Jenny Cookies Terrarium Workshop

Those who know me know that I love plants. I have a pretty unhealthy obsession with filling my room up with succulents (because I have a harder time killing those), and I am always looking for an excuse to get more. Luckily my stepmom Alexis gave me that excuse on Thursday when we attended a Jenny Cookies terrarium building workshop together. I was unfamiliar with Jenny Cookies, but Alexis had her recipe book and attended crafting workshops in the past. Once we got to the workshop I quickly fell in love with the decorations and Jenny's adorable cookies, which taste as delicious as they look - especially the chocolate covered peanut butter ones! Everything was set up in the cutest way, and Jenny gave step by step directions for the terrarium building, which I thought I would share here since I took tons of pics. I gained a new respect for how expensive terrariums are when you find them premade in stores - it's not as easy at it looks! Especially if you're a perfectionist like me and Alexis were. 

Things you will need:

• A glass terrarium globe (found at most craft stores)
• Small pebbles
• Charcoal
• Potting soil
• Succulents or cacti
• Sand
• Decorative elements (we used larger rocks, cork, and moss)
• Cloth or twine to hang (optional)

​1.  Fill the base with small rocks and a little bit of charcoal.
The rocks allow for excess water to collect to prevent killing your succulent, since they aren't found of being wet. If you aren't able to get access to the charcoal that's okay. However it does help kill off bacteria and extend the lifespan of your plants.

2. Cover the rocks with dirt.
Don't add too much dirt however, since the plants will add some as well. If you put in too much dirt the terrarium will feel too full and won't have as much room for the decorative elements later on.

3. Add your plants.
Make sure to pack them in fairly well. Mine kept flopping over so it took awhile to get it right, especially since the hole isn't super big. With how much I had to touch the plants, I would recommend succulents over prickly cacti, but if you're braver than me it's worth trying!

4. Cover the dirt with sand.
The steps from here on out are technically optional, but I personally think the decorative touches are what make a terrarium special. My favorite part of using the glass globe rather than just a pot or planter is that you are able to see the layers that go into it! For my terrarium I used two different colors of sand, one that was slightly coppery and one that was white.

5. Add the decorative touches.
​This is the funnest part for sure, but I kept getting frustrated by how difficult it was to place them where I wanted. I kept saying that I wish I had tweezers so that I could be more precise. 

6. Mist the plants.
Don't overdo this step. Like I said before, succulents don't love water, and the biggest mistake that I see people make is giving them too much. Succulents will rot pretty easily if you do this, and it's nearly impossible to get them to recover. I mist mine no more than once a month, and only water them if the leaves start to shrivel or go limp. Cacti need it even less, and I usually don't water mine more than a few times a year.

7. You're Done!
I was super happy with how my terrarium turned out. The workshop was great, and gave me so many ideas that I wouldn't have thought of, like the pebbles for drainage or using cloth instead of twin for hanging. Jenny was so sweet and helpful, and I made sure to add a visit to her bake shop to my to do list!