🖼️
The project:
Welcome to Part 2 of my DIY JULY SILICONE DECODEN SERIES! I'm transforming a plain glass greenhouse into a frosted pink dream house by mixing fine pink glitter directly into clear glass silicone - a light, versatile, and squishy medium - and piping it on like thick cake frosting! Adorned with cute charms, it vecomes a miniature Candy Land straight out of The Faraway Tree! I'll share my trade tricks for waterproofing inside seals, how a plastic collar builds a sparkling ombre stone wall, and crucial tips on lid hardware and pet safety! It's pure 3D magic!
- Materials:
I've broken down this list of materials into sections. It might seem like a lot—but most of it is optional—all you really need to do this project is 100% pure silicone, some fine glitter, and a surface to decorate—just like this tabletop greenhouse!
The Base Structure:
Bunnings "Tabletop Greenhouse": You'll find this in the indoor plants section—the perfect metal and glass structure to add 3D texture to its exterior and plant up a forest inside!
Silicone Decoden Framing & Decorating:
100% Pure Window & Glass Silicone (Clear): Parfix 300g Clear Window And Glass Silicone. (Important Pet Safety Note: This specific silicone is perfect for plant-only terrariums, but if you are making a habitat for live pets like hermit crabs, you MUST use a specialized aquarium-safe silicone instead!)
Clear Plastic or Acetate Sheets: Used for permanently sealing the open roof triangle window gaps. NB: You could reuse the clear plastic window from clear toy packaging rather than throwing it out, or an old plastic file cover—think outside the box and reuse what you have at home!
Fine Craft Glitters: Mixed straight into clear silicone to create your custom frosted shimmer frosting. (We chose pink for ours! See my hilarious note in Step 6 on The Colour Rule).
Decorative Charms: Embellishments of your choice—3D and flatback resin or polymer clay charms work great (and sprinkles too!). Note: Avoid paper decorations as they will degrade over time.
Internal Drainage Base & Moisture Barrier:
Drainage Base: Rinsed LECA drainage clay balls or rocks and gravel.
Moisture & Filtering Barrier:
Flyscreen insect mesh sheet (Mesh B size): Recycled from repairing our flyscreen door. Cut to slide inside the collar walls with zero side gaps. (A piece of tulle works fine too!)
Semi-crushed horticultural charcoal (ensuring no large chunks inhibit the substrate layers or plant roots)
Damp sphagnum moss (creates a protective organic moisture blanket over the drainage layer)
My Custom Soil Cocktail*:
3 parts Seasol Indoor Potting Mix
2 parts Brunnings Peat Moss (or Coco Coir-Peat)
2 parts Osmocote Orchid Mix (for the chunky orchid bark)
1 part Brunnings Perlite (for aeration and drainage)
1 part Brunnings Vermiculite (moisture retention and drainage—can also be used as decorative landscaping)
A handful of worm castings (Optional: my husband loves his Maze Worm Farm and it provides great nutrients for my custom soil mix)
*NB: You could just buy a standard indoor soil mix, but I highly recommend adding perlite for aeration and drainage!
The 4-Tier Ombré Crystal Wall**:
Layer 1 (Deep Base): A rich blend of Purple Deco Stones—combining sand, gravel, and small rocks—tossed with Jack Mirror Chips for multi-dimensional sparkle.
Layer 2 (Mid-Tone): Soft Lavender Glitter Gravel.
Layer 3 (Vibrant Accent): Bold Magenta / Dark Pink Glitter Gravel.
Layer 4 (& River Highlight): Soft "Pink Pink" Light Pink Glitter Gravel.
**NB: I used 500g tubs of Krafter's Korner glitter gravel from a local dollar store, but Bunnings has a great range of pebbles—you could even safely break down some Mandala Rainbow Mosaic Glass Pebbles if you wanted a colourful look! Any colour combination will work; neutrals and pastels look beautiful too!
Living Elements, Accents & Finishing Touches:
Rescued Plants: Leftover tropical elements from a previous terrarium project (a Fittonia nerve plant and two miniature ferns).
Surface Greenery: Outdoor collected live surface moss (thoroughly cleaned and weeds carefully pulled out!) used for the forest floor and as an internal edge-retaining wall.
Fairy Garden Trinkets & Sweets: Small sea shells, mini lollipop and cupcake resin charms, polymer clay fruit slices, flowers, and sprinkles scattered along the riverbanks, plus mini mushrooms 🍄 and a little bunny rabbit.
Fairy Lights: Battery-operated fairy lights (optional).
Miniature Toy Dinosaur: Because no terrarium is complete without a dinosaur!!!
✨ Bonus Project Materials (Optional):
DIY Fairy Sign: Made using upcycled canvas keys (those tiny wooden corner wedges that come with stretched art canvases!), wood glue, a popstick, a squirt of silver spray paint, and a permanent marker. *Make one just like ours in Step 8
- Tools:
Piping & Glazing Tools:
Silicone Caulking Gun: Standard skeleton gun (UNi-PRO).
Piping Gear: Disposable pastry piping bags & a plastic open-star icing tip.
Tooling Solution: A small cup of water mixed with a few drops of dish soap (for smooth finger-tooling internal silicone seams).
Landscaping & Sculpting Tools:
Plastic Retention Collar (Removable Support Wall): Clear plastic / laminating sheet pre-marked with sloped gauge lines. (Used temporarily inside to hold the soil core and outer gravel wall separate before being pulled straight out!). I got mine from the "free to good home" box at Officeworks, but any sturdy sheet of plastic or card works.
Bunnings Easter Buckets: Super handy for premixing custom soil mix, as well as propping up the greenhouse frame and holding the lid open while piping!
Pouring Funnels: Saxon 4 piece plastic funnel set from Bunnings (or simply roll and tape your own custom funnels out of paper!).
Precision Tools: Mini pinched craft spoons (for routing gravel) and long craft tweezers (for setting delicate charms, pulling weeds from moss, and gently guiding delicate plant stems).
Measuring & Folding: Lead pencil, ruler, and a blunt butter knife (for scoring and folding plastic sheets).
Cutting & Crushing: Scissors, utility knife, zip-lock bag, tea towel, and a hammer (for gently crushing large LECA balls, chunky charcoal, or Mandala pebbles for a finer look).
- Step 1:
Step 1: Internal Waterproofing & Roof Prep
Before diving into silicone piping, take a second to decide on your greenhouse's ultimate purpose—remember, this is a total "choose your own adventure" project, and there are no limits when squishy glitter silicone is involved! 🤪
First, Decide Your Purpose:
💡 Display & Planter Modes: If you're using this as a candle display, air plant habitat, or simply placing potted herbs inside (like the basil on the Bunnings product tag!), you can skip internal sealing and roof panels completely! (Go straight to Step 2 and get your decod-ON!) 🤪
🌿 Open Terrarium Mode: If you want an open terrarium without roof windows, you can skip sealing the top roof gaps, but do not skip sealing the internal seams! You’ll still need a leak-proof internal base so stray water doesn't ruin your furniture.
🦀 ⚠️ Pet Enclosure Tip: If you're planning to use this as a habitat for "crazy crabs" (hermit crabs), do NOT leave the roof gaps wide open! They are notorious escape artists and will climb right out. Instead of solid plastic, seal those top triangle gaps with leftover flyscreen wire—it gives them plenty of airflow while keeping them safely inside!
Sealing the Roof Gaps: For our humid tropical terrarium, I closed up the open roof triangle gaps using custom-cut plastic (a leftover sheet of Quilter's Template Stencil Maker from Spotlight, but old clear toy packaging or a plastic file cover works too!). I secured them from the inside with dabs of clear silicone.
The Soapy Finger Glazing Trick: Using a UNi-PRO skeleton gun, I ran clear glass silicone along every internal seam. Dip a finger into soapy water and slide it along wet silicone—the soap stops sticking completely and tools the seam down smooth!
The Vinegar Smell Test & Cure Time: Leave the frame to cure in a well-ventilated area for 24–48 hours. Silicone off-gasses acetic acid as it sets—if it still smells strongly of vinegar, wait a little longer before adding soil or living plants!
⚠️ Pet Safety Warning: Standard glass silicone is great for plants, but NOT pet-safe. If you are building a crabitat, swap standard silicone for a specialized aquarium-safe silicone instead! I originally promised Audrey a "crabitat" for a hermit crab, but pivoted to plants when I realized my SILLYCONE mistake! 📸 Part2_Step1_InternalGlazing.jpg
- Step 2:
Step 2: Frosted Shimmer Decoden Makeover
Time to get our silicone decoden deco-DONE! đź’–
The Glitter Opacity Hack: To create a shimmering frosted finish without using heavy opaque pigments or dyes, squeeze clear glass silicone directly into a disposable pastry piping bag and load it heavily with fine pink craft glitter and iridescent shimmer.
đź’ˇ Pro-Tip: The more glitter you pack into clear silicone, the less transparent it becomes! It transforms the clear gel into a gorgeous, semi-translucent frosted pink shimmer that catches the light beautifully.
⚠️ Bag Safety Warning: Stick strictly to fine craft glitter inside the bag mix! Chunky hexagonal glitters will clog your piping tip and burst the bag. Save chunky glitter to press on top—or in Audrey's case, an OVER-enthusiastic technique of "throwing and flicking" onto wet silicone! (Check out my Part 1 post for my full "In-Bag" mixing, double-bagging, and piping line techniques!).
Loading the Piping Bag: Using a cup to hold up your disposable piping bag, fold over the edges of the bag on the cup so you have a nice open space to fill with silicone. Using your caulking gun, squeeze the silicone straight into the piping bag, alternating glitter with every second squeeze of silicone. Mix by poking with a popsicle stick and giving it a good “squish” before double bagging. (Check out Part 1 of this series for a more detailed guide on loading and mixing silicone straight into the piping bag!)
The Double-Bag Burst Protection: To avoid a massive glitter-silicone explosion, use the Double-Bagging Technique: drop your open-star plastic icing tip into a fresh piping bag, cut the tip, then slide your glitter-filled bag inside it. This double layer gives you total control without bursting! (Check out Part 1 if you need a visual refresher!)
Piping the Exterior Frame & The Gravity Rule: Squeezing heavy rows of silicone onto upright glass panels means gravity is working against you. Lay the greenhouse on its side on the protective sheet while piping. I used Bunnings Easter buckets to help with holding the lid open and for propping up the house to do the bottom edges.
đź’ˇ Base Lip Tip: Don't forget that raised metal base lip at the bottom! Piping a continuous, thick row of star dollops right along that outer edge frame gives the base a gorgeous "frosted cake tray" look while building an extra protective barrier against moisture.
Charms, Sprinkles & Handmade Sweets: While the silicone frosting is still wet (you have a 10–15 minute window before it skins over!), gently press your embellishments directly into the piping. We mostly used craft items we already had at home—like a cute felt butterfly and heaps and heaps of food-shaped polymer clay sprinkles!—plus one packet of Kmart mixed charms in a "sweets" style that completely led our Candy Land theme. Audrey also made her own custom "cupcake" and "donut" charms using a traditional air-dry clay decoden kit—even turning an old pin badge into a donut with a piped clay swirl!
Drying Time: Let your decoden exterior cure undisturbed in a well-ventilated room for 24 hours until firm, rubbery, and fully set to the touch. The silicone acts as its own ultra-strong glue as it cures and holds your charms in place! You’ll know it’s fully cured when the vinegar smell has disappeared completely.
🧼 Pro-Tip (Cleaning Your Piping Tips): Don't throw away your piping tips or try to wash wet silicone down the sink! Let the silicone cure inside the tip overnight, and the whole rubbery plug will peel right out in one satisfying piece. (Check out [Part 1] for my exact step-by-step cleaning hack and visual guide!). 📸 Part2_Step2_FrostedShimmerMakeover.jpg
- Step 3:
Step 3: The Front Latch Rescue
(Skip this step if you haven't piped over your hardware—but definitely read it to avoid making this mistake!)
Squeezing frosting borders along front panels led to a classic hardware mistake—here is how I saved it (and how to avoid it!).
The Latch Clog: In my own over-enthusiasm, I piped straight over the metal closure hook, jamming the swing latch so it was no longer closable—rendering it completely pointless!
How to Avoid Hardware Clogs: Mask off not just moving latches and handle brackets with painter's tape beforehand, but the entire swing zone that the latch needs to physically move through to function! Keep all frosting lines at least 1 cm clear of any moving hardware joints.
Latch Fix with a Donut & Elastic Bands: To create a flexible tension lock that keeps the lid shut, I piped a thick silicone dollop above the blocked latch, pressed rainbow rubber bands into it, and capped them with one of our mini "cupcake" charms. On the bottom frame, I pressed the metal pin backing from Audrey's handmade "donut" badge into wet silicone for the bands to hook onto!
Top Handle Blocker: To prevent anyone lifting the heavy terrarium by its top handle (straining the band lock), I glued two matching sweet charms right over the handle brackets to block it from swinging up! 📸 Part2_Step3_RubberBandFix.jpg
- Step 4:
Step 4: The Elevator Method — Building Sloped Tiers & Soil Core
(Terrarium Skip Note: If you're using your greenhouse for potted herbs, air plants, or candles rather than a live terrarium, skip Steps 4, 5 & 6 and jump straight to Step 7!).
Dumping soil straight against glass muddies your stones and ruins clean exterior stripes. To raise a sloped hill without buckling your plastic support, the secret is the "Elevator Method": building up the inside core and outer gravel layers simultaneously to equalize pressure on both sides!
Making the Plastic Retention Collar: To map the inside of the frame, I folded a scrap piece of paper until it fit the exact internal length and width I needed, then used those measurements to cut a long rectangle (11 cm high) out of clear plastic (from an Officeworks freebie bin!). I scored the corners with a blunt butter knife, taped the two short ends together to form a box, and marked sloped gauge lines around the outside (6 cm at the front rising to 8.5 cm at the back). Popping this clear sleeve inside before adding anything else was the key to getting crisp, clean exterior lines!
Phase 1 — The Drainage Foundation & Layer 1:
Inside the collar: Pour a 2 cm drainage base so water falls through, preventing root rot. Plain rocks work great—my son mixed smooth black pebbles with my LECA clay balls! (Pro-tip: Double-bag large LECA balls, wrap in a towel, and tap with a hammer—just don't crush them to dust, as you need gaps for water to drain like a reservoir system).
The Filter Layer: Next, lay down flyscreen mesh (recycled from repairing our back door after Audrey attempted to snip a "bunny door" in the mesh for our real bunnies!), semi-crushed horticultural charcoal, and a damp sphagnum moss blanket. These act as a physical filter barrier to prevent your soil core from sifting down into the drainage reservoir below, while allowing excess moisture to drain freely!
Outside the collar: Pour Layer 1 (purple deco stone mix & clear Jack Mirror Chips) directly against the glass up to your marked 6 cm front line. (I poured almost the whole tub to establish our base, saving just 6 or 7 purple rocks for Audrey to play with for final hardscaping at the end!).
Phase 2 — The Layer Stacking & Soil Elevator:
Alternating Tiers & Funnel Guiding: Outside the collar, use funnels (the Saxon 4-piece plastic funnel set from Bunnings is super handy!). 💡 Tweezer Hack: The gap between the glass and plastic collar gets pretty tight—I used my long craft tweezers to hold and guide the funnel spout right into position, and then used the tweezer tips to route and sweep the glitter gravel evenly along the edges! Pour Layer 2 (Lavender), Layer 3 (Magenta), and Layer 4 (Light Pink) sloped from 6 cm up to 8.5 cm. (Crushed Mandala Rainbow pebbles look gorgeous here too!).
Filling the Soil Core: As you pour each outer gravel layer, spoon your custom soil mix (premixed in a Bunnings Easter bucket!) into the inside of the collar to match the height.
The Goldilocks Press: Firm the soil with a spoon and your hand as you go—not too hard, not too soft, a Goldilocks-type press! It needs to hold its shape like a damp sandcastle when the collar comes out, but stay springy enough for plant roots. 📸 Part2_Step4_ElevatorPour.jpg
- Step 5:
Step 5: Planting, Moss Retaining Wall & Collar Extraction
Time for greenery, building an organic retaining wall, and extracting the plastic "collar"!
Planting Order: I planted inside the "collar" before pulling it out because I was worried about gravel shifting. If you're brave or worried about snagging leaves, you can pull the collar first and plant second!
Rescued Plants: After cleaning the soil from the roots of our rescued plants, I split the red Fittonia into smaller clusters to spread them around. I nestled the second, sadder miniature fern into the 8.5 cm back peak, and planted the main fern right in the centre as our hero plant—where our pink river will route around her! Hopefully, this humid terrarium environment will help these poor babes bounce right back!
Driveway Moss Retaining Wall: We pushed live driveway moss firmly up against the inside of the "collar" to create a supportive retaining wall, leaving open gaps only at the front and back for our "pink river" path. I think this live moss wall was a major help in keeping the interior soil and exterior gravel from falling in at the very top!
🧠Aussie Survival Science: Unlike the Northern Hemisphere where moss grows north, Southern Hemisphere moss grows on the damp, shaded Southern side of trees and walls. If you're ever lost down under without a compass, look for moss!
Collar Extraction: Nudge up each corner of the "collar" one at a time until only a tiny bit remains embedded at the shallower front. Then nudge up the deeper back half until it's almost clear, and in One Fell Swoop, pull the plastic "collar" straight up and out! The moss retaining wall and outer gravel lock together seamlessly! 📸 Part2_Step5_CollarPullSuccess.jpg
- Step 6:
Step 6: Pink River Route & The Colour Rule
Now to transform the interior into a storybook Candy Land! 🧚🏼‍♀️✨
Routing & Detailing: Pour a winding stream of Light Pink Glitter Gravel down the central valley through the openings in our moss wall. Scatter polymer clay fruit slices, flowers, and sprinkles along the banks, lightly pressing them into the soil so they stay put and don't roll around!
Audrey's Styling Takeover: Audrey nestled mini mushrooms 🍄, a bunny, leftover purple accent stones, and our mandatory toy dinosaur on the banks—because no terrarium is complete without a dino! (See where our dino obsession started in my Dino Home Open Terrarium post!).
The Colour Rule: Never argue with a 5-year-old over colour! Audrey strictly informed me it's officially The Pinkhouse: "If you wanted to call it a greenhouse, you should have put green glitter in the squishy stuff!" Lesson learned! I took her advice for her friend Aria's "TerrARIAm" gift using green glittered silicone. Ah, now that is a greenhouse! 💚 📸 Part2_Step6_TerrARIAmGreenhouse.jpg
- Step 7:
Step 7: The Final Glow
Time for the grand reveal! 🌟
Fairy Light Magic: Wrap battery-operated fairy lights around the frame, switch them on, turn off the room lights, and tada! It’s glowing fairy magic! 🌟
Daylight Sparkle: No fairy lights? Place near a window in bright, indirect sunlight and watch the piped silicone throw sparkle all over the room—it’s like it’s raining diamonds! 💎✨ 📸 Part2_Step7_FairyLightsGlow.jpg
- Step 8:
Step 8: 🎨 Bonus Quick-Craft: The Mini Fairy Sign
If you want to add a cute custom touch to your project's exterior, don't throw away those wooden canvas keys from your painting canvases - use them to make a Mini Fairy Sign!
Assemble: Glue two canvas keys together side-by-side using wood glue to form a small sign rectangle (we made 3 signposts!).
Mount: Glue a craft popstick to the back as a flat support brace.
Paint & Detail: Give it a quick squirt of silver spray paint, let it dry, and write your mini warning or fairy message using a fine permanent marker! We went with an Alice in Wonderland themed "THIS WAY", "THAT WAY", and "AUDREY’S WAY!"
Attach It: Press it directly into the wet exterior silicone frosting on the outside of your frame while you pipe! 📸 Part2_Bonus_FairySign.jpg
- Step 9:
Thank you for following along with Part 2! If you want to see how I applied this hardware silicone texturing hack across other surfaces around our home—with the help of my 5-year-old daughter, Audrey, of course!—check out the rest oCatch Up on the Rest of the Series!f my DIY July series:
Silicone "Decoden" 3D Texturing [Part 1]
[Link to Thread B] Ocean Jewellery Tray Makeover [Part 3] — Coming Soon!
[Link to Thread C] Round Craft Mirror Updo [Part 4] — Coming Soon!
[Link to Thread D] The Canvas Art Piece [Part 5] — Coming Soon!
