2088664764907119
top of page
glass jar terrarium with a cork lid showing layers of soil, sand and moss with small green plants and porous brown rocks on a white surface

Terrarium Kit Instructions

Welcome to your terrarium guide. Every kit from Of Forest & Fog is designed to be simple to build and easy to care for, even if you’ve never made a miniature forest before. Below you will find a clear, step-by-step layout, tips for keeping your moss happy, and answers to common questions. Take your time, enjoy the process, and let your jar grow at its own gentle pace.

Every Of Forest & Fog terrarium kit follows the same simple layering method, so this guide works for all kits, from the Cemetarium to the Bramble Glen. Follow along and your tiny forest will settle in beautifully.

Follow these simple steps to build your tiny forest.

What’s Inside Your Tiny Forest Kit

  • Root Layer Pebbles

  • Forest Moss Filter (Sphagnum Layer)

  • Horticultural Charcoal

  • Forest Substrate Blend

  • Forest Floor Sand

  • Living Moss

  • Morning Dew Mister

  • Forest Accents

Before You Begin

shallow trays holding terrarium materials including live moss, dried moss, charcoal, white gravel and fine soil, arranged on a light surface with a glass jar nearby

Wash and dry your jar so the glass is clear and ready.
Find a flat surface, take a breath, and open everything out in front of you.
Every kit from Of Forest & Fog uses the same simple layering method, from the Cemetarium to the Pocket Grove, so you can follow these steps no matter which tiny forest you’re building.

Assembly Instructions

Step 1. Create Your Base

Begin with a layer of pebbles at the bottom of your jar.
This allows excess moisture to settle below your soil, helping prevent waterlogging over time.

Step 2. Add a Sphagnum Barrier

Lay a soft layer of damp sphagnum moss over the pebbles.
This acts as a natural filter, keeps your substrate from sinking, and helps prevent charcoal from discolouring the water below.

close up of hands using tweezers to arrange plants and decorations inside a glass jar terrarium with layered pebbles, sand and soil on a wooden table

Step 3. Add Horticultural Charcoal

Sprinkle a thin layer of charcoal over the sphagnum.
This helps keep your terrarium fresh by filtering the water as it moves through the layers.

close up of a small terrarium with white sand, stones, soil and a patch of bright green moss inside a glass container

Step 4. Build Your Substrate Layer

Add your forest substrate blend on top of the charcoal.
Use enough to give your moss something to root into, and shape it gently if you’d like small rises or contours.

Step 5. Shape Your Forest Floor

Add a layer of sand to define your forest floor.
You can slope it, level it, or leave small gaps for accents and variation.

Step 6. Settle Your Moss

Gently tease your moss into smaller sections and place it across the surface.
Press it down lightly so it makes contact with the soil beneath, just enough to help it settle in.

Step 7. Add Forest Accents

Finish your scene with any stones, bark, or included accents.
This is where your terrarium becomes your own, a small landscape shaped by you.

Step 8. Mist Gently

Lightly mist the entire terrarium using your mister.
You’re aiming for damp, not soaked.

close up of a small terrarium with white sand, stones, soil and a patch of bright green moss inside a glass container

Aftercare

Place your terrarium in bright, indirect light.
Avoid direct sunlight, as it can overheat the glass and dry out your moss.

Mist lightly when the moss begins to look dry.
Depending on your environment, this may be every few days or once a week.

Your terrarium may shift slightly in the first few days.
This is completely normal, it will settle and find its balance over time.

person arranging a miniature terrarium scene with moss, small plants, rocks and soil, carefully placing elements to shape a tiny landscape

A Small Note

Each piece of moss is foraged and unique.
No two terrariums will ever grow the same way, and that’s part of the magic.

Image by Nik Demidko
We acknowledge the Tatungalung, Krauatungalung, and Brabralung people of the Gunaikurnai Nation, Traditional Custodians of the lands and waterways where we live and create, and pay my respects to Elders past and present and emerging.
bottom of page