Christmas decorating is in full swing over at our house, and a trip to the thrift store resulted in an idea for an affordable, customizable Christmas DIY! I found three glass vases for $4 total, and decided to create tiny winter wonderlands using things I already had on hand.
I love this simple project for a lot of reasons. First, it is easy. Like “I don’t know if I should even write a post about it” easy. Even if you think you are not “crafty”, you can make this. Second, it is affordable. I picked up most of my supplies at the thrift store, and used things I had on hand for the rest. Third, it is totally customizable! You can use whatever you already have, and can choose pieces that are meaningful to you. And fourth, I really love tiny things, so these tiny things make me happy.
I’m just here to share the idea, share my result, and share some links to similar items if you want to make your own Holland Avenue Home inspired Christmas terrariums.
Materials
Glass Jars or Vases
Like I said before, my vases came from the thrift store. I would check your thrift store first for options that might work, but here’s a roundup of a few affordable options on Amazon if you strike out. You want a vase that is totally clear, decently tall, and with enough surface area to give your tiny things some breathing room. Mine are glass, but shatter-proof acrylic might be more kid-friendly.
$24.99 Set of 2 Glass Canisters with Rubber Seal (these could be repurposed for food storage after Christmas!)
Once you have your jars of choice, you can begin to fill them with your tiny winter wonderlands.
Sugar
Instead of tracking down fake snow, I just used sugar from my cupboard! I used two cups for my larger vases, and about a cup and a half for the smaller vase. I wanted to have plenty, but enough space for my items to be mostly submerged in the vase.
Tiny Things
The best part. I love tiny things, so I had a large tiny inventory on hand. I found the gold church ornament at the thrift store as well. The tiny dala horse is from a keychain. Gather your favorite festive tinies, and start to layer them in your vase.
I started with my largest items, the church and the bottlebrush tree, and then layered in a few tinier tinies. What a thrill. 
You might be thinking, “But Avery. You just put tiny things in a jar. This is not a new idea.” If you’re thinking that, you’re probably right. But my Christmas terrariums have a secret ingredient that makes them one million percent more magical and fun.
Two words. Pom. Poms.
My Mom gave me these felt pom poms, and they turn the cuteness factor up to eleven, then break off the knob.
If I ever “influence” you to buy anything on the internet, please let me influence you to buy tiny felt pom poms. They are adorable all year round, and will make you smile every time you see them. It is science.
$9.99 50 Felt Wool Pom Poms
$13.73 120 Felt Wool Pom Poms
Once you’ve made one tiny terrarium, you can make a million more! (Okay… or like… two more. Or three. There is no terrarium police, and I personally support any number of terrariums you wish to make.)
Some fairy lights and colorful vintage books help round out this cheerful little Christmas scene.
If you decide to make tiny terrariums, please share them with me! Tag @hollandavenuehome on Instagram or send me a direct message. It would bring me so much joy to see your personal creation of tiny things!
Want to save this idea for later? Hover over the image below to pin it to Pinterest!
I’ll be sharing more affordable DIY Christmas decor ideas next week, but check out my favorite free idea from last year if you want to keep crafting!
Minimal and Whimsical Christmas Decor DIY: Family Photo Santa Hats
Follow Holland Avenue Home on Instagram for behind-the-scenes progress on projects, and daily encouragement towards thoughtful homemaking!
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to share your creations with me!
