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April 27, 2024

DIY Moss Bowl Decor

I love bringing the outdoors in this time of year, any way I can. Spring makes me feel so much better than I do in winter, and it generates a hopefulness I look forward to every year. Today I'm sharing one way I bring it in, by using preserved moss.

chinoiserie bowl filled with preserved moss on spring coffee table

It's a super quick and easy spring decor trick, so let's get started!

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supplied for making a moss bowl for coffee table  decor.




SUPPLIES FOR MAKING A MOSS BOWL 



2. Moss Rocks (optional)

3. Plastic shopping bags or floral foam for filler (not shown)

4. Pretty container, preferably low in stature and somewhat wide

bag of super moss preserved moss.

Preserved moss, while once a living thing, has been chemically altered, or "preserved," so that it is no longer living. The beauty in that is that your moss is now worry free -- you don't have to do anything to maintain it (no dirt, no watering) short of not placing it in direct sunlight which can cause it to dry out and fade in color. 

Preserved moss thrives in more humid climates. If you live in a dry climate you can freshen it up with a garment steam cleaner or by simply misting it in the event it starts to dry out.

It also doesn't hurt to dust it occasionally, which you can do with a hair dryer set on low heat. Preserved moss has a life span that's anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Not bad for something you neither have to plant nor regularly water!    


WHAT KIND OF PRESERVED MOSS SHOULD I USE?

You typically see three different types of preserved moss:

1. Reindeer Moss (what I used)

2. Cushion (also known as Pillow, or Pole,) moss (what I wish I had used)   

3. Sheet Moss

Note: I would recommend the cushion moss, as it gives the display more of a 3-D effect with mounds of moss that really make a statement. Unfortunately, I did not have any of this type of moss, plus I was determined to use what I already had. So reindeer moss it was for me!

(Sheet moss would NOT be the moss to use for this project. It's more appropriate to use sheet moss when you have a large, flat area you need to cover.) 

chinoiserie cachepot filled with shopping bag filler.

For filler I just used a few scrunched up plastic shopping bags.

blue and white cachepot filled with moss rocks.

Then I placed my moss rocks on top of the bag for some more filler. If you don't have moss rocks or floral foam you can always just use more plastic bags. I just thought the moss rocks made a nice filler since they're moss-colored!

sea grass placemats in round basket with cachepot filled with preserved moss.

Then I literally just started placing tufts of reindeer moss on top of that and voila -- my moss bowl was complete!

Easter coffee table decor.

You can just keep stuffing the bowl until you're happy with the result.

chinoiserie cachepot with topiary.

In addition to the first cachepot, I also filled another one with not only preserved reindeer moss, but a faux topiary as well! I've gotten all of my topiaries at thrifts stores and estate sales -- this one was scored at a local pop-up warehouse sale for $2.00! (As was the cachepot for $6.00!)  

chinoiserie cachepot plastic garbage bags topiary in pot.

Same drill as before -- I filled in the empty space with used plastic shopping bags to create a base for the preserved reindeer moss. I did not use moss rocks as extra filler because the bags were more easily moldable around the topiary's plastic pot. Then I added the preserved moss on top of the bags and molded it all around the pot.

chinoiserie cachepot filled with preserved moss and faux topiary.

How beautiful is this? The moss truly elevates the plain chinoiserie bowl to a whole new level. 

chinoiserie mantel decor preserved moss.

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

As with the first moss bowl, I used preserved reindeer moss -- but I really would have preferred to use cushion moss if I had had it on hand. Tip: mixing mosses of different variations in color can also help to make a bolder statement. 

If you're interested in using preserved moss for other home decor projects I've written many other moss-related posts you can check out here:





Well, that's it for today, friends! 
I hope you enjoyed reading about my
DIY Moss Bowl Decor
 and that I've inspired you in some way. 

Don't Forget To Pin It!

chinoiserie bowl filled with preserved moss on spring coffee table

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4 comments:

  1. I love these mossy accents! Blessings, Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kathleen,
    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words in regards to Joe's passing...I gratefully appreciate it..
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good Morning Kathleen. This is so cute. Have a great start to May. Hugs. Kris

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great projects. I love how high end these containers looked with the moss in them! I'm tempted to try it!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by ~ I truly treasure each and every comment!