The return of Trash-picked Tuesday: DIY Terrarium

Welcome back to the return of a Practice in Time favorite, Trash-picked Tuesday! Back in 2010, I blogged about things I trash-picked every Tuesday for a year. (Yes, that's a lot of trash!) But if you go back and scroll through the archives, you'll see some pretty neat stuff.

That says an awful lot about our culture, that we can throw away things that other people find valuable. But the philosophy lesson is not what you're here for, I get it.

Anyway, I had this glass jar I got as part of the box lots at an auction I went to. I probably paid less than a dollar for the box, and this was one of those things included in it that I didn't need or want, so I had to figure out something to do with it. Well, I tried to sell it in my booth, as is. No one wanted it. Then I filled it full of fake eyeballs at Halloween and tried to sell it that way. No go. Filled it with Xmas balls. No sale.

So after spending an inordinate amount of time on Pinterest, I turned it into a terrarium:

What makes this so appealing to me is that I spent virtually nothing on it. The dirt I took out of an old plant pot. The river rock was in my driveway. The moss I picked up in my yard (the snow finally melted enough for me to get out there this morning). The shamrock is basically a weed growing in a container I had brought in from the patio. And the tiny African violet I started from a leaf cutting I found laying on the ground at Lowe's.

Doesn't it make you feel like a bit of spring in a jar?

It was pretty much a free project, and super easy. I have seen plenty of empty jars like this at thrift shops for a dollar or two, so if you have the inclination you can do this as well. It would also work great with an old canning jar. Just scrounge up some plant materials from your yard (or your neighborhood) for free!

And I bet if I put this in the booth now it will sell. What do you think?