A glistening, moss- and lichen-filled raindrop suspended in mid-air is a symbol of the life-sustaining precipitation that drenches the lush, verdant rainforest. The combination of black sand, white pebbles, and green moss gives it an elemental feeling, like a time capsule.
Adapted from the Rainforest Raindrop Terrarium in "Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds" by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant, published Timber Press. Photograph by Kate Baldwin.
Materials and Tools:
- 1 hanging teardrop vase (6 inches tall)
- Jute twine for suspending teardrop
- Eye-hook or other ceiling attachment
- 1 cup hematite sand
- 1 sprig old man’s beard lichen (Dolichousnea longissima)
- 1 sprig feather moss (Ptilium species)
- Smattering white pebbles
Source: ,Amazon.com: Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature ...
Clean terrarium glass inside and out.
Attach jute twine to glass and hang before filling to make sure length is correct.
Pour hematite sand into teardrop and give it a gentle shake.
Coil a sprig of old man’s beard lichen into soft ball and poke it through the opening so it sits toward the back.
Add a sprig of feather moss and drop white pebbles over some of the bare hematite sand toward the front.
Care:
Old man’s beard lichen and feather moss both appreciate a bit of indirect light (low or bright is okay). Spritz the living elements a couple of times a week—once a week if in lower light or a cooler location. Or skip the watering and just allow them to dry.
Tip:
This terrarium can be suspended and then filled, or filled and then suspended. If you fill it before suspending it, try setting it on a feather pillow or blanket—or in a rubber kitchen bowl to contain excess materials. A dexterous pinkie finger or a piece of bent wire or pipe cleaner are good tools for manipulating pebbles or fluffing moss.
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