I like to share all that is good, easy & crafty in this world, so today I have 2 easy ways to preserve any moss. I've been preserving moss this way moss to keep its soft texture for about 18 years now.
If you've done any crafting or floral arranging you probably know about Reindeer moss. It's a soft, fluffy moss used as filler in planters and flower arrangements. It's usually dyed a lime green colour which is eye catching, but not completely natural. Like my hair.
Preserved reindeer moss is also very expensive. Like my hair.
In 2014 I tested 2 methods to preserve moss. Here's how they are doing after a decade.
Table of Contents
Method 1
This is how I've been doing it for 18 years. This method will leave your reindeer moss as soft and pliable as the day you picked it for decades. It also works with button moss.
Materials
- Glycerin
- Methyl Hydrate (or Denatured Alcohol)
Where do you get this weird stuff?
- Glycerin is available on the shelf in drugstores
- Methyl Hydrate (or Denatured Alcohol) is available in hardware stores
Instructions
- Step 1: Pick the twigs and leaves out of your moss and send the party goers home.
- Step 2: Mix together 2 parts Glycerin with one part Methyl Hydrate.
- Step 3: Place your moss in the bowl and leave it for 10 minutes or so to absorb the mixture. If only half of the moss is being covered just flip it after 5 minutes.
- Step 4: After the 10 minutes are up, remove the moss, squeeze out the excess mixture and then transfer the moss to another container to drain. Once it's drained, place on a paper towel for more drainage.
Repeat this process keeping new moss in the mixture and draining the already soaked moss.
Hint: The moss may feel like it's going a little bit crunchy at first. That's just the methyl hydrate removing the moisture from the moss. Don't worry. It'll turn soft again. Don't fiddle with it and crunch it up. Just leave it.
Curing: Leave your moss on towels (paper or otherwise) to dry for the next couple of days. Once you can feel it's soft and pliable but not wet, put it in bags or plastic containers until you want to use it. It will stay soft and pliable forever now.
Conclusion: Moss preserved this way has stayed perfectly soft for over a decade as long as it's kept in an airtight container in between use.
Method 2
For this method of preserving moss you need Glycerin, hot water and optionally food colouring.
Materials
- Glycerin
- Water
- Fabric dye
One part glycerin, 2 parts HOT water.*
*If you want to dye your moss green add ¼ cup of fabric dye then add more to get the level of saturation you want.
- Step 3: Mix together the Glycerin and hot water. The point of using hot water is it will help the moss more easily absorb the glycerin.
- Step 4: Put a batch of moss into the mixture and leave it for an hour (or until the mixture has completely cooled).
Hint: To repeat this process with another batch of moss you have to reheat your water and glycerin solution. I dumped mine into an old Tupperware container and just heated it up in the microwave. You could also reheat it over the stove.
You may need to weigh the moss down to make sure it's completely covered by the hot water/glycerin solution.
Store the moss in an airtight container or plastic bag between uses.
Conclusion: Moss preserved this way was more prone to drying out if it was left in the open air but it's still a great way to preserve if you're in a pinch and don't have access to Methyl Hydrate.
I'd like to end today with a poem.
Moss is soft
Moss is green
Moss is where the wormies scream
when you on them step
by accident
by karen
copyright 2014
I'm not sure how much screaming they actually do when you step on them considering they don't make a sound when you accidentally cut them in half with a shovel, but poems are meant to evoke emotions more than truth.
Like political campaign ads.
Where do I find moss, Karen?
I'd say that your best shot is in the damp woods if you don't have any in your own backyard. I got my reindeer moss on a drive home from a family cottage at the side of the highway. I did it conservatively because the reindeer moss is a food source for wildlife. I don't feel too terrible about it knowing that I have preserved it all and continue to use it to this day. ~ karen!
Talk about timely. I just filled a box yesterday with fresh moss and then wondered how to preserve it. And then today you gave me all the answers. Bless you my child!!! On my way to buy glycerin and denatured alcohol!!!
Just nit picking, but technically, it is not a true moss but a lichen (a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga).
True. But the common name of it is Reindeer Moss so we're going to go with that. Besides no one knows how to properly pronounce lichen. ~ karen!
LOL! To your poem.
Thanks for the tutorial! I love learning new things. Yours is the only blog I open every time. It's fun! I look forward to it. Thanks, Karen.
I have been looking through others places on how to dry moss! I have tons of it on our almost 50 acres.
I’m trying this today!!
Thank you Karen!
Sincerely
Rocky
South Carolina
Other than I've learned another new DIY process.... I got nuthin' to add to this discussion. As always, you have been entertaining and educational. Thanks.
You’re a poetic genius.
Do you gather moss? As in, wander through the woods looking for it?
Do you grow your moss then harvest it?
Since I have no moss super close just growing on things in dimly lit damp conditions here in Las Vegas, … I am curious where you get your moss supply.
If I really wanted to harvest moss, I could drive up into the mountains about 30 minutes from my mansion, and illegally scrape it off the trees. It’s also illegal to bring rocks down from the mountain to place in ones cactus garden to give it a bit of oo-la-la and jazz it up.
I have glycerin and denatured alcohol so I’m all set except for the central ingredient. I detest floral foam and so I use floral frogs but I used to grow moss on a shaded deck made of railroad ties - looked so magical. A bit of The Shire and Hobbit hijinx.
I am about to embark on my first moss preservation adventure and I have a quick question...if the purpose of the denatured alcohol is to remove moisture, do you think it will still work with just glycerin and water? I mean, if that's the only purpose of the alcohol...in theory it should work since my moss is crunchy dry, right? Unless there are other benefits of using the alcohol that I'm unaware of.....
Hi Joanna! Like I always say, just give it a shot. It's hard to say without seeing your moss, but I've done it both ways and other than a few crispies, my moss is still preserved after well over a decade! ~ karen
Karen,
I've never actually cared to read a blog until now. Typically I just had to the information or recipe and get out. You fully captivated me from the limerick intro. Thanks for the chuckle, I'm going to try to preserve some moss now.
HI Michelle! Thanks. :) That's a big compliment. In a related story, I'm clearing out/purging my basement and came across a tupperware bin and a plastic bag with preserved moss that's still perfect over a decade after doing it. So it works! ~ karen
Hey Karen! Love your poem and article.
I was wondering if I should set out my moss for a while before this process and how long afterward to let it dry out before using it for my art piece.
I harvested last night
Hi Lou. I preserve it within a couple of days of harvesting at the most. It doesn't really stay wet after preserving it. Once you remove it from the solution, squeeze out extra moisture and it's ready to use almost immediately. ~ karen!
You're funny! Do you have an update how the moss preserved with just glycerin and water has fared till now? Trying to see if I can use this technique and make wall art with it still without the denatured alcohol or whatever that was called!
Hi Karen
Is the moss supposed to be dried or fresh before the preservation?
Thanks a lot for the guide.
Anne
Hi Anne! This is for fresh moss. ~ karen!
Hi! I have some lovely, lichen-covered branches* that I’d like to preserve so that I can admire them inside on the mantle. It would take a bath tub and a lot of glycerin/ denatured alcohol mixture to soak them. Any ideas other than soaking? Do you think gently wrapping them paper towels soaked in glyc and den alco for a few hours would work?
Love your website!
Thanks!
-Leslye in Georgia
*I have pictures if you’d like to see them.
Hi Leslye! Yikes, you're really supposed to soak it well, If I were you, I'd try spraying it with the mixture and then maybe covering it with plastic if you can. Let me know how it goes! Also the best way to do this is in a hot room with low humidity in your case. ~ karen!
Hello! I noticed that my moss smells very strongly of the glycerin once it has dried out. Is there anyway to combat this strong scent or am I doing something wrong?
Hi Jess. For some reason it always has a smell. I wouldn't have described it as glycerin, but more like mossy/dirty smell that's enhanced by the fact the glycerin is keeping it hydrated. So you aren't doing anything wrong, it's just the smell. ~ karen!