Join me!

Moss is the New Paint: How to Create Art with Moss

Everybody loves to have plants around. They bring you tremendous energy, clean up the air and help us relax and feel good. But how about moss? And how about moss as art? Recently, in the world of natural décor, reindeer moss has stepped up as an alternative to plants and flowers.
Custom Mossart Designs created by ByNature

Reindeer moss is actually a type of lichen that comes in a preserved form, which means it doesn’t require any maintenance at all! Creative people, heed this: the design possibilities are endless! Just to inspire you, I’d like to share some projects we did over the last years.inspiration moss wall living art

Mossart Tiles : The secret is the same with the ceilings as with the walls: you glue handfuls of the moss with hot glue onto sheets of sturdy corrugated plastic.

On a ceiling: Hatch Design, a firm in Kelowna, BC, has installed panels of spring green reindeer moss on their ceiling. They wanted the fresh look of the moss, plus the sound absorption capacity. The result is mind-blowing!

Moss Ceiling Mossart Designs created by ByNatureMossart Designs created by ByNature Hatch Ceiling view

 

On a wall: by using the same principle, it’s not hard to install the tiles on a vertical surface. You can cover biiiiigggg surfaces or smaller ones. Tip : always think of framing the project somehow to hide the side of the tiles.

mossart frames and sofa

Mossart signs and logos: each fiber of lichen is just like a pixel on a computer screen:  you can only create shapes that are detailed to a certain point. Overall, the result depends on the size of your project and the care with which you glue the moss.Mossart Designs created by ByNature

Mossart frames: everybody’s got an old empty frame they don’t know what to do with. This could be perfect for a rustic or modern Mossart frame.

MossArt wall art from ByNature Studio Tour

Mixing colors

The reindeer moss comes in 13 different colors, and I know that the artist in you is already wondering which shades will look best when mixed together. In the end it’s only a matter of taste, and hopefully the pictures you see here will inspire you!

Large moss art installation in progress from ByNature Studio Tour

Choosing which Color

You see that there’s a lot of green in what we’ve done, but for their kitchen this family chose Silver Grey, for a very eye-pleasing result.

Crasy Mossart Designs created by ByNature

The reindeer moss, harvested sustainably in Norway, is preserved using only natural products. First, the water in it is replaced with glycerine, and then the moss is dyed with food dye. Preserved means it is not live, and the versatile material can be played with in many, many ways – have you seen the glass-top coffee table with moss underneath? Who doesn’t dream of having coffee on top of a bed of green reindeer moss in the comfort of their living room?

Large indoor vertical garden from ByNature Studio Tour

You can get bags of moss for your own creations on Etsy. Tip: it takes about 9lbs of moss to make 5 square feet of Mossart tiles!

About the Author

Fred Collay is one of the creators of the cool green-art design company By Nature. Fred and his partner, Nicolas Rousseau, offer innovative, creative, alternative indoor plant products and ideas. You can see a tour of the By Nature studio in Vancouver here and here.

You might also like this Rainbow Moss Art DIY project

Moss Art can be made in every color of the rainbow. See how here.

Or this Moss heart frame project:10 minute diy moss wall art

Comments

  1. Hello,
    I would very much like to take a course in creating moss art installations. I have previously worked as a contractor in interior and exterior plantscaping.

    I love the beauty and purpose of natural moss. Please let me know of any classes.

    Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Kickstart

your garden!

This FREE 5-day mini course will help you set up a thriving garden for wellness and joy quickly and easily.

I want the free course!

Join one of my free email courses!

Natural skincare

made easy!

This FREE 5-day mini course will teach you the small changes you can make to your skincare practices that will make a HUGE difference in how you feel.

I want the free course!

Kickstart

your garden!

This FREE 5-day mini course will help you set up a thriving garden for wellness and joy, quickly and easily.

I want the free course!

Learn and Live
with Nature

SHOP BOOKS

Garden Therapy Online Courses

SHOP COURSES