Urban Born Handmade Birdcage Large Glass Terrarium (Steel)

*EDIT* I tried the clear plastic to make the terrarium waterproof. It was difficult to properly fit the plastic and to me it was too visible. I figured out a better solution. What do you use to seal around the glass in the windows of your home? Clear Silicone from a tube from the hardware store. I bought the small tube, 2.8 ozs. I thought the larger tube would be too difficult to maneuver in the small terrarium. It was easy to do. I sealed all of the metal frame that will be below the surface of the soil and stones. I had plenty left over. It dries opaque so you can see the little bit I got on the glass but it's barely noticeable. The direction say not to expose the silicone to water for 8 hours and not to touch for 24 hours. By tomorrow afternoon I should be ready to go.This product has 10 year mold free product protection. I think this is going to work out just fine. My terrarium arrived today and I could not be more pleased. This is the perfect size for a coffee or side table. It's lovely. I read some concerns that the terrarium is not lined so it is not waterproof. This design is like many classic Wardian cases, glass and metal alone. You can make them waterproof. My large Warden case is metal on the bottom and has a band of metal around the perimeter. You can line the bottom with something plastic like a trash bag because you won't see it behind the metal. For a clear glass terrarium like this you simply line it with clear plastic, like a storage or freezer bag. Cut the bag to size covering the bottom of the terrarium and ups the sides a couple of inches, deep enough to hold the soil and plants. Keep the plastic close to the walls so you won't see air gaps through the glass. Use invisible tape to hold the plastic in place. Your pretty new terrarium is now protected from water. You're welcome! :D

This terrarium is gorgeous. It is so sturdy, well made and stunning. I read that it wasn’t water tight (not that you need much water because it’s a closed terrarium), so I just caulked it at the bottom just in case. The craftsmanship is beautiful. It is a great size and can be used for more than just plants. This is definitely giftable as well.

I first saw this terrarium from Urban Born before Christmas, but I was buying gifts for other people, not myself, so I didn't buy it at that time. I was sad to see it out of stock after Christmas and bought it the MINUTE I saw it back in stock, in spite of some complaints about it not holding water. That is really a minor and easily worked-around issue in such a beautiful and inexpensive terrarium of this size. I simply used aquarium sealant to fully seal the seams between the glass around the bottom of the terrarium. (the openings in the upper section should be left open for proper ventilation!) Properly designed terrariums are not meant to be heavily watered anyway, regular spraying with water is all that should be necessary. But I did want to make sure that my lovely terrarium would last for a good long time! I put in a proper drainage layer, a moist, but well-draining substrate, and planted it up. You can see the results! Rather than putting my terrarium near a window, I chose to pair it with a small LED spotlight (also from Amazon) so that it gets plenty of light, while also lighting up a dim corner of my diningroom!

I love the birdcage shape of this terrarium. Very cool and whimsical. It was a lot of fun to set up and I enjoyed it for a few months. My only complaints are: 1. The only access to the inside of the terrarium is through a small hinge door in the front. This makes it difficult to set up, take down, and maintain your terrarium. 2. It rusted after a few months of use. 3. The water spots from misting my terrarium were impossible to remove. This decreased the amount of sun my plants were able to receive through the glass. 4. I wouldn’t really call this a “large” terrarium. It’s a good size, but on the medium/small side. I think this would be better for a decoration rather than a terrarium. I enjoyed it for a while but ended up taking my plants out, as it started looking a little dingy with the rust and water spots.

For my daughters 20th birthday I bought her this terrarium because she loves cactus's. This is REALLY nice and I was pleasantly surprised that the opening was on the top not on the side. The glass top comes off and the bottom is sturdy plastic and won't leak. My daughter was able to setup the cactus's in the bottom and place the glass on top. I also bought the soil and rocks as suggested and that was plenty to fill the terrarium. The picture is a top down view and yes, I made a special rock with nail polish and sprayed it with acrylic polish for a personal touch. My husband loved it so much I bought one for him, just because.

November 2018 Update: Urban Born, the company that made this beautiful terrarium reached out and offered another terrarium because of the defective door. The new terrarium arrived and it is just as beautiful as the original with a fully workable door. I’m so excited and cannot wait to get the new one set up! What a Truly wonderful company - they make exquisite products and fully Back up their products....I will certainly order more of their beautiful products. August 2018 Beautiful Terrarium. Just a little disappointed that the door almost fell off. Was able to fix the door but switched from putting live plants in it to making a fairy garden with dried mosses so the door wouldn’t be more stressed and break completely.

I love the look and size of the terrarium. It is a beautiful item and gives me an old time green house feeling. The bottom is enough to put a shallow amount of soil and a few plants. The only thing I DO NOT like at all is that the bottom leaks. It is not water tight and you would probably have to spray it with a sealant for that. I have also only had this product for about 2 weeks now and the bottom hinge of the door has broken. The top hinge is still intact so the door works but i have to be extra careful. It honestly is not worth the price because the hinge broke and water leaks out the bottom. The product does have potential to be good but the one I received just wasnt up to par.

It's really pretty. Not too plain, and not too ornate. I got it as a gift for my adult son, and he set it up with succulents and a little bristly hedgehog figurine. It looks great. It's just a nice size - it's on the living room coffee table right now, but could easily fit nicely in many places throughout the house. It would be cool if it opened from the top as well as the side, mostly for the purpose of spritzing it with water. Although I know it has the side opening for setting it up, it seems intuitive, when spritzing, to grab for a top opening. Just an idea!

Poor quality for the price. Glass keeps separating from the metal frame of the door. One solder broke shortly after receiving it.

Beautiful hand made case. Very, very happy.

Very well presented. As described. My daughter loves it.