About

I make custom and ready made terrariums for you and your loved ones, plus handmade fairy garden accessories to decorate them with. What started as a hobby is now my small, home-based business. Today, I like to share my methods for terrariums that stay alive through my Tutorials, DIY Terrarium Kits and Workshops.

Moai Easter Island head statue terrarium

Moai Terrarium I made with lots of moss and tropical plants.

Each terrarium is a self-sustaining ecosystem that requires minimal care- perfect for plant beginners and green thumbs alike! I specialize in closed tropical terrariums with moss, ferns, and a dab of colour. These terrariums require a lot of layers and science behind the scenes, which I share in my Tutorials on this website.

Air plant and succulent terrariums also bring me joy. Browse my recent creations and enjoy both naturalistic and themed terrariums for every occasion and holiday.

About the artist

My name is Freya (she/they) and I was born and raised in Edmonton on Treaty 6 Territory. Working a 9-5 job wasn't cutting it for my mental health, so I took the leap and turned my hobby into a small business. I started Planted Glass Terrariums in 2022 to share mini pieces of joy with my community. Thank you for loving what I love.

Want to make your own terrarium?

I love creating free tutorials that make the art of terrariums more accessible. Sometimes I get grumpy when I see expensive but poorly made terrariums being sold in big box stores. Terrariums are all about experimentation, and I've learned a lot about what plants work best in my designs. My goal is to share the methods I use to create terrariums that stay alive.

Begin with the How to Get Started series, including My Top 5 Easy Terrarium Plants and How to Keep Your Terrarium Alive. After that, explore Bioactive Bugs and other topics that make this hobby so fun.

Follow me @plantedglassterrariums on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to see behind-the-scenes videos of my terrariums and gain inspiration.

Bee Terrarium I made with a "flying" bee suspended from the cork lid.

Prefer some hands-on guidance?

My popular DIY Terrarium Kits come with step-by-step instructions and photos to follow along with. I also offer Terrarium Workshops for the public, as well as private workshops for groups and corporate team-building. You can catch me at craft markets in Edmonton and area to admire my terrariums in person.

My artistic process

The fairy gardens I imagined as a kid inspire my creations. If you're like me and you never quite grew up, you'll love the whimsical worlds I build. Terrarium making is a slow and mindful process that I relish. Unless it's a custom order, I don't often plan my creations. Instead, I let my knowledge and creativity guide me.

Terrarium with a fairy door and pumpkins inside against a mossy hill with ferns.

Fall fairy garden terrarium I made in October 2022.

I work with a variety of new and up-cycled glassware. I propagate the majority of my terrarium plants myself to keep my craft affordable and sustainable. Through experimentation, I've developed my own premium terrarium soil mix that keeps the plants thriving for a long time (terrariums can live up to 100 years!) I harvest some of my moss from the forest in the summer and source the rest sustainably within Canada to propagate throughout the winter.

A vintage keg I transformed into a terrarium in November 2022.

Commitment to anti-colonialism

I live and work on Treaty 6 Territory and understand that my relationships and profits exist within the web of privilege and discrimination that is colonialism in so-called Canada and across the globe. I commit to do my best to check my white privilege, listen to racialized communities and make reparations to reduce discrimination and the ongoing cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples in Canada. You can read my article on the roots of terrariums in colonialism and my role as a white hobbyist for more.