How to Make a Winter-Inspired Terrarium

Create a small winter garden scene for your tabletop that looks like it's been freshly sprinkled with snow.
winter terrarium centerpiece

Winter Terrarium Centerpiece

Display a winter-inspired terrarium at the center of your Christmas dinner table.

Related To:

Materials Needed:

  • large glass orb or egg-shaped glass vessel
  • cedar cones or any small pine cones
  • garden trowel
  • small rosemary plant or pine saplings
  • mix of green, white and red plants (suggested: polka dot plant and splash red and white hypoestes
  • small metallic Christmas ornaments, ribbon, etc. (optional)

Add Soil

Fill the bottom third of your glass vessel with fresh dirt, pushing slightly up around the sides to create craters for fresh plants.

Gather materials to make a winter terrarium centerpiece, including soil, a glass bowl, pine cones and green and red plants.

Winter Terrarium Materials

Gather materials to make a winter terrarium centerpiece, including soil, a glass bowl, pine cones and green and red plants.

Place Plants

Place rosemary or pine saplings towards the back, building height and a point of focus. If needed, carefully separate larger plant bunches into smaller sections, placing around the rosemary and filling in with extra dirt once it's placed. Cut or tuck any longer stems to keep your garden scape neatly contained in the vessel.

girl adding plants to terrarium

Add Plants

Add red and green plants to add color to your winter-inspired terrarium.

Add Remaining Plants

Add in cedar cones and additional holiday flair as desired. Get creative, and place small ornaments or ribbon for festive flair. With a wet paper towel, wipe the inside and outside of the vessel. To make these as gifts, make individual-sized terrariums.

winter inspired terrarium centerpiece

Winter Terrarium Centerpiece

Display a small winter terrarium at the center of your Christmas dinner table.

Next Up

How to Make an Easy Christmas Tree Centerpiece

Create an easy 3-D pine tree centerpiece this holiday season using honeycomb paper.

Mexican Hot Cocoa and Puff Pastry Cinnamon Sticks

These puff pastry cinnamon sticks are super-simple and the perfect complement to homemade hot chocolate. To make the Mexican hot cocoa in a traditional way, consider investing in a handy milk-frothing tool called a molinillo.

How to Create a Gift Box Centerpiece

Wow your holiday dinner guests with an eye-catching, nature-inspired gift box centerpiece. Because it's taller than it is wide, you'll have plenty of room for a large, festive feast on the table around it.

How to Make a Rosemary Wreath Napkin Ring

This easy-to-make place setting is a festive addition to a formal or informal holiday table setting and will fill your home with seasonal scents.

How to Make a Metallic Rope Basket

Combine rustic natural rope with metallic ribbon to create a trendy and versatile basket that's easier to make than you think. Use it in lieu of a gift bag and fill with seasonal fruit, baked goods or ornaments.

How to Dip-Dye Flatware

Whether you update new vintage finds or an old flatware set, these white color-blocked beauties will enhance your holiday table design.

How to Create a Modern Kwanzaa Kinara

Lighting the kinara is one Kwanzaa's most symbolic rituals. Invite the kids to help create this modern version that adds a colorful centerpiece to the Kwanzaa table.

How to Cross Stitch a Poinsettia Design on Napkins

Add a little modern folk to the holiday table with these adorable, easy cross-stitched napkins with a Scandinavian-inspired poinsettia design.

How to Make Folded Paper Rosettes

Use this basic technique to turn scrapbooking paper, wallpaper or colored cardstock into a festive decoration.

How to Make Gold Place Cards

Introduce a little metallic flare to your holiday breakfast table with gold embossed place cards that will greet both guests and family members with unexpected elegance.

What's New in Handmade

Follow Us Everywhere

Join the party! Don't miss HGTV in your favorite social media feeds.