WALL SPHERE TERRARIUM (easy, recycled, fast, cheap!)

 by marcellahella
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(my inglish is weird today)
I made this really cool looking terrarium, you can hang it everywere. I made it all out of scraps, recicled wood, innertube, paint find in the street and recicled plaxiglass! I m going to make another one (with the pieces i m showing in the steps) for the shower! I will put plant of Potus, they really like umididity in teir air roots.
I find the dome of the main one in the street, and the one I show in the steps is given to me by a frend, it was his motorhome window.
You can find them in junkyards.
The globe need very little wather couse it keep the dirt from evaporated too much, so it really look cool but need very few care, if you choose the right plants.

Step 1: WHAT YOU NEED

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MATERIALS:
_plaxiglass dome;
_plyewood;
_few bolts and nuts;
_acrilic paint or watherproof house paint;
_inner tube.

TOOLS:
_jigsaw;
_drill, cutting bit and drill bit;
_paintbrash.

Step 2: CUT PLYEWOOD AND PAINT IT

Snapshot 2012-04-29 20-29-01.tiff
cut plyewood in the same shape of your dome shape.
paint it with wather proof paint, several layer (allowed to dry beetwen each layer).

Step 3: MAKE HOLES

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1.make hole for screw together plywood and plexiglass: put plexiglass on plywood and hold it really firm , make hole in both at the same time.(put some tape on the plexiglass so drill don't slip)
2.make two holes in the plywood, the one for hang it on the wall, so they need to be big enough for BIG screw, that will be able to hold    it up.
3.make some hole in the bottom part of the globe, so that the water can drain out. (is not mandatory, you can also don't make any hole if you like your floor clean, just allowed the water to evaporated all from the bottom before watering it again).
4.make big hole (big enough to fit your hand in it and the plant, and allowed air in the terrarium) in the front middle part of the globe with the cutting bit.

Step 4: ATTACH PLEXIGLASS GLOBE TO PLYEWOOD

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cut inner tube in many little mini donuts with an hole in the middle to allowed screw in.screw together plaxiglass and plywood, YOU SERIOUSLY NEED TO PUT MANY RING OF INNER TUBE between the plaxiglasss and the innertube, otherwise it will crac.

Step 5: FILL IT WITH DIRT AND PLANT!

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Snapshot 2012-04-29 20-02-22.tiff
thats it! fill it with some broken flowerpot pieces to allowed water to drain, and fill it in 1/3  with dirt (not more or will be way too heavy).
put plants in it, depending on how much light there is in the room , the temperatur and the dirt you choose.
triumphman says: Dec 29, 2012. 8:58 PM
Where did you find the plastic bubble ?
marcellahella (author) in reply to triumphmanJan 1, 2013. 11:05 AM
In the street, but you can find similar things in junk yards
legolasandgimili says: Jun 4, 2012. 9:27 PM
This is neat - I've been looking for a terrarium for my room for some time now. I will have to look into this!!
Treasure Tabby says: Jun 4, 2012. 9:20 PM
Oh that's so neat. Reminds me of something you see on Startrek except it was filled with water and it had a lion fish in it.
Thrasym says: Jun 2, 2012. 2:48 PM
Really cool terrarium. But doesn't the wood get moldy? I know you said you've had it for over a year already. Just everything I've ever known tells me wet wood should grow mold and mildew.
marcellahella (author) in reply to ThrasymJun 2, 2012. 4:22 PM
it doesent mold couse I ve covered it with few layer of watherproof house painting
(step 2)
Thrasym in reply to marcellahellaJun 3, 2012. 9:55 AM
Oh, sorry, I missed the waterproof detail on the paint.
Robotguy says: May 15, 2012. 12:24 PM
That is a very nice looking Terrarium! I like the style.

You shouldn't need to add CO2 for several reasons:

1. Plants exhale O2 during the day, but they exhale CO2 at night. The exchange is somewhat weighted toward eventually using up the CO2 BUT

2. Unless you are trying VERY hard for a perfect seal, there is enough airflow to keep the plants healthy. Of more concern is dialing in the perfect amount of airflow to keep the humidity at a moderate level. Too wet will promote mold, too dry and the plants won't be happy.

The plants won't grow as fast as if they had a super abundant supply of CO2 BUT
3. You really don't want terrarium plants to grow fast. Most people grow terrariums for their extreme low maintenance, which means you won't want to be in there trimming all of the time.

Of course if you had some high humidity vegetables or herbs (not many out there) growing in a terrarium, then CO2 might increase your yield.
marcellahella (author) in reply to RobotguyMay 15, 2012. 12:45 PM
thank you! and you re right, i dont really want the plant becoming too giant too fast or I will have to cange terrarium soon!
Pattymouth says: May 13, 2012. 2:25 PM
I love this! Great job! I think the hole is just fine - you can add items (a pretty rock or shell that you find) and change things around if you like without taking it down. If you wanted to fill in the back hole, you could add a mirror.
marcellahella (author) in reply to PattymouthMay 13, 2012. 6:30 PM
thanks!
The Cartographer says: Apr 29, 2012. 11:49 PM
You should find a way to hook up a steady flow of CO2 so the plants will grow better. :]
marcellahella (author) in reply to The CartographerApr 30, 2012. 11:51 AM
but there is 4 hole around the top and a huge one in the front...
ironsmiter in reply to The CartographerApr 30, 2012. 12:17 AM
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-CO2-Reactor-for-a-Planted-Aquarium/
marcellahella (author) in reply to ironsmiterApr 30, 2012. 11:53 AM
I cant understand this CO2... why should i put it? there is a huge hole in the front of the plexiglass , you can see it if you look carefully...i have this terrarium for more than one year and the plant like it...
greenirishmoon in reply to marcellahellaApr 30, 2012. 2:07 PM
you could add the CO2 instead of having a big hole in the front. just for asthetics i guess.
marcellahella (author) in reply to greenirishmoonApr 30, 2012. 5:37 PM
yes, I will try it if is easy... but you still need the hole in the front to watering the plants, and clean them from dead leaves, or replace them... it doesent look too bad! but I will think about the CO2 things for the next one, thanks!
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