DIY Magic: How to Make a Halloween Terrarium
Step-by-step instructions to craft a haunting Halloween terrarium - graveyard included!
As autumn settles in and the days grow shorter, Halloween begins to loom on the horizon - bringing with it the perfect excuse to get creative with your seasonal decor.
If you're looking for something beyond the classic jack-o’-lantern, let us introduce you to a hauntingly fun project: the Halloween terrarium.
This miniature, spooky landscape is the perfect blend of eerie and adorable - and best of all, it’s a simple DIY that’s easy to customize for your own style or space.
Whether you're decorating your dining table, porch, or even setting the mood for a “Summerween” celebration, learning how to make a Halloween terrarium is a creative way to bring some ghostly charm into your home.
Display your Halloween terrarium indoors as festive decor, set it on your buffet table to impress guests, or place it on your front porch as a show-stealing centerpiece for trick-or-treaters to admire.
In this article, first we’ll take a look at a suggested materials list - but keep in mind, it’s flexible and meant to inspire you, not be rigid!
Next, we’ll walk through how to prep your components, followed by detailed step-by-step assembly instructions (with plenty of photos to guide you).
And to wrap things up, we’ll share some care tips to keep your Halloween terrarium looking spook-tacular all season long. 👻
Materials Needed:
1 glass cylinder vase, approximately 8 inches high and 10 inches wide
2 (2-inch) tropical terrarium plants such as lemon button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’) and polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostacha ‘White Splash’), shown in this article
Potting soil
Expanded organic clay pebbles for hydroponic gardening
Real or fake branch tips, with no leaves
1 piece of dry floral foam, to anchor the branch tips
Natural slate stone pieces, 1/2 to 1 inch in size
Natural looking stones and rocks
A few small plastic pumpkins, approximately 1/2 to 1 inch tall and wide
Mini-pinecones
Live terrarium mosses, such as mood moss, cushion moss, and/or sheet moss (more on where to find live moss below)
Dried and preserved reindeer moss, natural and light green colors
Fake spider webbing
1 plastic spider, approximately 1-2 inches in length
15-30 dried Brazilian daisy flowers, natural color
Don’t be afraid to unleash your creative spirit and use these materials and instructions as inspiration for creating your own plant-inspired Halloween terrarium. Use up any dried or preserved floral supplies or small novelty Halloween decorations you may already have on hand!
Where Can I Get Live Moss?
If you're wondering where to find live moss for your Halloween terrarium, start by checking with local nurseries, garden centers, or florists - some may carry it, especially those with a focus on houseplants or tropicals.
Since live moss isn't always kept in stock, it's a good idea to call ahead and ask, so you don't end up making an unnecessary trip.
If local options come up short, you can easily order live moss online through retailers that specialize in terrarium or vivarium supplies (a vivarium is a habitat designed to house small animals like frogs and reptiles).
If you're on a time crunch and can't find live moss locally, don't worry - you can use dried moss instead, which is readily available at craft stores and big box retailers.
However, this option comes with a warning: dried moss is not meant to be watered and will develop a fuzzy mold if kept moist for too long.
So only use dried moss if you’re putting your terrarium together right before display - like at 3:30 on the afternoon of Halloween, after an all-nighter of cupcake icing and gluing together costumes. 😉 I get it.
While not ideal for a living display, dried moss can still bring that woodland texture and spooky vibe to your Halloween terrarium in a pinch.
Get the Components Ready
Clean the glass vase in hot, soapy water and dry with a towel. If needed, use a glass cleaner to remove any streaks.
Create a spooky looking tree by anchoring the branch tips in the piece of dry floral foam. Make sure the tips don’t extend past the edge of the glass vase.
Practice first. It’s always a good idea to have a plan before you start. Roughly position your components inside the vase, playing around with the arrangement until you like the way it looks.
Anchor the branch in a piece of dry floral foam.
Assemble the Halloween Terrarium:
1. Create a ring of moss, approximately 2 inches high, around the inside of the container. Make sure the green live edge of the moss faces outwards.
2. Place the piece of dry foam with the branch tips in the center of the moss ring. Then, add a thin layer of clay pebbles in the empty space between the foam and the moss to help with drainage.
3. Cover the dry foam and clay pebbles with potting soil, but try to avoid getting any on the moss. Using a flexible paper cup makes it easier to pour the soil exactly where you want it.
4. Place the larger rocks on top of the soil inside your container.
5. Gently poke small holes in the soil and place your terrarium plants into them, making sure the roots are fully covered with dirt. Then, cover the remaining soil with moss. If the moss is too big, just trim it to size with scissors.
6. Create a mini graveyard by inserting pieces of slate vertically into the moss, then decorate your terrarium with stones, reindeer moss, pumpkins, pinecones, and dried flowers - using long food tweezers can help with placement. Use these decorations to cover any bare spots of soil.
7. Create a spider web by stringing fake webbing across the branches. Place the spider in the center of the web.
8. Give everything a final check, keeping in mind the terrarium may be viewed from all sides. Wipe off any fingerprints or dirt smudges with glass cleaner and a paper towel. 🎃👻🎃
Taking Care of Your Halloween Terrarium
Caring for your Halloween terrarium is simple with the right touch - and most of these tips also apply to tropical terrarium plants in general, which tend to love humidity and indirect light.
The lemon button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia‘Duffii’) and the ‘White Splash’ polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) both thrive in bright, indirect light and consistently moist (but not soggy) soil. Live moss likes the same conditions.
Since there are no drainage holes in your container, be careful not to overwater - how to make a Halloween terrarium last longer starts with avoiding root rot! A little water goes a long way, so take it slow and water just a little bit at a time.
Check the soil every 5-7 days and water only when the top feels dry. Aim for the base of each plant using a narrow-spout watering can or a succulent bottle to control the flow and keep the glass clean. If the moss looks dry or crispy, lightly mist it with a spray bottle to raise humidity.
When Halloween is over, transplant the fern and polka dot plant into small pots with drainage holes to enjoy them longer, and reuse the moss in another terrarium or dish garden. You can even store live moss in a covered container in the fridge for several months to keep it fresh.
Polka dot plant and lemon button fern bring a fresh pop of green to this Halloween terrarium.
Follow Plant and Bloom Design Studio on Pinterest for more ideas!