Thursday, September 12, 2013

My little cabin in the woods


After seeing quite a few cute Halloween terrariums online, I decided to make one for myself. I headed off to Dollar Tree to get a little round fishbowl type container and some natural/spray painted moss. The container I bought was small, with only a 3.5" opening. I quickly realized that I wouldn't have room for much more than the moss in this container!


Still, it was cool and only cost $1.00. I next went to a JoAnn's Fabrics/Crafts store in hopes of finding a much wider container. I found a wide bowl that only cost a few bucks after a lucky sale and a coupon. This container has a 6.5" opening. That sure beats 3.5"!


I had been thinking of building a little graveyard scene, but that idea seemed sad as I started assembling it. I decided it would be more fun to build a little house in this swampy scene and have some creepy thing stalking around it. Plus, I could have a light element. I gave some thought to what could be the source of light and decided the easiest thing to use would be a battery operated tea light candle. I measured the candle and built a house frame out of cardboard. The little cabin ended up being essentially free since I used an empty Kleenex box.


 

After measuring and bending it to my specifications, I stapled it together. Then I got to adding the little "logs" to the exterior. The logs are .25" high and 2" long, for anyone who is wondering. I put some Elmer's glue on the walls and started adding my logs. I did the same for the roof. After these pieces dried, I textured a little acrylic paint over the whole thing. I was going for a wood-like effect, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!

 

The little candle adds a nice glow from inside.



After making my little cabin, I decided the scene needed some trees. I looked online for tutorials on how to make miniature trees and found this simple, instructive video:



How about that? You can make your own little birch trees from twigs you've found! Here are mine:


I kept them sturdy by sticking them in some floral foam.


There are plenty of other tree making tutorials online, but some require tools and more supplies. Most of these tutorials seem to be for model makers.

All in all, this project ended up costing around $3.00 (not including the cost of a Kleenex box and the floral foam and paint I already had). Some additions will probably be made to the scene as Halloween approaches. I think it would be fun to add a little werewolf behind the trees. I like that I can decorate the cabin for different holidays.

As for the little round glass bowl, I considered Modge-Podging some orange tissue paper in it. I ended up liking the tissue I placed in there with no glue. I like that this is temporary, so I can add different colors for different occasions. I think a number of these glowing orbs could look cool lining a walkway or a table for a party.


I wish you could see the candle flickering inside, because that really adds something. The glass takes on the look of a round flame. You could also put some fake flowers in the top and have a glowing vase.

I had a lot of fun decorating these glass containers. I had to stretch my skills to work small. Even with the larger container, my terrarium is busting at the seams! I'm happy to have learned how to make little birch trees and I know I will go on to make more cardboard houses in the future.

18 comments:

  1. This is so cute. I've been gardening a lot this summer and saw some similar stuff on Pinterest.

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    1. Midnyte Reader ~ Thank you! I've been gardening a lot too. I should point out that this isn't a live terrarium, though I could add some little live bits. I've seen a lot of terrariums on Pinterest too. I'd mostly been collecting photos of cemetery terrariums as inspiration. I haven't seen any other cabin ones yet.

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  2. Love this idea. There are so many things you could do with this. it would be a great project to do with my girls!

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    1. Vivienne ~ Thanks! Yeah, this could be a really versatile scene. I wouldn't be surprised if my terrarium continues to change. I think it would be a fun project for your daughters too! The sky is the limit as far as containers and scenery. If you guys end up trying this, I'd like to see some pictures.

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  3. It turned out very Nice! A cabin for all seasons.

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    1. Jeanne ~ Thank you. :) That's right! At first I'd only pictured this as a Halloween terrarium, but now I'm looking forward to dressing it up with different additions year-round.

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  4. Your little cabin reminds me of this incense burner my parents had when I was a kid: http://www.whisperingpinescatalog.com/products/cabin-incense-burner

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    1. Dex ~ My mom said the very same thing! It looks nearly exactly like that incense burner! I wonder how the sizes would compare? One of those burners could look cool in a larger terrarium. How neat would it be to see a little wisp of smoke coming out of your scene?

      Even though I have an open chimney on my little cabin, I don't think I should burn anything in it. A Kleenex box is probably pretty flammable. :)

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    2. They're not very big. Just about big enough to fit a cone of incense inside, probably a little smaller than yours.

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    3. Dex ~ Well, it would certainly be quicker to buy one of those than make one! I noticed that they come in two different sizes. It's weird that the site didn't specify how big a large and small are. Yeah, cone incense is pretty small. I haven't burned that stuff in forever!

      I just watched a video about one of those little incense cabins and the guy said it was 4". Looks like the roof lifts off like mine, so a small light element could be added to those as well. My little house is actually 2" long with a 3" roof. It pretty much filled the first container I bought!

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  5. Justine that came out adorable! You always inspire me =) I'd love to do one for Halloween with a little graveyard and jack o' lanterns :) If I do one, I'll send you some pics!

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    1. Heidi ~ Thank you! Knowing that my projects inspire you makes me feel great. :) Your little graveyard terrarium could be a miniature of your yard decor! As I recall, you put out a pretty cool tombstone display. Yeah, I'd definitely like to see some pics when you're done!

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  6. Oh I love it Justine! You're so imaginative and creative! The little shack reminds me of the Evil Dead movies, you could totally add a little cross made of twigs somewhere in there to mark a grave! The possibilities are endless! I'm also being a little more imaginative with my Halloween decor this year and plan on doing a couple DIY projects myself! I'm just waiting for some supplies to arrive and then I'll be getting busy! Autumn really gets those creative juices flowing!

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    1. Sandy ~ Thanks so much for your kind words! :) Would you believe I haven't seen an Evil Dead movie in its entirety? I've seen bits and pieces here and there and I've run across a million Evil Dead references online, but I don't know enough to remember the shack!

      What kind of Halloween projects do you have planned for this year? I ended up buying some great glittery Halloween supplies last year at a craft store. I think they were 80-90% off after the holiday, so I just went nuts. I can't even remember everything I found, but I know I have some new skulls. It should be fun to take that stuff out and get crafting!

      Yes, autumn does bring out the creativity. I hope we'll get to see some photos of your projects!

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    1. Mark ~ Thanks! I'm really happy with how this turned out too.

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  8. I've been thinking a lot about terrariums lately too, Justine! We have so much moss and mushrooms in the forest that I think would look great. Plus, I don't have much of a green thumb and I hear terrariums are very easy to keep!

    I like your idea of a little house for interest. And I really like the idea of a werewolf! ;D

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    1. Insomniac's Attic ~ I'm sure you could build a terrarium that looks like a mini version of the environment you're living in now! I've never tried keeping a live terrarium, but I assume that it mostly takes care of itself. Especially those with a closed lid that trap the moisture. My terrarium is the easiest to keep because there's nothing living in it. :)

      We'll see if a little werewolf appears in my scene. To fit the scale of the house, he'd have to be pretty tiny!

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