Faux Terrarium

Miniature Garden Shoppe inspiration

I love the current garden decor phase:  terrariums!  I've seen them in stores, catalogs, at my friend's houses, in nurseries and on line.  OH MY are the B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

OH MY I totally do not have the talent or perseverance to keep them alive.  I do pretty good with summer miniature fairy gardens.  Until fall and then I'm over it and so are they.  So here's the story:

I enjoy helping at my daughter's wine store (www.marketalleywines.com) and it allows me to be creative.  You see, for a person who MUST (absolutely must) be creating, but no longer has room or wants more in their own home, creating for someone else is a blessing.  I've made enough wine charms for every glass in the free world.  I've made enough wine sacks to celebrate every birthday in Illinois.  You get the idea?

When I went to the QC Garden Seminar, the Miniature Garden Shoppe - Designs by Kathyrn (www.miniaturegardenshoppe.com) had a display.  And there before me were little wine glasses filled with little red glass wine - be still my beating heart!  Did I have to create a wine garden terrarium?  Well yes I did!

Miniature Garden Shoppe inspiration

When creating something for a small business, it's partly a guess on what will sell.  I've been fooled more than once.  In case this brilliant terrarium idea didn't sell, I knew my daughter was too busy to care for the thing.  Plus, because of my inexperience in creating them with real plants, I didn't want her to sell something that wouldn't live a long and healthy life.

I found a beautiful container (part of the beauty of the piece.)  Then I used dried moss for the grass and pieces of a beautiful dried wine colored hydrangea flower for bushes.  I found a few pieces of garden furniture, fence and some other stuff.  Check out miniatures at on line shops, garden centers, miniature displays, hobby shops (dollhouse and model train) and thrift shops.

If this little baby sells, I'll do another.  It was fun and my six-year-old granddaughter thought it was like looking into a fairy land.  Plus, it will never die of neglect.  AND it provided a few days of creativity for dear old mom.  Success!

This is my little creation.