will fit back together when you create the little "banner". She also provided me the SKINNY DOUBLE SIDED TAPE I used to stick the hearts together. This was a game changer because I'd been planning to use my glue gun and that seemed dangerous and messy for this tiny project.

To make the heart banner, I laid the hearts out (mirrored pieces facing each other), added double sided tape to one row of hearts, pressed the BAKERS TWINE across each heart, then pressed the matching heart over the top. I did find that the hearts kind of want to wobble once they're strung, so they hang a bit better if you have the string closer to the top of the heart rather than the middle. Also, I started out with five hearts, but took the banner down to four so that it would fit a bit better in the jar.

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One thing I pick up whenever I find them at the thrift store or an estate sale is WOODEN SKEWERS. I use them for so many different projects, including as plant stakes! For the Valentine's Day terrarium, they are the perfect size to string the heart banner from. It took me a few tries to get just the right length of skewer and banner, but it worked out just the way I imagined! All I did to secure the banner to the skewers was tie a knot, but you could add a dot of glue once you have them in place to help secure them.

Honestly, the planter and banner are cute enough all on their own. You could display just like this...or even on a sweet little plate, but I needed to see my vision come fully to life.

Once I got everything layered into the CANISTER, I loved the terrarium even more than I thought I would! It's so cute and perfect for Valentine's Day or even a Galentine's Day celebration. You can make this for yourself to enjoy and a few extras for friends...if you're feeling extra crafty. I love gifts that last beyond just a few days. Plus, once the plants have lived their life...the canister can be repurposed.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I don't do a lot of holiday decorating outside of CHRISTMAS. This terrarium is the perfect little touch for Valentine's Day! Really, you could customize it for any holiday that you want, switching up the plants and colors that you use. It's an all-purpose DIY if you ask me!

I try to be inspiring with the little DIY projects and crafts that I share. If you decide to make a terrarium of your own, I hope you'll share it on Instagram and tag me @hilaryprall so I can see!