How to Make a Gorgeous Air Plant Terrarium: A Step-by-Step Guide

Air plants are having a major moment right now in home decor and gardening These quirky epiphytes grow without soil and don’t even need to be planted! With their sculptural shapes and textures, air plants make perfect inhabitants for unique indoor terrariums

In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about choosing, designing, planting and caring for breathtaking air plant terrariums that will add a modern, trendy touch to any space

What Are Air Plants?

Air plants, also known as tillandsias, are a type of epiphytic plant in the Bromeliad family. They have the amazing ability to grow and thrive without soil, absorbing water and nutrients directly through their leaves.

Native to tropical and subtropical climates of the Americas, there are over 650 air plant species. They attach to trees, rocks and any surface that allows their roots to grasp on.

Air plants are adaptable to a wide range of conditions. When combined with their cool, sculptural shapes and textures, this makes them perfect for displaying in unique terrariums.

Popular air plant varieties like the curly Tillandsia ionantha and spiky Tillandsia xerographica add visual interest and a bit of living art to any indoor space

Benefits of Air Plant Terrariums

Beyond just looking super trendy, air plant terrariums offer many benefits:

• Require minimal care compared to traditional houseplants or gardens
• Provide a protective, humid environment for the air plants to thrive
• Allow you to easily move the terrarium display around whenever needed
• Add striking textures and shapes not found in common houseplants
• Let you easily change out air plant varieties for something new
• Present endless options for decorative displays and arrangements

With the right container, materials and air plant choices, you can design a living art piece that reflects your personal style.

Choosing a Container for Your Air Plant Terrarium

Glass containers, bowls and globes make classic choices for air plant terrariums. Their transparency perfectly showcases the plants inside. Consider these options:

• Glass bowls, vases or jars – choose different shapes/sizes
• Glass terrarium containers with removable tops
• Upcycled glass containers like bottles or food jars
• Glass globes and bubbles of varying dimensions

You can also use decorative containers like geo pods, hanging glass bulbs, lanterns or any transparent vessel. Avoid any treated wood or metal containers, as these may leach chemicals.

Pick a size that allows ample room for selecting and arranging plants, hardscape elements and accessories. Bigger is often better! A 5-10 gallon capacity is a good starting point for most tabletop terrariums.

Make sure your container has an opening large enough to easily access and arrange the interior, especially if including larger driftwood or stones.

Designing Your Air Plant Terrarium

When designing an artful terrarium display with air plants, consider these elements:

Hardscape – This forms the “bones” or foundation of your design. Driftwood, rocks, seashells and found natural items work beautifully. Choose hardscape materials that complement the color and shape of your air plants.

Substrate – Cover the bottom of your terrarium with pebbles, sand, marbles, seashells or other natural materials if desired. This hides unattractive water pooling and boosts humidity.

Background – Cover the back and sides with materials like cork, tree fern panels or preserved moss sheets. This hides container edges and accentuates your design.

Accessories – Add creative touches like miniature figurines, found objects, crystals or other small decor items to further enhance your display if desired.

Take time playing around with various materials and plant arrangements until you find a combination you love. The options for customizing terrariums are endless!

Choosing Air Plants for Your Terrarium

With over 650 air plant species and cultivars available, start by considering:

• Size – Combine different sized plants for contrast and visual interest.

• Shape – Look for rosette, spiral, grassy, clumping and trailing shapes.

• Color – Select shades like green, grey, purple, red and variegated that complement your container and hardscape choices.

• Texture – Mix smooth, fuzzy and spiky leaf textures for depth.

• Growth habit – Upright, pendulous and trailing habits allow dynamic arrangements.

Popular air plants like Tillandsia ionantha, T. xerographica and T. harrisii make great terrarium choices for beginners. Buy from a reputable seller and select plants free from blemishes.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Planting Your Terrarium

Follow these simple steps to put it all together:

1. Clean your glass container thoroughly and allow to dry fully.

2. Add substrate material like gravel or sand if desired. Spread evenly along the bottom.

3. Position hardscape pieces like driftwood and stones attractive. Play around until you have an arrangement you love.

4. Add background material like cork panels or preserved sheet moss on the back and sides to hide the terrarium edges. Mist to rehydrate dried mosses.

5. Place your selected air plants in the container by nestling their roots into the hardscape material. Experiment with heights, directions and densities.

6. Accent with any decorative items you’ve chosen like crystals, mini figurines, pebbles, etc.

7. Finish by misting plants and hardscape lightly until the container has a light coating of condensation.

And that’s it! Your living art terrarium is ready to be displayed and enjoyed.

Caring for Your Air Plant Terrarium

Air plants are pretty low maintenance, but you’ll need to provide:

• Light – Bright, indirect light. Avoid hot direct sunlight.

• Water – Mist or dunk plants 1-2 times per week. Drain any excess water.

• Humidity – Maintain a humid environment inside the terrarium. Mist often.

• Air circulation – Open terrarium for a few hours once a week to prevent molds.

• Fertilizer – Use a bromeliad or orchid fertilizer every few weeks during warm months.

• Grooming – Remove any dead leaves or debris with sharp scissors as needed.

Remember – air plants don’t like wet feet! Allow plants to completely dry before watering again. Add pebbles or shells in the base of the container to prevent soggy conditions.

Advancing Your Air Plant Terrarium Skills

Once you master the basics, try these fun ways to take your future air plant terrariums up a notch:

• Combine air plants with small tropical foliage plants or mosses

• Add a grow light inside the terrarium for stunning illumination

• Incorporate automated misters or drip systems for completely hands-off watering

• Use wire, fishing line or glue to affix plants to hardscape in creative positions

• Craft elaborate hardscape scenes with fossils, preserved coral and collected treasures

• Use wood, plastic grids or mounted panels to “wall” plants vertically

Let your creativity run wild! The artistic possibilities with air plant terrariums are truly endless.

Enjoy Your Living Art

As you can see, air plant terrariums are simple to create and make a bold statement anywhere in your home. They bring a modern, trendy touch of nature to desks, shelves, coffee tables and more with minimal maintenance required.

What will you showcase under the glass – a forest of spiky xerographicas? A tidepool of shells and sea stars? The choices are endless when designing your own custom air plant terrarium.

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to grab some glassware and air plants so you can start crafting your own living art pieces! Check out our wide selection of gorgeous and unusual air plants to get started.