William Raveis Real Estate
John Mahan, William Raveis Real EstatePhone: (508) 331-8339
Email: [email protected]

Try this DIY project for displaying your air plants

by John Mahan 05/14/2023

Air plants don't require soil to live, so making a terrarium to display them in is a perfect DIY project. With just a few materials, you can make a beautiful habitat for your air plants that's also unique home decor. Here is a guide for how to make your own air plant terrarium:

What you'll need

  • Open glass vessel or terrarium
  • Pebbles, sand or aquarium gravel
  • Decorative rocks, wood, shells or other accessories
  • Your choice of air plants

Which air plant is best?

All air plants are part of the Tillandsia genus but come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. While they all require the same basic care, some are more drought-tolerant than others. If you're a forgetful waterer, choose air plants with silver foliage rather than green. The greener the plant, the quicker it will dry out. The choice of plant is completely up to your preference.

Step by step

  1. To start this simple DIY project, clean and dry your chosen container thoroughly. If you opt for a terrarium or vessel with a lid or hatch, leave it open to provide airflow.
  2. Carefully pour your base layer into the bottom of the vessel. If your vessel is particularly deep, you can use multiple materials to create a layered effect.
  3. Add decorative rocks, wood, shells or other items.
  4. Carefully place your air plants in an arrangement you find aesthetically pleasing.
  5. Place your terrarium where it will get plenty of bright, indirect light.
  6. To keep your air plants alive and looking their best, soak them in water about once per week. Make sure to allow them to dry completely before placing them back into the terrarium.
About the Author
Author

John Mahan

I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.

Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.

Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.

John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.