Summary: Terrariums are tabletop ecosystems that you can create yourself, but it can be challenging to get started. One of the easiest ways to give this hobby a try without investing significant time and money is by starting out with a terrarium kit. These kits include everything you need to build a terrarium without worrying about selecting and sourcing each component separately. The results may not be as customizable or eccentric as making your own terrarium from scratch, but kit terrariums are still great fun for children and adults alike and make the perfect aesthetic addition to any space. Here, we’ll share everything you need to know about getting started with terrariums using terrarium kits, including the different types, some of the science behind them, and where to buy them.

Our Recommendation: Cute Farms Terrarium Starter Kit

Getting Started With Terrariums

If you’re new to the world of terrariums, then you might be surprised to learn that there’s actually a lot of debate about precisely what a terrarium is. We’ll let you save that rabbit hole for later down the road if you decide to continue with the hobby, but our favorite definition is actually what’s used on Wikipedia (embarrassing, we know): “A terrarium is a glass container containing soil and plants in an environment different from the surroundings¹.” Now, we don’t doubt that this definition may be missing a thing or two or, instead, is already too specific or inaccurate if you’re already a terrarium aficionado. But for those of us who have yet to get any hands-on experience with terrariums, they’re typically thought of as nothing more than plants contained within glass. Before you learn more about the incredible nature (no pun intended) of even the simplest terrariums, many are first drawn to them purely because of their visual appeal and an existing love of plants. 

However, even if you have experience working in an outdoor garden or caring for indoor plants, it’s not always so obvious how to get started with a terrarium. There are infinitely many ways you can construct your own, which can become quickly overwhelming when you haven’t yet learned the basics. So our advice is simple: start with a terrarium kit. You can learn the fundamentals from direct experience and immediately begin to enjoy having your own mini world to foster and admire. Then, with some practical knowledge gained, you can decide whether to leave it at that or go on to pursue larger and more complex projects closer to what you might consider your “dream terrarium.” With that, let’s talk a little bit more about what terrarium kits actually are. 

What Is a Terrarium Kit?

A terrarium kit is a convenient, all-in-one package that’s designed to make it easier to construct your own miniature garden or self-contained ecosystem. They’re perfect for the curious beginner and strike the ultimate balance between a do-it-yourself project and a ready-made solution. Coming with everything you need, most terrarium kits include the same key components: 

 

• • Container: Usually a small glass atrium (sometimes referred to as a terrarium themselves), jar, bowl, or similar sealed or semi-sealed container. Plastic containers are common as well, but they lack the quality look and feel that glass containers afford. 

• • Drainage: Placed at the bottom of a terrarium, a drainage layer made of small grain gravel or stones is used to help drain the soil from moisture². Without it, the substrate can remain saturated with water to cause root rot, fungal infections, or waterlogging. 

• • Substrate: The substrate is the growing medium for plants in a terrarium, which is typically soil and/or moss. Having the right substrate is critical for a successful terrarium, and terrarium kits ensure you have what you need.

• • Plants: Many different plants can be grown within a terrarium, most commonly including tropical plants, succulents, cacti, air plants, mosses, and dwarf plants. Within these categories, you have a lot to choose from, so terrarium kits help alleviate the pain of decision paralysis. 

• • Decorative Elements: In a terrarium kit, decorative elements can take many forms, including additional natural features like moss or pebbles and artificial props like miniature plastic toys. While these elements are typically optional, they can make do-it-yourself terrarium kits more visually interesting and the latter tend to be loved by our little ones. 

• • Tools: While tools aren’t strictly necessary for any terrarium, kit terrariums, or otherwise, they can be a huge help when working with small and sensitive plants. Many kits will come with tiny shovels or tweezers to make assembly that much easier and give you some early practice for later builds.

• • Guide: To bring everything together, almost all kits come with a guide to help walk you through the assembly process. Here, you’ll get first-hand experience that you can apply later on when you’re ready to start again on your own.

Types of Terrarium Kits

There are two basic types of terrariums: open and closed. Each offers a different aesthetic and caters to different plant needs:

Closed Terrarium Kits

Closed terrariums are what are typically imagined when we think of a terrarium. As their name suggests, their key feature is that they remain sealed or closed when not being watered or circulated. As a result, closed terrariums foster high-moisture environments that are ideal for tropical plants like ferns, mosses, and air plants but may not be suitable for plants that prefer drier conditions like cacti or succulents. Closed terrariums can be more difficult to maintain as they require more careful watering and aerating, but at the same time, they also require more infrequent maintenance compared to their open counterparts. But one thing’s for sure, and that’s that there’s just something about their closed-loop sustainment that makes closed terrariums so fascinating.

Open Terrarium Kits

Open terrariums get a bad rap and are often excluded from what many consider to be a “real” terrarium. Yes, the more self-sustaining nature of closed terrariums can be a huge appeal, but if you don’t want to use tropical plants or other moisture-loving species, then an open terrarium might be the best choice for you. After all, terrariums are valued for their low maintenance, and open terrariums can be far easier to maintain by virtue of the types of plants they house. Especially for beginners, we recommend opting for an open terrarium kit to keep things as simple as possible, and there’s no more straightforward system to start with than arid plants like cacti and succulents.

The Science Inside Terrarium Kits

Terrariums are fascinating mini ecosystems that mimic a specific natural environment on a small scale, so there’s much more going on than meets the eye. Understanding the science behind these miniature worlds can help you build and maintain them more successfully and give you a greater appreciation for their presence every time you see them. And don’t worry, there’s no need to go get your PhD in horticulture; with just some basic scientific understanding, you’ll be equipped to get started and expand your knowledge from there. 

Whether open or closed, terrariums are a controlled habitat that helps balance moisture, airflow, and nutrient cycles to support plant life in a unique way. In a closed terrarium, the glass container traps moisture to enable a self-sustaining water cycle. As water evaporates from the substrate, drainage layer, and plant surfaces, it condenses on the lower-temperature interior walls and drips back down to the soil for use by your plants once again. This natural recycling of water allows closed systems to thrive with minimal intervention and can create conditions entirely different than those outside the walls of a terrarium’s container. By contrast, open terrariums rely on external humidity and airflow, where the balance between evaporation and moisture retention is more delicate and fleeting, requiring careful placement to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of a terrarium is its ability to create microclimates, which are largely different conditions in separate regions of its interior. Inside, temperature and humidity levels can vary significantly only several inches apart, namely comparing areas that are higher and lower. As the temperature increases, hot and dry air will concentrate at the top of the container to leave lower regions much colder and more humid. The cool part is that you can use these microgradients to your advantage and strategically place different plants in more optimal conditions, even within a confined space.

As essentially small greenhouses, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that there is, in fact, a greenhouse effect taking place in your terrarium. The heat generated by the sun’s rays warms the air inside, consequently increasing the humidity as well. This can be hugely beneficial, especially if you live somewhere that gets quite cold at night, as much of this heat will be retained to keep plants warmer in cold climates, and it can even accelerate plant growth³. All of this is really just the beginning when it comes to the incredible science of botany and horticulture, and terrariums make an already fascinating topic all the more interesting and even more accessible. 

Where Can You Purchase a Terrarium Kit?

The rise in the popularity of terrariums has unsurprisingly caused countless terrarium kits to hit the market. They’re widely available directly from their producers and through large e-commerce giants like Amazon and Etsy, but it’s not so much a question of where to buy them rather than which to buy. We’ll share our recommendation for the best terrarium kit to get you started, but before we do, let’s talk about how we made our decision.

Terrariums can be as simple or complex as you want them to be. They can be small universes or tiny corners of heaven, but the problem is that you can’t just jump to a vast multi-species terrarium like you might see on Instagram or Pinterest. It’s a brilliant hobby, but it takes time and experience to master the fundamentals and figure out what kind of terrarium you want to build. That’s why terrarium kits are so valuable, and we don’t think it makes much sense to choose a kit to replace a custom build. Terrarium kits should be simple, affordable, and easy to assemble; otherwise, you might as well put in the extra effort to make them yourself. So, with that in mind, here’s our recommendation for purchasing a terrarium kit:

Best Do-It-Yourself Terrarium Kit

We recommend the Cute Farms Terrarium Starter Kit for its accessibility, cost-efficiency, user-friendliness, and high customer satisfaction. Cute Farms’ terrarium kits come with all of a terrarium’s essentials but leave some room for your own personal touches. The kit includes three different types of moss, including Reindeer Moss, Forest Moss, and Lichen; potting soil blended with activated charcoal; gardening vermiculite; pea pebbles; river stones; plant food; bamboo tongs; a natural hair brush; and several different care guides. At a price point of less than $30 for their large kit, money is spent on what matters most: giving you high-quality ingredients to be used with the plants and containers of your choosing. To us, this is the best part; their kits strike the perfect balance between the work being done for you and having something more to do than simply putting everything together. If you’re just getting started or just want a simple terrarium for your home, we couldn’t recommend them enough.

Our Conclusion

Terrarium kits are a great way to get started on a new hobby without having to risk spending a whole lot of time, money, and energy only to find out it’s not for you. More importantly, they’re the perfect gateway into more sophisticated custom builds that can teach you the basics directly so that you’re prepared to begin building on your own. And if you have no interest in terrarium building in the first place and simply want an easy and cost-effective means of purchasing your own terrarium for your home, terrarium kits are likewise the perfect choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are terrarium kits for adults?

Terrarium kits are typically made for all ages, although some may include optional design elements aimed at children, like plastic animal figurines. They’re easy enough for children to participate in but rewarding enough for adults to enjoy; and at the end of the day, they’re plants! Everyone and anyone can enjoy plants in their own way, regardless of someone’s stage in life.

What is a do-it-yourself terrarium kit?

By their very nature, all terrarium kits are do-it-yourself kits. They come with all of the basic elements of a terrarium and are designed for you to do the assembly. Some kits may require sourcing a few components yourself, whether it be the glass container or even the plants themselves, so it’s important to find a do-it-yourself kit that meets your needs and expectations.

Should you purchase an open or closed terrarium kit?

Both open and closed terrarium kits are perfect for anyone young or old, new or experienced. They simply offer different sets of advantages and drawbacks, and the choice ultimately depends on your personal preferences, budgetary constraints, practical limitations, and more. We think the best of the best are closed terrariums but we still recommend open terrariums to start out with because of their easier assembly and maintenance.

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrarium

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2jL3QP4hTA
[3] https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/greenhouse-carbon-dioxide-supplementation.html