Want a Halloween decoration that's still alive on November 1st? This little moss terrarium takes about 30 minutes, hangs above the table or sits on a shelf, and turns from spooky to cozy the day after Halloween.
Time: about 30 minutes · Level: beginner · Mess: one tray's worth
What you'll need
Everything in this first list comes in our 15-Piece Terrarium Kit:
- Glass globe
- Live moss
- Nutrient soil
- Crystal stones and sea shells
- Tweezers, mini shovel and spray bottle
For the Halloween touch, raid your craft drawer:
- A tiny skull, bat or ghost figurine (1–2 cm)
- A handful of black or dark-grey pebbles
- A small bare twig — this becomes your "dead tree"
- Mini pumpkins and an LED tea light for around the globe
 |
Used in this build 15-Piece Terrarium Kit Glass globe, live moss, soil, stones, shells & tools · $39.99 Shop the kit → |
Step 1 · Wake up the moss (5 min)
Lay the moss on a plate and mist it all over with the spray bottle. Let it sit while you prep everything else — it softens and becomes much easier to shape.
Step 2 · Build the base (5 min)
Pour a thin layer of crystal stones into the bottom of the globe. Use the mini shovel to add nutrient soil on top, about 2–3 cm deep. Slope it a little higher at the back so the scene has depth when you look in from the front.
Step 3 · Plant the moss (10 min)
Tear the moss into coin-sized pieces and press them onto the soil with the tweezers. Work from the back to the front and leave a narrow gap for a path. Press gently so every piece touches the soil.
Step 4 · Make it spooky (5 min)
- Lay the dark pebbles along the gap — a path to nowhere.
- Push the twig into the soil at the back as a bare little tree.
- Tuck the skull or ghost half into the moss so it's peeking out.
- Scatter two or three shells near the path — up close, they read as old bones.
Step 5 · Finish and style (5 min)
Give the moss a light mist and wipe any soil off the glass with a dry cloth. Hang the globe or set it on the table, then put mini pumpkins and an LED tea light around it. Use LED lights rather than real candles near moss and twine.
After Halloween
Keep it somewhere bright but out of direct sun, and spray it with water now and then when the moss starts to look dry. On November 1st, swap the skull for a pinecone or a few acorns and it becomes autumn decor all the way to Thanksgiving.
Quick recap: stones, soil, moss, then the spooky bits — 30 minutes and one tray of mess.
 |
Need more moss? Live Moss Duo Pack 2 types · sheet + sphagnum · $15.99 Shop the moss → |
