How to Make a Radiant Terrarium Lamp [DIY Guide]

A terrarium lamp is a wonderfully creative blend of art, nature, and good old-fashioned practicality.

Seriously, what better way to put your reading lamp to use than to feed your terrarium plants along with your mind?

Not to mention the fact that it’s surprisingly easy to create a DIY lamp terrarium for yourself.

In this guide, we’ll shine a light on the key supplies and methods you’ll need to transform a terrarium into a bright and beautiful piece of homeware.

Let’s shine!

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Before we dive in headfirst, there are a few things we need to ensure for this project to work.

• Safety stuff – This one’s a bit of a no-brainer… The light system (electric) and the closed terrarium (water) cannot come into contact. The light will be connected to the terrarium lid, not situated within the terrarium itself.
• Stability – It needs to be stable. If your lamp knocks over, your beautiful creation will be ruined (not to mention the whole electricity and water thing). So, we need to consider the weight of the piece and how securely the elements are attached to each other.
• Accessibility – The “self-sustaining terrarium” is a bit of a holy grail. While I’ve had terrariums that could eventually be left without interference, they’re most certainly going to need some tweaking initially. You need to be able to get to it relatively easily to remove dropped leaves or add the occasional spray of water.

So, with those things in mind, let’s look at what you’ll need…

1 | Glass Container With a Wide Base

Ideally, choose a shorter piece with thicker glass over a taller, flimsier piece. You’re adding the light fixtures to the top, so we want to keep the weight of the build low.

TJ Maxx and Ikea are great places to search – you can often find big vases for super cheap.

2 | Cork Lid

Of course, you’ll need a lid for your terrarium.

And for this build in particular, getting the right material is very important.

For most of my terrariums, I choose acrylic lids over cork; they look like glass, so the aesthetic is cleaner. But, acrylic lids sit on top of the glass unsecured, and cork can both wedge in tightly and still be removed easily, making it the preferable choice for this project.

Make sure it fits snugly and securely.

👉 Shop cork terrarium lids on Etsy.

3 | Bottle Lamp Kit

A bottle lamp kit is a logistical lifesaver.

It takes the terrarium lamp from a heavy-duty DIY challenge to an accessible project. And luckily, they’re reasonably cheap too!

As the name suggests, they’re specifically made for turning a bottle into a lamp, but with a little adapting, we can translate it to the terrarium scene. (Of course, you could always make a bottle terrarium too!)

👉 Shop bottle lamp kits on Etsy and Amazon.

Just be sure you get an electrical bottle lamp kit, not a torch wick one – they’re both sold as  “bottle lamp kits.”

4 | Bulb and Lampshade (If Needed)

Many of the kits don’t come with a bulb or lampshade, so if yours doesn’t, get yourself down to the store and grab them.

*It’s worth waiting until your lamp kit has arrived so you know what bulb type you’ll need.

I highly recommend choosing a warm-toned bulb over a cool-toned bulb; this advice is completely unrelated to the project, but the thought of cool-toned light makes me feel uneasy. Lol.

5 | Tools

You’re gonna need:

• Drill.
• “Flat drill bit” or “spade drill bit” (same thing, different names – they’re made for drilling holes).

• Measuring tape & pencil.
• Glue-gun.

• Spray bottle – this is essential as it’s important to add water to your terrarium evenly and lightly.
• Any other basic terrarium tools you’d like. My must-haves are aquascaping tweezers and an angled paintbrush.

6 | Your Usual Terrarium Materials

Naturally, you’ll need all the other things you’d typically need to make a terrarium.

For drainage, leca, aquarium gravel, or pebbles all work great, and a good-quality substrate (like our signature terrarium mix) goes a long way.

A nice terrarium rock is the secret sauce of the recipe; not only will it help construct a gorgeous scene, but it will add weight to keep things bottom-heavy and stable.

And last but not least… Your terrarium plants.

It’s a good idea to choose hardy tropical plants and mosses for this build. This is because, depending on how often you have the light on, it can be more challenging to get the balance of light and heat spot on.

Better safe than sorry. Why not try Ficus pumila, Pothos, Fittonia, Syngonium, or Pilea glauca?

Now, it’s time to put it all together. I find it helpful to break this project into four sections:

1. The terrarium part.
2. The lid part.
3. The connecting part.
4. The lamp part.

And we’re going to do it in that order. Let’s go.

1 | The Terrarium Part

First things first, create your masterpiece. Head to our full beginner’s guide for how to make a terrarium from the ground up (and how to take care of it when it’s finished, too).

2 | The Lid Part

Start by making sure that your cork lid fits securely onto your glassware.

Then, grab a pencil and tape measure and mark the center to guide where you’re going to drill.

Next, you’ll need to identify the part of the lamp kit that’s meant to go into the bottleneck (called the adaptor). Choose a drill bit that’s slightly smaller than it is in diameter.

You can always make the hole bigger, but you can’t make the hole smaller.

Drill the hole and check the fitting with the adaptor.

Check again, and drill more/ with a larger size drill bit if necessary.

3 | The Connecting Part

Then, when you have a snug fit between the adaptor and the cork lid, grab your glue gun and secure it into place.

4 | The Lamp Part

Now, get the rest of your bottle lamp kit and assemble it, building it directly onto the adaptor, which should be stuck in the lid.

It may vary from kit to kit, so please follow the instructions. Please note that I don’t know the specifics of the one you’re using, and you should always double-check that the electrical system cannot come into contact with water.

Pop your lid onto your terrarium, attach your bulb and lampshade, and plug it into the wall with all the pride of the village celebrity switching on the Christmas lights!

*As a final note, I’d advise you not to leave this lamp on for extended periods of time or leave it unattended. If it overheats, it could cook your plants and even melt the hot glue.

Please be responsible with this project and its associated safety. Seek professional advice if needed.

I hope you adore your terrarium lamp. We’d love to see it – share it and tag us on Instagram (@terrariumtribe)!

If you’re already on the hunt for your next DIY masterpiece – why not try a DIY hanging terrarium?