Martha Lives: Mini Terrarium
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Do a little spring greening.
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Adrian Van Allen; photo by Frankie Frankeny
The season is changing, and green thumbs everywhere are itching to play in the dirt, but Mr. Frosty isn’t completely out of the picture yet. What to do? One-gallon cider jugs are a great resource for easing plants’ transition from winter to spring. They’re too nifty to recycle and too bulky to use for vases (unless you’re going to display the bloom of the rotting-meat flower Rafflesia of Borneo, three feet across—ick). Plus, Martha would certainly appreciate their rustic charm. Using these large jugs, some long-dormant Girl Scout craftiness, a piece of string, and some kerosene, I created a very fetching set of mini-greenhouses ready for a wee plant, a big windowsill, and some spring rays.
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Half a day
Cost
$
- Clean 1-gallon glass cider jug, label removed
- Large bucket full of cold water
- Kerosene or lighter fluid
Materials
- Cotton string, roughly the thickness of yarn
- Matches or lighter
- Protective goggles
- Wooden spoon
- Work gloves
- Emery paper
Tools
Fill the bucket with cold water at least as deep as the jug.
Dip a piece of cotton string in the flammable liquid (kerosene or lighter fluid) and squeeze it dry until it no longer drips.
Tie the string tightly around the jug roughly 2" from the base. Depending on the string’s thickness, you may want to wrap it around twice.
Put on your protective goggles and, holding the jug upside down by the neck, light the string in several places and let it burn off (Fig 1).
The moment of truth: Immediately, while the glass is still hot, plunge the jug into the cold water, submerging it. The bottom of the jug should break off where it’s been weakened by the burned string (Fig. 2).
Remove from the water, and lightly tap any remaining pieces with the handle of the wooden spoon.
Dry off your jug and put on work gloves. Sand the bottom edge of the jug with the emery paper until it’s no longer sharp.
You can place your brand-new terrarium over a potted plant in the house, a pie dish full of planting soil and seedlings, or out in the garden.
