I was provided product samples free of charge from Oriental Trading in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was provided for this post.
Sometimes your original ideas don’t work out and you’re left with lots of sand. LOTS and LOTS of sand. Like four pounds worth of it in patriotic colors. So I decided to jazz up an apothecary jar I had in the dining room and make a terrarium. You all know by now that I love a good terrarium project, but I think I’m pretty much banned from buying anymore succulents or air plants. Even though they’re supposed to be easy to take care of, I’ve still found a way to kill them! Instead, I’ve decided to stick with the fake kind, like the air plant I used in this project.
How to Make a Patriotic Terrarium
At first, I actually just had the sand layered in the jar. After putting the lid back on the apothecary jar, I realized that it needed “something. So I grabbed my stash of seashells and one of my fake air plants to create a patriotic terrarium.
This terrarium starts with four layers of colorful sand. Red, white, and blue layers add a patriotic touch, while silver sand gives it a little sparkle!
Then, I positioned my air plant and added seashells and small pieces of driftwood.
SUPPLIES
- Apothecary jar, or other glass terrarium container
- Burgundy sand
- White sand
- Turquoise sand
- Silver glitter sand
- Fake air plant or succulent
- Small seashells and driftwood
STEPS
- Start layering sand in a glass jar or container. Add the silver sand first.
- Then, layer the turquoise sand, followed by white sand.
- The burgundy sand gets poured in last. Gently tap the container as you pour in each color to smooth the sand out between layers.
- Next, start adding your plants and arranging your seashells.
- Place the lid back on your jar and display!
This terrarium gives off definite summer vibes! It’s perfect, patriotic decor for the 4th of July holiday that you can leave out all season long! Get some of the supplies needed to make this patriotic terrarium at Oriental Trading, including the jar, shells, and sand.
Want to keep those summer beach memories alive? Add some of the seashells you’ve collected from your travels into the terrarium. You’ll have a great piece of decor to keep out all summer!



