There's nothing nicer than a houseplant. They liven up any space, and it's a joy to watch them grow and thrive. There's also nothing more delightful than miniatures. Something about a tiny scene all delicately crafted is just lovely.
Knowing both of these things to be true, crafter and Instructables user Muhaiminah Faiz decided to combine them into a truly adorable and totally doable craft using hardy plants, sweet miniatures, and a great upcycled teacup.
Miniature gardens aren't a new thing. The concept of creating tiny scenes and landscapes using plants can be found in Japanese bonsai traditions, as well as in "fairy garden" traditions, which use broken flowerpots and trinkets to create tiny gardens — the kind a little pixie might like! And the nice thing about them is that since you can make them yourself to your own tastes, no two are ever alike!
But if you don't have the room for a larger flowerpot, Faiz offers a great alternative, and one that looks just charming on a desk or windowsill. Instead of using a terra cotta pot, you can use a pretty teacup and saucer for a dainty, vintage look.
Check out how Faiz made her miniature garden below, and it might just inspire you to try this out yourself! They also make great gifts.
[H/T: Instructables]
Crafter Muhaiminah Faiz started out with this found cup and saucer. You can find these at local thrift stores or garage sales.
If you like a shabby chic look, try to get a mismatched cup and saucer.
Then, Faiz filled the bottom third of the teacup with small stones. These would provide drainage for the soil, and eliminated the need for a hole in the bottom of the cup.
Soil (not sand) was then added to fill the cup.
Faiz recommends keeping the soil level about a centimeter below the lip of the cup.
Then it was time to create the little accessories that would give this piece some personality.
Using bamboo skewers, cutting pliers, and craft glue, Faiz created simple, but effective, garden furniture for her miniature scene.
She created a ladder, a bench, and a fence section, but if you create one of these, you can obviously do whatever you like!
And the bamboo skewers are versatile enough to create just about anything with a little imagination.
Depending on the size of your pot, you can make as many or as few accessories as you like.
Faiz's teacup was relatively small, so she just created these three items.
Next, it was time for the plants!
Faiz opted for succulents and cacti because they're easy to care for, don't require a lot of water, and have relatively shallow roots for easy planting.
Mosses and ferns are good choices, too, for the same reasons.
She also collected a number of cute accessories for added color and personality.
This collection includes some decorative stones, small shells, little clay mushrooms, and a twig.
The possibilities are endless here, so this is where you can really get creative!
Once everything was laid out, it was time to arrange the scene.
She started by inserting the plants, making sure to leave a bit of space between them so they'd have room to grow.
And then for the fun part: decorating!
She incorporated the saucer into the design, too, turning the teacup garden into a little secret hideaway. This would be a great addition to a desk and add some charm to any room.
What do you think? If you know someone crafty, or just someone looking to repurpose their old china, SHARE this cute project with them!
