IKEA Ghost KUSTFYR Jar: Turn It Into a Halloween Terrarium
This autumn IKEA is selling a small glass jar with a lid shaped like a ghost: the KUSTFYR – bowl with lid, ghost, clear glass. It is meant as a storage jar, but at 16 cm tall, 13 cm across and with a capacity of 0.6 litres, it also happens to be a great little terrarium. Just the right size for one low-growing plant, a bit of moss and a couple of miniature monsters behind glass.
In this post we go through what you need and how to turn the Ghost Jar into a small, self-sustaining Halloween terrarium in a few easy steps.
What do you need?
With a diameter of 13 cm, the Ghost Jar falls right within the 10 to 20 cm range the starter kit is made for, so there is no guesswork involved.
Step by step: building your Ghost Jar terrarium
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Clean the jar. Wash the Ghost Jar and its lid with warm water (by hand, as IKEA also recommends) and let it dry completely.
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Drainage layer. Start with a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom, so excess water can drain away from the roots.
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Filter layer. Sprinkle a thin layer of activated charcoal on top. This keeps the water fresh and prevents odours.
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Soil layer. Add terrarium soil, enough for your fittonia's roots to settle into properly.
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Plant your fittonia. Make a small hole, place the plant and gently firm the soil around it.
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Add the moss. Spread the cushion moss around and between the plant, covering the soil so the whole thing starts to look like a tiny forest floor.
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Decorate. Tuck your monsters into the moss or half-hide them behind the fittonia. If you're using the Spooky Crew, this is the moment to let them sit in the light first, so they glow nicely once it gets dark.
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Close the lid. Seal the Ghost Jar. Being a closed jar, it largely keeps itself moist through its own little water cycle.
A touch of horror: which decoration set to pick?
Both sets measure 1 to 3 cm, exactly the right scale for a jar this size, so your fittonia stays the main attraction and the figurines remain a fun detail rather than stealing the show.
- The Pumpkin Monsters mini are six tiny pumpkin monsters in different colours, each with its own little face – playful and autumnal.
- The Halloween Spooky Crew is a set of ten figurines, including ghosts and pumpkins, that glows in the dark after a bit of daylight charging. A nice touch: a charged-up little ghost next to a ghost-shaped jar is exactly that bit extra.
Tip: figurines left over? Spread them around the house
Both sets come with several pieces, and you won't need all of them for a single Ghost Jar. Simply place the rest of the monsters loose on a shelf, windowsill or between your books, or tuck a few into the soil of your other houseplants. A tiny ghost or pumpkin monster peeking out from the leaves of a large plant in a flower pot works just as well as a whole terrarium, and this way one set spreads the Halloween mood through your entire home.
Care
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Light. Place the Ghost Jar somewhere bright, without harsh, direct afternoon sun through the glass.
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Water. It's a closed terrarium, so barely any watering needed. If the glass stops fogging up on its own, give it a small splash of water.
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Lid. Is the inside fogging up heavily? Leave the lid slightly ajar until the balance is restored.
Get started
With one jar from IKEA, a starter kit, a fittonia and a set of little monsters, you'll have a Halloween terrarium ready in about half an hour – one that simply keeps growing as a green plant afterwards. Take the figurines out at the start of November and you're left with a cute mini terrarium for the rest of the year. Have a look at our full autumn and Halloween collection for more plants, kits and decoration.
