I Dream of a Jeannie Terrarium
Join me in my hyper-fixation crafting rabbit-hole to recreate the interior of Jeannie’s bottle in a new space age-style terrarium
I Dream of Jeannie may have been on television from 1965-1970, but it found me in the 90s and my hope is that it continues to find a new generation of Classic TV buffs even without Nick at Nite guiding the way.
My hope for the next generation of fans is that they can re-envision an ending for Jeannie (Barbara Eden) that doesn’t end in marriage to Captain Nelson (Larry Hagman) but finds her living out a bachelorette’s dream in her bottle.
Barbara Eden has herself admitted this marriage killed the vibe, so let’s just imagine her ditching her antiquated “master” filled catch-phrases for the second wave of feminism.
Jeannie’s Bottle
Jeannie’s bottle is a Jim Beam 1964 Christmas decanter, found by director, Gene Nelson in a liquor store window at the origin of the series. There were slight variations throughout the series and collector’s reproductions made throughout the years.
The first season bottle was green but to viewers, appeared in black and white. It was followed by the most iconic second-season full color purple and pink painted bottle.
You can buy a beautiful licensed reproduction of the bottle or like many treasure hunters, search for Jim Beam bottles in their various forms.
But, if you were anything like me, it was what inside that counted most.
INspired by Jeannie’s Interior Maximilism
Someday, I will find a space and purpose for a round, purple velvet couch with heart-shaped detailing.
I recently partnered with Potifiv, who launched a retro-inspired space age terrarium. This smaller version of the original much larger 1970s space age style terrarium, was just begging for a miniature setup, so I knew I had to make Jeannie’s bottle.
Mid-century Millennial fans can enjoy 20% off of your own Potifiv Terrarium with code MEGAN20. If you feel inspired and create your own miniature world, please share it with me!
The build
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The result:I Dream of Jeannie’s Terrarium
With the limited terrarium space, I attempted to capture an impression of the details like her beadwork on the ceiling, red stones as a sub for her red carpet and gold accessories on her inset table.
My favorite detail is the miniature Major Nelson portrait on her inset table.
Fans of Jeannie should also check out a recent portrait created by Brent Silveria. I ended up buying the original for my office to keep my terrarium company, but you can still own a high quality print.