Creating a terrarium screen cover is an easy way to make a quick and effective shelter for your plants. Most importantly, these covers do not have to be shaped or sized to match your plants. You can create any size or shape to match your needs!
This article will talk about how to make a simple cover that fit over your plants. It can be done in several ways, but this one is the most fool-proof method.
Contents:
Remove the old screen cover
Once you have inserted your new screen cover, gently remove the old cover by sliding it gently out of the way.
This may take a few tries, but eventually you will get the hang of it!
You can then save your work for later or throw away as there is no point keeping a covered terrarium.
Wash the screen cover
Once your terrarium is filled with water, it is time to wash the cover. You can do this by draining the water out of the tank or simply rinsing the cover off and on until it was clean.
Either way, make sure to remove all of the moss and plants that are in the tank! This helps prevent spotting and drying out during washing.
Once all of that is done, put your screen back in and let it dry! This takes about a week or so, but you can check on it often to make sure it is drying out properly.
Try using a pillowcase or sweatshirt instead of a towel to cover your terrarium. The sweatshirts allow some heat to escape and prevent any hot steam from escaping if one were to sit in the cover.
Find some vines to use for hanging the cover
While most people use a printed copy of a book as their guide, you can also use actual vines or liana’s to create your cover. These materials are free and readily available!
To make these more user-friendly, I suggest finding some that are about two inches long, about eighteen inches long, and have white or light colored branches. These should be easy to find around your terrarium!
You can buy them at some pet stores or online if needed. Some companies even sell “gift” items like this.
By using the gravity system, you place the bottom of your cover on the floor and then lower the second side of your cover onto the first to create a hanging system. The last step is to raise the cover up so it is sitting in its spot and is now in view.
Cut the ends of the vines down to size
Once you have your vines, it is time to make them disappear. You can do this by either gently wrapping them around the bottom of the glass or removing them completely.
To remove the vines, first wrap a piece of paper around the side of the glass to prevent water from entering. Then, take your knife and cut down both sides of the paper, leaving a small gap for water to exit.
Now, let it dry before adding your plants!
How to Make a Terrarium Screen Cover in Less than an Hour!
This easy way to make a screen cover is also perfect for children due to the absence of lines and shapes.
Dry the vines out
While growing your plants, it is important to remember to let them dry out a bit before next season. This means removing any water traces, patting down the leaves, and wrapping the vines with a heavy layer of air-dryer sheets.
This helps prevent catastrophic dryness or blow-off. If you have hard water, this also helps prevent potentially harmful salts from being dissolved in your water.
I would recommend doing this every few weeks to ensure that it continues to work. You can also make sure to do it on a weekend or week-end so that you do not have to worry about running out of space or needing to wrap more material.
This is very important as springtime may bring sudden storms which could cause dryness or breakage.
Put plant glue on the edges of the screen cover
Once you have your plant pot and supplies ready, the hardest part is actually putting it all together. That is because it is so fun to do so!
Most people start with a bottom pot and then add additional pots around the screen to create the complete plant pot. You can then add plants or flowers to decorate your screen!
The easiest way to put the cover on is to first place one edge of the cover under a book, then bring the edge up over the book, and finally press down to make sure it sticks.
You can now take your cover off and let it dry before adding another layer of glue or decoration.
Lay down the vine along the edge of the screen cover
Now, place the second piece of glass around the edge of the first. This creates the doe-foot shape for your terrarium.
Make sure to place these gently so that you do not break your first piece!
Now, let’s talk about layering! When covering your terrarium, you want to start with a thinner layer of glass to maintain water movement. Once you feel comfortable with your settings, you can add another layer of glass to create a complete enclosure.
To prevent water from escaping, we suggest using a half-baked company like Terra Cresta® that has been put on thick but has been removed. You want it to be strong enough to withstand some water pressure but thin enough so that it covers the entire terrarium.
Roll up and place in fridge until ready to use
Once your terra-cotta contains parasites or other harmful organisms, you need to cover it up to prevent them from coming in.
You can do this two ways. You can leave it exposed to the elements, or you can roll it up and place in the fridge until needed. The second method is more time consuming, but gives you more control over how tightly rolled up the terrarium screen cover must be.
Using moss or some other water-based material, you can create a watertight cover for your terrarium. The best way to do this is to start with one layer of moss and then add another layer of rock over that. You want to make sure there are no gaps between the rocks and the moss!
Either way, let it sit for an hour before opening the lid to ensure it takes hold.