How to Draw a Terrarium (Easy Step by Step)
A terrarium is a tiny garden inside a glass bowl, and this one has a cactus, a mushroom, and some leafy plants growing above two rows of pebbles. It is built from simple shapes: a circle, a few ovals, and some rounded tubes and pointy leaves. Once the bowl is drawn, every plant just slots inside it.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a terrarium step by step
How to Draw a Terrarium · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Bowl and opening
Draw a big round circle for the bowl, leaving a gap at the top. Then draw a long, thin oval across that gap for the opening, so the bowl looks like a round jar.
Step 3: The ground line
Draw a gently wavy line across the lower part of the bowl, from the left side to the right side. This is the top of the soil.
Step 4: The tall cactus
Start at the ground on the left and draw a tall, fat tube with a round top, like a finger. Then add a bendy arm on the left side that goes out, up, and curls back in to the tube.
Step 5: The little mushroom
Next to the cactus, draw a small dome with a bumpy edge for the cap. Add two tiny stems under it that touch the ground.
Step 6: The tall leaf
On the right side, draw a tall pointy leaf shaped like a flame, with its tip at the top. Let the bottom narrow into two little lines at the ground.
Step 7: The side leaves
Draw a curved leaf leaning out on the left of the tall leaf, and another one leaning out on the right. Each one is a pointy curve that starts at the ground.
Step 8: The top row of pebbles
Under the ground line, draw four small ovals in a row. Then draw a smaller oval inside each one to make it look like a ring.
Step 9: The bottom row of pebbles
Draw three more ring-shaped ovals in a row underneath, tucked between the pebbles above. Keep them inside the curve of the bowl.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your terrarium? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a storm cloud or how to draw a mushroom next.
Tips for drawing a terrarium
- Draw the bowl first and take your time with the circle. Everything else sits inside it, so a nice round bowl makes the whole picture easier.
- The cactus arm is the trickiest part. Draw the tall middle tube first, then add the arm as a bendy U shape that joins it, like an elbow.
- Make the pebble rings about the same size, and draw the second row in the gaps between the first row so they look tucked in together.
Free terrarium coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this terrarium coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your terrarium drawing
Try green for the cactus and leaves, brown for the soil, and a red cap with white dots for the mushroom. For a creative twist, color the pebbles in rainbow colors.
Terrarium fun fact for kids
Terrariums can make their own little water cycle. Water in the soil warms up, rises as vapor, collects on the glass, and drops back down like rain. In England, a sealed glass bottle garden planted in 1960 by David Latimer has survived for decades with almost no extra water.
Questions about drawing a terrarium
What shapes do I need to draw a terrarium?
You need one big circle for the bowl, a long thin oval for the opening, and small ovals for the pebbles. The cactus is a rounded tube, the mushroom cap is a bumpy dome, and the leaves are pointy curves.
How do I make my terrarium look like glass?
Draw the bowl with a smooth, round line and leave the inside empty so you can see the plants through it. When you color, use a very light blue or leave the bowl white.
Where do the plants go in my drawn terrarium?
Draw each plant standing on the wavy soil line so it looks like it is growing there. The pebbles go below the soil line, inside the curve of the bowl.
