Create A Recycled Waste Terraium!

Materials

• 2 liter soda bottle (washed and dry)
• Pebbles
• Activated Carbon (from the pet store)
• Pistachio shells (or Spanish moss)
• Potting soil
• Fresh moss
• 2 small tropical plants (like a fern and a palm)
• 1 small toy animal

Directions

1. Have an adult help with this part: Four inches from the bottom of your 2 liter bottle, cut the bottle into two parts with a craft knife or a pair of scissors. The bottom part will be the planter and the top part will be the cover of the terrarium.
2. Layer your DIY terrarium:

• Add an inch of pebbles to the bottom of the planter.
• Add a single layer of activated carbon. This will filter the water.
• Add a barrier layer of Spanish moss or pistachio shells.
• Add potting soil – enough so that it comes to about a ½ inch below the top part of your planter.

3. Plant your rainforest:

• Plant the tiniest tropical plants you can find. Mini palms and ferns are perfect.
• Add fresh moss to the top of the soil.
• Find a toy animal that would enjoy living in your rainforest.

4. Add the final touches:

• Lightly water your terrarium.
• Cut a short slit down the back of the planter, about a ½ an inch.
• Push the planter together where you cut the slit and place the cover on top.
• Put your terrarium in a spot where it’ll get plenty of INDIRECT sunlight.

**Note: There’s no need to water your rainforest in the future. Moisture will form on the inside of your terrarium and on the plants. That moisture will drip down and water the soil.