Have you always wanted a terrarium, but avoided getting one because you aren’t very good at taking care of plants? Here’s a simple solution: make an artificial one! A terrarium with artificial plants looks just as good as the real thing and requires zero maintenance. Plus, they make great gifts. Here are instructions for assembling your very own artificial terrarium.

Things you’ll need:

A mason jar

Artificial plants and/or succulents work well

Sand

Small pebbles

Artificial moss

Decorations (optional)

Directions:

1. Add a layer of sand to the bottom of your mason jar. It should about an inch deep, but you can add more if you would like.
2. Place pebbles on top of the sand to create another layer. Smaller pebbles work best to fill empty gaps. Be careful when dropping the pebbles inside of the jar, because they could scratch the glass if they hit the sides.
3. Add some pieces of artificial moss to create the top layer. Artificial moss is spongy, and will need to be pressed down in order to make it stay in place.
4. Add your fake plants! Since the jar has a small opening, it may be difficult to position your plants the way you want them. Use chopsticks or tweezers to move them if you need to. Also, make sure that the “stems” of the plants are pushed all the way down so that they won’t fall over.
5. Decorate your terrarium! This is the fun part. You can add anything you want to accompany your plants inside your jar. Small plastic animals, action figures, origami figures, and painted stones make cute decorations. If a decoration keeps falling over when you put it in the jar, try removing it and gluing a toothpick to the bottom. Then stick it back into the jar, and make sure to push it down until the toothpick is hidden beneath the layers.
6. If you’re satisfied, screw on the lid. You’re done!