Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant

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Last fall I used the plants in the garden and some stuff from a craft store to make half a dozen terrariums for the living room. They cheered me up over the winter months and started a dozen conversations with guests.

Here's the little collection I made for on top of a hutch.

The new book "Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds" has me thinking about this fall's projects. There are several plants out there that have survived the endless drought and other worldly heat and they deserve to come in for the winter. It's a 200-page paperback from Timber Press.

One of the things I learned was that winter light will not keep sun loving plants happy in the house no matter how bright the light.

Terrariums can be easy to make. A single plant surrounded by stones, driftwood, stuff you found in the park or at the beach. Begonias are good choices since they are happy indoors and come in dozens of leaf patterns.
"Terrarium Craft" is not the first book of its kind but it is loaded with ideas that even I, the craft challenged, could accomplish on a budget.

Each page of directions is faced with a photo of the completed project. The book is $19 from the publisher and $11 at online retailers.

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