Last year I showed you my DIY Terrarium: Woodland Version and it was a big hit. This year I was itching to expand my DIY terrarium empire with something a little smaller, a little more mobile and maybe even a little funkier.
BTW, before I get too far into this, today is Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday and there's a lot of other thrift store upcycles down below you are not going to want to miss!.
So when I saw this retro mid-century modern coffee pot (or is it a tea kettle? I don't drink either so I'm a hot beverage vessel novice), I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.
After bringing it home, I quickly realized I have been a victim of the Thrift Store Packing Tape Gremlins. Yep, whoever priced this up for Goodwill made darn sure that lid was never going to be misplaced.
Never!!!
This is not a new rant of mine, I discussed it in my A Letter To All Thrift Store Workers post a few years ago when I bought a set of vintage croquet mallets that were taped to within an inch of their lives. But it still irks me to no end.
So basically to make a long story short, the packing tape was placed over the gold striping and could not be removed without pulling up the gold.
I actually thought I'd just trim the tape around the gold and make it do.
But then I ran into my 2nd problem with this fancy coffee pot.
Those darn gold stripes, that I was trying so hard to keep intact, are not the best thing to have on a terrarium where you actually want to SEE what is inside!
Nobody puts Baby in a corner and nobody puts my bicycle behind bars (even if they are fancy gold ones)!
So after working on the entire project with matching video included, I decided to scrap it and start anew. I ran to the thrift store and grabbed the 1st generic coffee pot I could find, then spent the better part of yesterday reinventing my entire project for you one more time!
So this is my much more generic, yet more visually appealing coffee pot Terrarium project!
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
How To Make A Coffee Pot Terrarium
Supplies:
- Coffee Pot (bet you didn't see that one coming)
- Potting Soil
- Horticultural Charcoal
- 1-3 Small Plants
- Small Fairy Garden Item (I used a pink bicycle from Michael's)
Optional:
- White Sand or Small Gravel (beach)
- Blue Sand (ocean)
- Sea Glass (more ocean effects)
- Tiny sea shells (can be found at craft stores)
Instructions:
I've created a video so you can follow along visually and it's floating around here somewhere. Probably up above here or off to the right.
And if your prefer, here are the step-by-step directions:
- Make sure your coffee pot is clean and spotless. It's not like you'll be able to wash up the inside at a later date.
- Start by pouring a little bit of the white sand or small gravel in the bottom of the coffee pot for proper drainage. Roughly a half inch of sand/gravel will do.
- Add a couple tablespoons of the activated charcoal on top of the sand/gravel. This helps to keep your terrarium fresh smelling and free of bacteria.
- Your potting soil goes on top of this. I used 2-3 inches of soil.
- Remember, your coffee pot is going to have the lid on it, so make sure you will have enough room above the dirt for plants and decorations also.
- Plant 1-3 small plants in the back of the pot.
- If you want a beachy look, spoon a few tablespoons of sand over the dirt to resemble a beach.
- To get the look of the ocean, you can add a bit of blue or aqua sand to the front of the scene.
- Add a few pieces of sea glass or shells along with your bicycle or other fairy garden accessory to complete the look.
- Just spritz the plants with water occasionally as they won't have a full terrarium effect since the lid will not be airtight. (In a real terrarium that is totally enclosed it creates its own watering system through condensation and all that jazz, but a coffee pot has holes in the lid so adding water occasionally is necessary).
Look, I can actually see the bicycle and shells!!!
More Thrift Store Upcycles From The Thrift Store Decor Team
Today is also Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday! So run on over and see what my friends have been busily working on this month!
DIY Footed Tray - Our Southern Home
Create A Natural Raw Wood Look - My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
Retro Canisters For Vintage Kitchen Decor- Sadie Seasongoods
Decorative Candy Jar - Petticoat Junktion
Antique Kitchen Tools For Spring - Refresh Restyle
How To Make A Cement Pot - Domestically Speaking
Decoupage Sewing Drawer - My Repurposed Life
DIY Coffee Pot Terrarium - House of Hawthornes
Penny
I love the terrarium ideas! FYI, my husband had a detail shop and he said the gold stripes can be softened and removed by applying oven cleaner to the glass. Another method would be to use superfine 0000 steel wool to take it off. I hate to see that cute tea/coffee pot go to waste.
taryterre
How cute is that. very very clever use of coffee pot. Have a Happy Valentines Day. Enjoy. Take care.
Deborah A Westbrooks
Love it! I'm a huge mini, terrarium, all the smalls fan! I want to make one! Pinned it for later!
Debbie
Maryann
So cute & creative! LOVE IT!!!
gail
Awesome job and so much better without the gold stripes. 🙂
I love the blue sand, such a cute terrarium idea!!
pinned
gail
Kathy Owen
That is so cute! I do like the first pot though. There are always problems when it comes to DIY's. Great Job. Love the bicycle!!
Diane
Pam, I SO needed a happy distraction this morning! When I spotted your mini hot pink bike in the first photo, I knew I was going to enjoy what was to come! If you wish to remove the gold stripes, for a future project, since they have already been damaged anyway, maybe try this - I have some wine glasses, the gold rim was wearing off. Didn't want to drink the gold stuff, so as an experiment, I took a Scotch scrubby and ran it gently over the gold. Came right off. Plain but clean wine glasses now. Need some more green in our house. We are awaiting single digit below zero temps, very high winds, and ground blizzards up here in the frozen north that is Minnesota. Books, Hallmark channel, crafting, coffee, wine. I'm good!
Kristin salazar
such a cute idea!!!
Sharon Davison
I have a glass pot from a sidewalk sale. Now i know why! Love this. Nice job. I just joined your site, looks like this is going to be fun!
Pam Kessler
Welcome!!!
gina
This is very cute! I could do one for my mother for Mother's Day - thanks for the inspiration! I have had good luck in the past removing painted on logos and such from wine glasses with a scraper blade. They are juuuust thin enough to do the trick and a little Windex also helps.
Pam Kessler
Thanks for the tip! I will try that!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
This is so charming, Pam! I love how you created a beach look ,,,so fun!
Pam Kessler
I'm craving warmer temperatures right now 🙂
Christy @ Our Southern Home
WOW!!! I adore this idea. I could so see this on our screened in porch! You truly have the best ideas.
Pam Kessler
Thank you Christy!
Jan
Very cute!
Pam Kessler
And so darn easy to make!
Kari Wagner Hoban
This is too adorable. As someone who has a coffee addiction, I feel like I need this.
Pam Kessler
But where would you make your coffee? 🙂
Susan
Totally understand the rant against tape, makes me crazy, also. I put a piece with tape on it into a sink full of warm water to remove the tape from surfaces I want to save and had good luck. I also am driven mad when the price sticker is right on the maker's mark on a piece of pottery. Really? Talk about passive/aggressive behavior.
Pam Kessler
OK, I have it soaking in the sink right now to see if that works. Thanks for the idea!