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DIY Moss Balls

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The weather in my neck of the woods has already gotten quite warm. The temperature actually reached 87 degrees last week! March has only just arrived, but in Austin, Spring has already sprung.

I wanted to bring some of that beautiful Spring green into my home after a dreary winter. I ran across some sheets of preserved sheet moss at Hobby Lobby and thought they would be a good choice for me, as I was not born with a green thumb. I can pretty much kill any live plant that comes into my house.

I’d never heard of preserved moss, but I thought it would make beautiful moss spheres like the ones that I’ve been seeing everywhere. The preserved moss is fresh looking real moss on a sheet of earth, as opposed to the fake or dried moss you can buy in bags. I think it cost me $3.99 a sheet, which is about the same price as the not-as-pretty dried stuff.

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The moss does make a a pretty big mess, so you’ll probably want to work on a plate or a tray for easy clean up. It would probably also help you if you didn’t have a 3-year old to assist you, because they can make any mess even bigger.The original idea was that I was going to use spray adhesive on the ball and attach the sheet moss that way. Well, one sticky hand and a lot of frustration later, I opted for straight dress makers pins. I simply tore off a large piece of moss wrapped it around a Styrofoam ball, and secured it all around with the straight pins.

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You can see a straight pin here if you look closely.

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I just kept wrapping and piecing the moss together around the ball, securing with straight pins. There ended up being a lot of straight pins, but you can’t see them on the finished product.

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In the end, each ball looked like this. I love how you can see dirt, twigs, and moss on this ball…just like it came straight out of nature!

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I purchased this really great chippy urn at Goodwill a few weeks ago and hadn’t found a use for it. I decided that the moss balls would look awesome in here. They do, don’t ya think?

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Just an FYI – when determining the number of moss balls you want in your vessel, remember that the Styrofoam balls will be larger in diameter once the moss is attached. I originally thought I wanted to use 2 large balls and 2 medium balls, but after the moss was attached, I only had room for 1 large ball and 3 medium balls.

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I am really pleased with the way this turned out. It adds a nice Spring-y touch to my dresser display.

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Check out The Inspired Room for more ideas on decorating for Spring!

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Comments

  4. Anonymous says

    Love this! I think I might have to steal this idea for a centerpiece for my dining area table 🙂

    ~ Zoe

    Reply

  5. Amanda says

    Love it, great job! I made a wreath for my front door out of this and the birds came and pulled it all off! LOL!

    Reply

  14. Mrs. B. says

    i adore how those turned out. 🙂 i would love to make some…
    and that little birdie perched on your books is sweet too.

    Reply

  15. Sherri @ Design2Shine says

    What a great project. And YES it looks awesome in your GW urn. I just love a thrifty find and project too. Thanks for sharing and I want that birdie. LOL

    Reply

  17. Alisa says

    I bought that same urn at Michaels a couple years ago on clearance for $2 but could never figure out what to do with it. I just need some balls and moss. Thanks for the great idea and tutorial!

    Reply

  18. Debbie @ ribbonwoodcottage.blogspot.com says

    This looks great. I love the idea. Everything looks wonderful, really liked your post.
    Blessings,
    Debbie

    Reply

  19. DomesticDivasFancy says

    Wow! Who would have thought…that looks beautiful and seems really easy to make! It looks great how you have them in that vase. LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing the how to!

    Reply

  24. Southern Fried Gal says

    Hello! I found your blog over at Bless Our Nest. I love the mossy spheres and especially how they dressed up your Goodwill find! Great tablescape!

    Reply

  29. Heather says

    Hi Lindsey! I just found your blog – so glad I did (new to blogging)!!
    I love this idea – looks so easy to do! I am your newest follower and I pinned this DIY to Pinterest.
    Please come visit my blog and say hello. I love followers and comments 🙂 Lets keep in touch with GFC and LF!
    Have a great week!

    Heather @ settingforfour.blogspot.com

    Reply

  30. Cindy says

    I have been looking for these, but really, big ones. The largest ones I found were 12″ and ran about $80 ea. w/o shipping. I may give this method a try…thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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