I am very pleased with my final project. It is not what I originally aimed for aesthetically, but it still turned out very well. My original aesthetic was fairy tale with a combination of a log cabin aesthetic. I achieved my fairy tale aesthetic. My fairy tale aesthetic was achieved through the miniature house, butterfly/fairy lights, and the small cobble pathway I put next to the miniature house. It was also achieved through my choice of plants. The plants I chose look like miniature trees which gave the appearance that the model house is nestled into a mystical forest.

My log cabin aesthetic was not achieved due to my inability to use the materials I originally wanted to use to make the base of the terrarium out of. I originally wanted to make it out of wood. I was thinking of making it look like wood paneling that you would see in a log cabin. This did not happen because I realized I did not have the proper tools or a way to do this. The base, instead is made of clay and I gave it an aged appearance with wood stain. This gave my project a very different aesthetic. My aesthetic is now closer to an aesthetic from the arts and crafts movement, due to the terra-cotta. I had never worked with clay before, so I learned a new skill in producing the base. It was a trial-and-error process. I am very happy about learning this skill and may pursue more projects with clay in the future.

A flaw in my project that needs improvement on is the glass dome over the plants, the top of the terrarium. This top was made out of a very cheap glass, and it has cracked and broke in several places. I am also unhappy with the fact that it is flat at the top and isn’t perfectly circular. I would like to replace it as my next step for this project. The easiest solution is to see of I can find a glass bowl that is the right shape and size, but if I am unable to find one I could try making the the glass sphere. I would have to learn more about glass making and the skills and tools required for such a project.

The other part of the project I would like to improve on is my fairy-tale aesthetic. I would like to do this by adding moss to the outside of the terra-cotta. This would then give the appearance that the forest that is contained in the terrarium is starting to spread out and encroach on the exterior environment. This would also add to the dynamics of the aesthetic. It would constantly be changing as the moss grew and died with time.

Overall, I learned quite a few things through this project, and appreciated the challenge it gave me. I explored aesthetics I never knew about, developed new skills working with materials I have never worked with before, and learned to critically evaluate the aesthetic of objects. I am also very pleased that I have an object to showcase my hard work, and learning curve.