Eternal life: Light bulb transformed into long-lasting terrarium
Science is constantly moving forward, but we are still a long way from finding the elixir of life for humans. But this tiny terrarium you can make yourself will at least allow to you bring some of that self-sustaining plant energy into your home. It's tons of fun to watch the cycles of life happening before your eyes, not to mention this project is eco-friendly!
You'll need:
- light bulb
- working gloves
- pliers
- screwdriver
- hot glue gun
- large stone
- paper
- wooden stick
- tweezers
- syringe
- gravel
- sand
- dirt
- moss
- acorns etc.
Here's how to do it:
Warning: DO NOT use energy-saving light bulbs. They contain mercury, which is poisonous and can cause serious health problems if breathed in or touched.
The first step is to put on your working gloves to protect your hands from injury. Next, use pliers to pull on the small silver spot in the center of the light bulb.
You should be able to stick the end of the pliers into the hole and pull the black base out.
Next, use the screwdriver to break the small, internal lamp and dispose of it. Be careful to collect all of the glass pieces!
Place several spots of hot glue on one side of the large stone. This will be a base for your terrarium and the glue helps keep things stable.
Place the light bulb in the position you desire on the stone.
Form a small funnel from the piece of paper and get ready to fill your bulb. It's time to go for a hike through the woods if you haven't already.
First add a thin layer of gravel to the bottom. That works as drainage for any excess water. Next, add a layer of sand, the wooden stick should help you distribute it evenly.
The final layer is dirt. Carefully place the plants and moss of your choice using tweezers. A few shells or some bark adds a nice aesthetic touch.
All that's left to do is sprinkle a few drops of water on top of your masterpiece.
To keep your terrarium sealed and healthy, you can hot glue a pebble or other material to completely block the opening. Once the opening is sealed, a mini-ecosystem is formed.
Wow. Your own microcosm. It's hard to believe, but the plants have all the nutrition they need.
You can choose how to display your light bulb. Below is a minimalist example using a cork stopper.
Here is an instructional video in Russian, but hey, pictures are worth a thousand words:
This mini-terrarium allows you to witness an amazing cycle of life: The water evaporates and rests as condensation on the glass, then it slowly drips down, returning to the soil and hydrating the plants. Of course, some plants will die, but that leaves room and energy for new life to grow. If you're still having doubts, take a look at this second video (this time in German) of the terrarium after one month: New plants are setting down roots and worms abound!