How to Make a Haunted Terrarium for Halloween

Add a little Halloween "spirit" to your kitchen counter. All you need is a large glass jar, basic craft supplies and a little imagination. This easy project is perfect to do with kids, they'll love coming up with ideas for spooky details.

Haunted Terrarium on Counter

Homemade Haunted Terrarium

To create a spooky Halloween terrarium, cover the bottom in moss. Cut a haunted house out of tag board and attach to the inside with tape. Add a cute ghost made from a 1’foam ball wrapped in tissue. Push a length of miniature fence into the moss near the front of the jar. Add additional texture with clumps of reindeer moss, then place lid on top of the jar, adjusting the fishing line's length, if necessary, so the ghost hangs at the right level.

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Materials Needed:

  • large clear lidded jar (like a cookie jar)
  • 1 bag of natural sheet moss
  • 1 bag of reindeer moss
  • 2-3 small twigs
  • black tag board
  • white paint pen
  • scissors
  • fishing line
  • white facial tissues
  • 1" foam ball
  • glue
  • miniature fence
  • clear gift-wrap tape
  • wire snips
  • U-shaped floral pin

Create Spooky Landscape

Add a 3-4" layer of sheet moss to the bottom of a large clear, lidded jar (Image 1). Measure the height and width of the inside of the jar. Based on the dimensions, cut the shape of a haunted house out of a piece of black tag board, then use a white paint pen to outline the windows and doors. Insert house into the moss and use clear tape to secure it to the back of the jar (Image 2). Insert twigs into the moss to act as spooky, leafless trees (Image 3).

Create Ghost

Tear a tissue in half and layer the pieces to form a cross, then place a 1" foam ball in the center (Image 1). Gather the tissue around the foam ball and use fishing line to create the ghost's neck by tying a knot around the base of the foam ball. Cut out two black tag board ovals to act as eyes and attach them with glue (Image 2). Shorten the prongs of a U-shaped floral pin with wire snips, then push it into the top of the ghost's head (Image 3). Knot one end of a piece of fishing line around the floral pin (Image 4) and attach the other end to the underside of the jar's lid with clear tape.

Finishing Touches

Push a length of miniature fence into the moss near the front of the jar (Image 1). Add additional texture with clumps of reindeer moss (Image 2), then place lid on top of the jar, adjusting the fishing line's length, if necessary, so the ghost hangs at the right level (Image 3).

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