A garden in a light bulb. Terrarium in a light bulb: a whole world with a closed ecosystem. Making an eternal terrarium from a light bulb
Landscape design in the microcosm. How to make a closed terrarium in a light bulb with your own hands.
At first sight make a permanent, maintenance-free terrarium not possible, however, in wildlife there are many examples of closed micro-ecosystems, for example closed world caves or wells, hollows inside a tree. But it is not possible for everyone to see the macrocosm of such a system with their own eyes, but everyone can try to create a terrarium with their own hands that does not require maintenance, for example, inside an ordinary light bulb
All you need to create an eternal terrarium is an ordinary light bulb, preferably with a power of 200-300 W, but in the absence of this, 95 W is also suitable, pliers, a screwdriver, tweezers, glue, sealant and PVA, basic protective equipment in the form of glasses and gloves.
And so we transgress to the manufacture of an eternal terrarium in an ordinary light bulb with our own hands, which does not require maintenance.
To begin with, in compliance with all safety requirements, we remove the central conductor from the bulb base with pliers, then fill with ceramics.
With the help of a flat screwdriver, we will destroy and remove its internal contents from the light bulb.
Now we need a base for attaching the eternal terrarium. Any object can be used as such a basis, but for a better perception of the microcosm of our terrarium, use natural elements, such as stone.
We fasten the terrarium blank from the light bulb to the selected base with the help of sealant glue. We get a rather interesting composition even without the landscape of the microworld.
Now you need to find a suitable filler for the eternal terrarium. For this purpose, you need to visit a natural area with high humidity, it can be a forest, a swamp, an abandoned cottage, etc.
You will need ordinary moss, preferably with a piece of the bark of an old tree (you can also separately, this is not critical to create an atmosphere in the terrarium), forest soil, small gravel, well-washed small sea pebbles will do, we will use them for drainage. Also, for a closed terrarium in a light bulb, you will need large river sand, it does not need to be washed.
With the help of a paper leaf twisted into a tube, we put gravel (small stones) into the bulb of the future terrarium, then we put sand and previously collected forest soil on it. If a small earthworm accidentally gets into the soil, this is a plus, you do not need to remove it.
Having leveled the soil in an impromptu terrarium in a light bulb, we lay moss, bark and collected plants on it with tweezers, trying to give the composition a finished look.
When the appearance of the composition in the terrarium suits you, use a syringe to add a few drops of water inside (but not from the tap), preferably rain or passed through a cleaning filter.
Now the hole in the light bulb, from which you made the eternal terrarium, needs to be sealed, the cork should also be an integral part terrarium landscape composition, so use natural elements, such as an acorn or a processed piece of a branch.
It is better to fix the cork with PVA glue, it will well ensure the sealing of your landscape composition in the terrarium, but if you suddenly guess wrong with the humidity, it will be easy to remove the cork and fix everything.
But the photo is a finished do-it-yourself light bulb terrarium composition
The result of our experiment to create an eternal terrarium in a light bulb.
Due to hermetic sealing closed terrarium, arranged in an ordinary electric light bulb, a closed ecological environment is formed, with the circulation of metabolic substances, the formation of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
As you can see, it is very easy to create at home, a small planet, a macrocosm with its natural conditions, living its own life in a terrarium without your intervention.
Of course, something in such a world may die, but other plants and microorganisms will adapt and can live forever without your intervention. So easy to make an eternal terrarium with your own hands maintenance free.
Watch the video - a terrarium in a light bulb - a month later!
After reading this article, you will be able to:
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Sometimes, in order to notice and realize that the world is beautiful and magnificent, a mere trifle is enough. In the literal and figurative sense. Indeed, in order to bring joy to yourself or others, it is enough just to create something unusual, funny and ... microscopic. For example, this little world in an ordinary light bulb.
You will need:
Light bulb (you can take a light bulb of any size and shape. Please note that if you are creating a light bulb terrarium for the first time, it is better to use a larger copy),
Sand or small (very small) pebbles (it is not recommended to use ordinary soil for planting - it can become moldy in a confined space),
Tillandsia (Tillandsia) and various types of moss are best suited for planting in a terrarium. This plant is very unpretentious, which makes it an ideal "inhabitant" of our lamp terrarium. You can buy Tillandsia in a regular flower or online store.
Decor elements for the terrarium - pieces of colored glass, beads, plastic figurines, can be placed in the lampoterrarium of inhabitants made of "fimo".
Do not use: ordinary soil, freshly harvested moss, do not store lampoterrarium in the dark or in direct sunlight.
Once a week, use a spray bottle to moisten the terrarium microflora.
To prepare the lamp space, you will need:
Tweezers,
- thin nose pliers
- scissors,
- flat screwdriver
- protective glasses.
Take a transparent light bulb. Later, you may decide to use frosted lamps, but they require special care in thinking through the decor, so for now, start small and simple.
Now the first and only difficult stage of work. Put on goggles (there will be microscopic fragments) and carefully, one by one, remove the bulb holder.
Remove the metal tip first. Pull the tip of the black material slightly towards you.
Gradually pull the black element out until it is completely out of the cartridge.
Gently but firmly grasp the lamp and remove the glass inside the lamp.
Use a screwdriver as a lever. Carefully break the small tubes inside the lamp with it (it will take a little effort). Follow. To keep the bulb from slipping out of your hands.
Remove any remaining wires with pliers.
Finish the edges of the hole so that there are no sharp pieces left.
The basis for the lampoterrarium is ready!
Glue small plastic pads to the bottom of the light bulb to give stability.
Now all that's left is the most pleasant and interesting.
Take sand or the smallest pebbles. You can use a special substrate for terrariums. If you are using river or sea sand, rinse thoroughly before use.
Bake the sand on a baking sheet to remove dirt and dry it. The temperature must be at least 300 degrees. Be careful with hot sand!
After washing and drying, the sand is ready for use.
Pour the required amount into the lamp using a small funnel or a folded piece of cardboard
Take a dry floristic mixture (containing moss, reindeer moss) or Tillandsia seeds. Sow inside the lamp in a small amount. Alternatively, take pieces of dry moss and a plant and place inside with tweezers. Pay attention to choosing the most beautiful arrangement of individual elements (you will need patience, but the result will exceed expectations).
Add tiny toys, animal figurines, fimo crafts, beads, beads, decorative pieces, pretty pebbles, twigs, wire. At this stage, it is important to maintain balance and not oversaturate the composition with an abundance of details.
Well, that's all - a wonderful work of floral art, a magnificent and super - original gift, a joy for children and adults - ready!
Today it is very popular to make an eternal terrarium from an ordinary light bulb. I decided to try making it with my kids. The terrarium is called eternal because it forms its own microclimate. Water evaporates, condenses and re-enters the soil, nourishing plants and microorganisms. Plants consume water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. Plants release oxygen and decompose, thereby serving as fertilizer for new plants. A whole living world in a simple incandescent light bulb.
Videos eternal light bulb terrarium
We'll need
- Non-working incandescent lamp
- stones
- Sand
- Earth
- Plants
Making an eternal terrarium from a light bulb
First you need to remove all the insides from the lamp. We remove the metal contact and break the black insulator.Using a screwdriver, break off the glass holder, and with the help of tweezers remove it from the lamp.
We will use a stone as a stand. You can show your imagination and come up with some other stand.
We put a few drops of glue on the lamp and glue it at an angle to the stone.
In order to make it easier to fill the terrarium, we will make a paper tube. And with the help of it we fall asleep stones that will act as a base. And the second layer is filled with sand.
Plants for an eternal terrarium
Now we go to the forest, where we will find all the necessary plants for the terrarium. Forest plants are more tenacious than indoor plants, so they will become excellent inhabitants of our terrarium. We will need moss and some plants with a small root system. Also in the forest we will collect twigs, stones, and most importantly - do not forget to take some soil.There is nothing to worry about if insects or earthworms get into the terrarium from a light bulb. They will also become residents of our micro world.
Backfill the terrarium with earth before adding the plants.
The next stage is creative. With enough patience in a light bulb, you can create miniature worlds by arranging stones, twigs, and choosing plants for a terrarium that will combine and complement each other.
The easiest way to place plants in a terrarium made from an incandescent lamp is with tweezers and a small stick.
Don't forget to add some water with a syringe. Without water, no organism can survive, which means we will not get an eternal terrarium in a light bulb.
After all the plants are placed inside, it is necessary to hermetically close the terrarium. So that oxygen from the outside world does not get inside, and the water that is inside does not evaporate.
You can close it with a small stone, stick or acorn, which gives a very original look to the terrarium. And fill our cork with super glue on top.
you saw what original usefulness and amenities can be made from ordinary, obsolete incandescent bulbs. I promised to continue the topic and show with a detailed example how to do terrarium from a light bulb with your own hands. So, I bring to your attention an illustrated
Option 2. We make a terrarium out of a light bulb.
First you need to prepare everything you need to work.>>>
Instruments:
Protective glasses
Stationery scissors
Flat head screwdriver
Round pliers
long tweezers
A transparent incandescent lamp, the larger the better (for beginners), this is easier to work with.
Materials for a ready-made terrarium:
- Aquarium soil, sand or very small pebbles - choose one. You can also use a special substrate for terrariums in accordance with the type of plants chosen.
- A small plant that can be easily pushed into the narrow part of the prepared light bulb: any moss will do, Tillandsia (Tillandsia) - these plants are ideal for semi-enclosed terrariums, they are unpretentious, they are easy to acquire.
- If you wish, you can choose a decor: colored small pebbles, glass pieces collected on the sea coast, beads, plastic figurines of animals, insects, berries, even.
one). For such a terrarium, it is better not to use soil collected from the street and fresh, freshly collected moss.
2). Once a week, using a spray bottle, you should sprinkle the microflora inside the light bulb.
3). do not tolerate direct sunlight and constant darkness - choose a suitable place for the permanent “residence” of the original craft in advance.
We have prepared all the materials and tools, decided on the place of placement, you can start manufacturing.
The very first thing to do before starting work is put on protective goggles . They will protect the eyes from microscopic glass fragments. Now, carefully remove the bulb socket. Next you need remove the metal tip, slightly pulling the tip of the black material towards you.
The black element must be pulled out gradually, until it is pulled completely out of its cartridge.
Holding the light bulb tightly you need to carefully remove the glass inside the bulb.
A screwdriver with a flat end will come in handy, using it as a lever, you can gradually break small tubes with it that's inside the lamp. The main thing is that the light bulb itself does not slip out of the hands at this moment, otherwise it will break, and not the element we need.
with thin nose pliers remove all remnants of the incandescent element from within.
So that there are no sharp pieces left along the edges of the hole, they should process, clean up.
The future terrarium is ready!
To give stability to a fragile vessel to its bottom (side), it is necessaryglue small plastic pads if there is no special stand or suspension.
Remains fill small or not so small (depending on the size of the bulb you found or chose) "house" of life. This is the most exciting activity.
Soil preparation
If you have chosen sand or microscopic pebbles taken from nature, then they must be thoroughly rinsed with water.
To make the sand safe for the future "inhabitants" of the light bulb, it must be dry and bake in the oven on a baking sheet. Experts recommend setting the temperature to a mark not lower than 300 degrees. I don’t know if you have such an oven, on the panel of our home - the maximum 250 degrees. So, set to the maximum, hold for at least an hour.
The sand will be very hot be careful when you take it out!
Calcined sand, when it cools down, falling asleep in a light bulb using a thin sheet of cardboard , folded in half or funnels, do the same if you took a special substrate or small pebbles (also necessarily calcined).
Now we will sow or plant our plants. It is convenient and interesting to sow a light bulb with a dry mixture containing reindeer moss, moss or Tillandsia seeds . A small amount of such a floral mixture is enough to fill such an original terrarium with life.
If you want to immediately get the finished result without waiting for shoots, then take pieces of necessarily dry moss, an ornamental houseplant suitable for this type of life. And place it all inside the light bulb using tweezers. You'll have to be patient as it's a painstaking job, but once you've placed everything in the best possible way, you'll be fascinated by the result.
When the living part of the terrarium is ready can be added and embellished its decorative part. You can give the composition a special charm by placing figures of insects, animals, plastic berries inside, add beautiful colored or one-color pebbles of the original form, and other elements. It is important not to overdo it, to maintain balance and harmony. Excessive embellishment is completely useless.
When the composition, in your opinion, is completely ready, transfer it to the place of permanent “residence”, call the household and friends, accept admiring reviews! Become the most creative in your environment! Or you can even give it to someone! light bulb terrarium handmade according to this master class will become very original and beautiful gift. 🙂
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The prehistory of this craft dates back to the distant 19th century. Many lovers of exotic plants could not grow them in Europe due to the peculiar climatic conditions. Plants from warm countries required high humidity, minimal wind and high air temperature. The solution was found by a biologist named Ward, he created a kind of glass box, which was tightly closed, and the walls of transparent sheet glass perfectly transmitted light. As a result, Ward's box did not release moisture from a tightly closed space, thereby increasing the humidity of the internal microclimate, the complete absence of wind and high temperature due to the transparency of the material.
Modern florists have developed Ward's idea and gone further, in addition to growing exotic plants, they began to create mini-greenhouses in small bottles and even incandescent lamps. In addition, they can make a small garden from plants of our latitudes, which are based on moss.
How to create a mini-garden in a "bottle"?
In the modern world, it is not difficult for young masters and novice florists to find a vessel for growing an unusual garden. Absolutely any vessel will do, in which several plants can be placed, but so, it must be tightly closed, not necessarily airtight. For this craft, you can choose any container that catches your eye: a bottle of wine or kefir, an old jar or a round aquarium, a 40-watt light bulb, and even a plastic bottle.
For plants that require a high percentage of humidity, it is best to take a vessel with the narrowest possible neck, but at the same time sufficient for flowers, decorations and tools for loosening and watering the earth to crawl into it.
How to choose plants for a garden in a bottle?
The main criterion for choosing plants for a mini-greenhouse: small size, slow growth and minimal tendency to overgrow. Otherwise, in a month the entire container will be filled with greenery, and will die from lack of space.
A garden in a bottle has a more decorative function, so the amount of soil mixture should be minimal and not exceed ¼ of the total volume, and this introduces another correction for plants - a small root system.
Inside such a greenhouse there will always be increased moisture, even if it is ajar. This factor eliminates plants that do not tolerate an increased amount of condensate, and as a result, moisture. Mosses of various types are perfect for such a climate, but cacti are likely to rot.
Do-it-yourself miniature greenhouse under glass
- We lay the soil for planting. Before laying the soil mixture, you need to prepare a drainage system. To do this, put a layer of expanded clay or small gravel, up to 2 cm thick, on the bottom. This is followed by a layer of earth fertilized with charcoal, its thickness is not more than 5 cm. Coal disinfects, thereby preventing the root system from rotting (in the absence of charcoal, you can replace activated coal). Regarding the soil - it should be as airy as possible, not dense, so that the roots of the plants can breathe.
The ratio of the layer ratio is approximate and is calculated for a capacity of up to 1 liter, for other volumes try to calculate the same ratio. For an incandescent lamp, it is worth taking very small gravel and a very small amount of earth.
- Planting a plant. The flower must not only be put on the ground, but planted in it; for this, you first need to dig a hole with a spatula or a teaspoon. For bottles with a very thin neck, tweezers or chopsticks will do.
- Mini garden decoration. Place a few pebbles or a piece of tree bark between green spaces; small garden or aquarium figurines can successfully emphasize the composition.
- Care and watering. For an airtight garden, one watering is enough, but it must be done carefully and strictly monitor the amount of water. For a bottle with a loose cap, watering is a rare occurrence. For the first hours or days, condensation from excess moisture will begin to appear on the walls, it must be wiped off. On particularly hot days, a greenhouse that is not tightly closed will have to be watered once every one or two weeks.
Video lesson. Terrarium in a light bulb!
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