You can create fresh or preserved moss balls to add interest to your floral arrangements. If using fresh moss or reindeer lichen, please don’t collect entire populations of them from a single area. Only gather small amounts from different places to allow the moss or lichen to regenerate. Commercial dried moss and Spanish moss that has been sustainably sourced can be purchased from your favorite craft store. The dried materials will last much longer than the freshly gathered ones.
If using fresh moss or reindeer lichen, please don’t collect entire populations from a single area.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Take a handful of moss, Spanish moss, or reindeer lichen and form a rounded ball. If you use reindeer lichen, moisten it well before creating a ball to keep it from breaking.
Take a handful of moss and shape it into a ball.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Reindeer lichen is brittle when it dries out. Moisten it with water to make it pliable and easier to form into a ball.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
To make a longer-lasting moss ball, use dried, sustainably sourced Spanish moss.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Take a floral stem wire and bend it in the middle, where you will have equal parts of the wire to wrap around the moss ball.
Place the middle of the wire at the top of the moss ball and wrap it once around the ball, twisting the wire to hold it in place.
Use a floral stem wire to secure the moss. Bend the wire in half so you will have equal lengths of wire.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Wrap the wire once around the moss and twist the wire to hold it in place.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Then repeat wrapping the wire around the other direction and twisting to hold it in place. This is similar to wrapping ribbon around a present. The remaining wire tails will be left hanging down until they are wrapped around the floral pick.
Wrap the floral stem wire around the moss and twist the wire
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Wrap the wire in the opposite direction and twist the wire to secure the moss. This is similar to wrapping a present.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Take a long wooden floral pick and insert it through the top of the ball.
Push the floral pick down through the ball, leaving the top of it inside the ball. Then take the two floral wires that are hanging down and wrap them securely around the floral pick for better support. This will make inserting the moss balls in the flower arrangement easier.
Insert a long wooden floral pick through the moss.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
After pushing the floral pick through the ball, wrap the stem wire pieces securely around it.
Millie Davenport, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
The finished moss balls will add an interesting texture and color to your flower arrangements.
These moss balls were made from green moss, reindeer lichen, and Spanish moss.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
The moss balls can then be inserted into a flower arrangement. Using different colors and types of moss or lichen will add interest and texture to your flower arrangement.
A green moss ball adds a depth of texture to a floral arrangement.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Reindeer lichen adds a textural element and a contrasting silver color to the flowers.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
