Hey guys, I hope all is well out there in the world with all the crazy going on. Today I felt inspired by the upcoming Easter holiday to do something wholesome to help take our minds off of things. This is going to be my first attempt at a few things… Working with my favorite mini fern, making a fairy garden, and layering substrate for a trendy type of look. Let’s make an Easter terrarium!

If you aren’t familiar with what a bantamarium is, I strongly recommend you take a look at this deep dive I put together. In a nutshell, it’s a concept I’ve been working on where we bring a diorama to life. The goal is ultimately to make photo-realistic vivariums anyone, no matter the skill level, can make!

Let’s Catch Us A Wabbit!

I couldn’t help but think of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny throughout this build so forgive my cringy Luney Tunes references. I decided to do a quick, yet satisfying type of video for this Easter terrarium. The objective here is mostly to illustrate the technique I used to layer the substrate. Everything else is for your entertainment so enjoy:

Making A Fairy Garden Easter Terrarium

So the overall look and feel I had in mind for this is to be slightly abstract as well as colorful. Looking back at this project completed, I feel like I sort of managed to make a terrarium that gives off the impression that it’s one giant carrot. Now I’m inspired to do something that resembles a giant peach! Anyway, let’s breakdown the material list:

Materials:

• Bantamarium Jar 8″ x 6″
• Easter Fairy Door Set Decor
• Sheet Moss
• Rabbits Foot Fern (Davallia Tyermanii)
• Coco Coir Soil
• Natural Sand
• Black Gravel
• Slate Rocks

Tools:

• Aquascaping Tool Kit

Easter Fairy Door Set Decor Preparation:

At the time this tutorial was written, I offered these models unpainted and unassembled. we are proud to announce that our terrarium decor has been improved since then and is now available completed with color. If you so choose to add personalized details, these models are still paintable. Just remember to properly seal them with an aquarium-safe sealant and allow it to cure before use.

Making A Fairy Garden Terrarium:

For this terrarium build, I want it to have an open top so the ferns can stretch high and breathe. Our standard Bantamarium Jar will be perfect for this tutorial. I think it’s good practice to clean the Jar with vinegar to easily remove debris as well as streaks for a clear view.

We will need to set up a basic drainage layer for stagnant water to sit and slowly evaporate into the soil throughout the week. For this layer, I am using brown gravel. It’s shaped at a slope about an inch deep in the front and two inches deep in the back.

I decided to make my drainage layer a little thicker this time and poured the second layer of black gravel. The idea here is to create a more interesting design as well as create a taller scape so the focal point of the Easter terrarium is higher up. One inch all the way around will do it for me.

Once the drainage layer is established, I decided to fill it up with water now so that I didn’t have to pour it later once the fairy garden was complete.

Now we can move on to our substrate layer. I’m going to start by pouring a ring of sand around the outer edge of this layer to create the illusion there’s a layer of sand.

I follow that with a thin layer of coconut Coir which will be the main ingredient for the substrate layer. Nothing special here. I just want to pour it evenly.

I double back and pour another ring of white sand to make this layer more aesthetically pleasing.

And finally, top it all off with more coconut Coir peat.

Best Fairy Garden Plant

Ferns and mosses are two of the most commonly used plants for fairy gardens. They require little maintenance and come in a variety of looks and feels. For this fairy garden Easter terrarium, I felt like a rabbit’s foot fern offered the most personality and really fit the whole bunny rabbit theme.

I didn’t remove the soil from the original pot I bought it in. I just tossed the whole thing in and wrapped the coconut coir around it… simple!

If the decor is ready to go, we can add it right in. You could prop these up however you like. I decided to superglue a toothpick to the back of the door and windows. This way I could punch it right into the soil and didn’t have to worry about it moving around later.

No fairy garden’s complete without stepping stones leading up to the door. This was my favorite part believe it or not… It’s such an easy addition to terrariums that bring on so much character!

Once the steps are in place, I proceeded to add small amounts of sheet moss to cover the soil. This will help maintain moisture within the substrate as well as complete the look… Well almost complete the look!

We have to add our Easter egg basket… Now the fairy garden’s complete!

Fairy Garden Animals

To be honest, I haven’t given much thought to what I might add to this terrarium. A clean-up crew would do well in here since the fern leaves help to regulate the humidity within the enclosure. But as far as adding a critter that would really fit the abstract theme, I might consider a giant millipede since they mostly stay underground.

Fairy Garden Care

The care requirements for this enclosure will be relatively simple… Just keep the drainage layer filled with water and it will circulate throughout the terrarium. I may trim back some of the fern leaves for aesthetic reasons but that’s not really necessary at all. This might be the easiest bantamarium to care for so far.

Final Thoughts

This fairy garden Easter terrarium was a quick and easy one to do… Especially if you got the decor already painted. I will probably continue adding little odds and ins to it as time goes on so do be sure to follow the social media for updates. Like always, I hope this build took your mind off things and I will see you all in the next one!

If you’re interested in seeing updates on how this as well as other enclosures progress follow me on social media. If you’d like to get your tall tweezers on one of these limited edition vivarium decors yourself, check them out in our shop.