Making a 'Star Wars' Terrarium in the 'World of Geekcraft'

Crafter and geek-o-phile Susan Beal, author of World of Geekcraft: Step-by-Step Instructions for 25 Super-Cool Craft Projects, shows us how to make our very own Star Wars terrariums. This quick and easy craft features Princess Leia meeting her first Endorian bipedal (aka Wicket)! While we can't get enough of this space epic phenomenon, consider your own favorite movie moments as the inspiration for a terrarium. Pretty Woman, anyone?

A special note to all black thumbs out there: Even if you and the force aren't so strong these days, know that succulents are practically indestructible. Very similar to a cactus, succulents only ask for a few drops of water once a month and are surprisingly disease-resistant. Even sunlight is negotiable.

Materials and Tools:

-Glass jar (with or without lid)
-Princess Leia action figure
-Wicket Ewok action figure
-Bamboo skewers
-Garden sheers
-Medium-brown pebbles (usually available at craft or aquarium stores)
-Powdered charcoal
-Potting or container soil
-Succulent plants
-Succulent plants or fern (at least 1 and as many as you want)
-Moss (most likely found at a garden supply store)
-Small piece of tree branch (slightly smaller than jar's diameter)

1. Insert bamboo sticks into the small holes in the feet of the Princess Leia and Wicket action figures. You may need to trim the bamboo with garden sheers. Set aside.

2. Wash and dry jar to prevent any chemical or bacteria residue, which may harm plants or action figures.

3. Add about an inch of pebbles to the bottom of the jar and then a thin layer of charcoal. The pebbles promote better drainage, preventing the plants from sitting in too much water, which could lead to mold or rot.

4. Add about an inch of potting soil. Succulents and moss have shallow roots and so need less soil than most plants.

5. Decide which angle of the jar will be your foreground. Then place the succulent at the "back" of the jar. Cover its roots with a pinch of soil. Add moss around the succulents.

6. Put the tree branch in front of the succulent so that it can be seen from the "front" of the jar.

7. Position Princes Leia so she is sitting or leaning on the log. Place Wicket on the moss in front of her.

Variations

For Tattoine Terrarium:

Substitute honey-colored pebbles for the brown pebbles, honey-colored sand for soil and a Luke Skywalker action figure for Princess Leia and Wicket.

For Hoth Terrarium:

Substitute white pebbles for the brown pebbles, white sand for soil and white rocks, white quartz and coral for succulents. Even though Hoth is a barren ice planet, you can still add a plant to the terrarium via a white or pale-colored air plant.

Photo credits, from top: Kaitlynn Rudberg / Creo Photography / creo-photography@live.com

Excerpted with permission from World of Geekcraft: Step-by-Step Instructions for 25 Super-Cool Craft Projects by Susan Beal, published by Chronicle Books.