I'd like to start us off 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 commercials.
So moss. That's what we're dealing with here today on The Art of Doing Stuff. I've been preserving moss for about 8 years now.
You've probably all either seen or bought Reindeer Moss (which is actually a lichen). It's a soft, fluffy moss used as filler in planters and flower arrangements. It's usually died a lime green colour. Nice, but not completely natural. Like my hair.
Preserved reindeer moss is also very expensive. Like my hair. So when we went up to the cottage a 8 or so years ago and I saw reindeer moss growing all over the cottage property I figured I'd grab some and figure out how to preserve it once I got home.
Turns out it wasn't very hard, but finding reliable instructions to do it was. Therefore, because I like to share all that is good, easy and crafty in this world I have for you today 2 easy ways to preserve any moss.
I've used this technique with both Reindeer moss (which we have established is indeed actually a lichen) and regular button moss.
The first method I'm going to show you is the one I can absolutely guarantee works. I used this particular technique 8 years ago to preserve some Reindeer moss and some button moss and both types are still as soft and pliable as the day I picked them.
You'll need Glycerin and Methyl Hydrate (or Denatured Alcohol).
Glycerin is available on the shelf in drugstores ($5.99)
Methyl Hydrate (or Denatured Alcohol) is available in hardware stores (can't remember how much ... but it's cheap)
Pick the twigs and leaves out of your moss and send the party goers home.
Mix together 2 parts Glycerin with one part Methyl Hydrate.
Stir it up with your tongue. Just joking. Please don't do that.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The second technique which I tried and worked (but can't guarantee it will keep moss soft for years) is slightly different.
For this method of preserving moss you need Glycerin and hot water.
One part glycerin, 2 parts HOT water.
Mix together the Glycerin and hot water. The point of using hot water is it will help the moss more easily absorb the glycerin.
Put a batch of moss into the mixture and leave it for an hour (or until the mixture has completely cooled)
You may need to weigh the moss down to ensure it's completely covered by the hot water/glycerin solution. Just put another bowl over the moss and weigh it down with a brick.
If you don't have a brick, just use whatever you have handy.
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.
The second technique using only hot water and glycerin has kept the moss soft for a few days now, but I have no idea if it will hold up as well as the glycerin/methyl hydrate solution over time. For now, so far so good.
Like I said, this technique will work with any moss.
Mossy moss
You're soft and squishy
With this solution
foreverishy.
by Karen
copyright 2014
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I just got your subscriber email.... lol! How special do i feel now! 😂
Problem in the uk is there is no clear methyl hydrate on the shelves! Or even hidden in the back of the shops, and asking for it online is either super expensive or requires an hmrc letter, soooooo can isopropyl alcohol be used as a substitute?
Emma 🤔
I know this is an old post so not getting my hopes up for a reply now but, can the glycerin methyl concoction be kelt and reused? Im in scotland so up to my eyeballs in moss.
Hi Emma! It doesn't matter how old a post is. I get notifications of comments for all of them. :) And yes, you can keep and reuse the concoction. Just put it in a jar with a lid and you're good. :) ~ karen!
Cheers m’dear!
How has your moss held up? did it keep a green colour or should food colouring be added?
Hi Josh - The moss has lost some of its bright green colour and is now kind of a golden hue. ~ karen!
Hi Karen, loved ur blog on preserving moss. Ur blog mentions dyeing it, but does not mention a dye. If I collect moss bright green do I preserve it then and it should stay the colour that I picked. Also If I dye a piece that has faded like the ones in your picture will the colour restore in the preserving process to a brighter green. Thanks April
Hi, is the firs method with methyl and glycerine non toxic? I want to make a deroration for hospital and i dont know if methyl is harmless. Thanks
I'm interested in dying moss to make a vertices garden but my question is does the moss need to be a white or light color , could I bleach a green moss white then die the desired color .
Hey! Great post!!
Would this same method work to preserve ferns or other plants as well? Thanks!
Taya
Hey Taya! I'm not sure if it would work with other stuff or not, I've never tried it. I have a feeling it might not because I feel like the material you're preserving would need to be porous in some way. BUT ... I'd totally try it if I were you. ;) ~ karen!
Hi Karen, thanks i'll try and let you know the results 😉 Patty !
Hi Karen, i would like to give my moss some color, do you think i can add foodpaint to the mixture?? Patty 😊
Hi Patty! I've never done it myself but this would probably be the perfect time to add food colouring. The mixture *should* absorb it into the moss. Try a little test piece first to make sure it works. My only concern would be the glycerine would prevent the food colouring from ever drying and every time you touched the coloured moss, it will stain your fingers. Another way to go about it would be to stain the moss first in food colouring and water and then do the soaking solution. Then your worry though is that the food colouring all bleeds out. I just realized I've been NO help to you whatsoever, lol. All you can do is try each method and see which works best. Good luck! ~ karen
Well i gues i'll just have to try and see how it works out, 😊 i'll let you know 😊maybe we find out a new way to paint moss 😉 patty !!
Thanx Karen, i'll just try and let you know the result 😉 Patty !
Karen, sometimes the moss I collect has a lot of dirt on the bottom side. (especially button moss) I can't scrape to much of it away without the moss falling apart. Does this extra dirt cause any problems with the preserving process? Also, does anyone know what is the best way to attach (glue??) the moss to wood? I'd like to attach the preserved moss to a piece of wood but don't know what type of adhesive to use.
Hi Sonja! You can still use this technique with button moss. I know what you mean about the dirt on the bottom. Just try to keep it all together as best as you can. Your glycerine mixture will get dirty when you do it but it will work. Just be careful when you're working with it. I think you might have better luck wiring the moss to the wood. Stapling, wiring, that sort of thing. ~ karen!
Thanks for your help, I did try preserving the button moss, and it seems to take forever to dry. It's been atleast 4 weeks and it I still making the new newspaper I transferred it too damp. Is this normal?
Hi Sonja. I can't actually remember how long it took my button moss to dry, but my guess is it will be fine eventually. And the best part is, it will last forever! ~ karen
Great post thanks so much!
To harvest the moss, do I just go with a spatula and scrape it off the tree trunks and charming bridges in my area? I've experimented with collecting moss before and remember it having a thick layer of dirt on which it attaches sometimes. Does one just wash this off or is this kind of moss not preservable?
Thanks!
Hi Fiona! Button moss is like that. It has a layer of sort of ... dirt/grime on the bottom. I have successfully preserved it using this glycerine method. Just knock a bit of it off the bottom. As much as you can without having the moss fall apart and you're good. ~ karen!
Thanks so much for the quick response!
By using just glycerin and hot water, is dye required to keep it green or will it stay green on its own?...Thanks, Michelle
Will this keep the moss green?
Hi Marilyn, the moss fades. ~ karen!
Any suggestive on how to separate mods from the diet more effectively? I just keep typing it apart...! Help!
canyou preserve the moss and lichens after they have already driedout like rehydrating them and then do the glycerine process? by the way I love your site too bad our commune of same mided are spread out just the same nice to have links like you
shannon
Hey Shannon! I'm not really sure if the process would work on dried moss but it sounds like it would. I rehydrate things like mushrooms and saffron and chile peppers all the time but soaking them in water so my guess is your idea would work! ~ karen
Thanks for thetrply and it does work on stuff that has already dried I do it in hot water and glycerine helps dehydrate like u said I'm so excited I've been doing wreaths for years and everything is always dried eventually it starts breaking down little by little now it will last longer I usually do a thanksgiving wreath each year fromforest treasures and seed pods flowers ect trasures this year I have been making smaller wreaths from each camping trip specific to that trip or area we went to its addicting thanks
Hi is this method non-toxic? I'm looking for a non-toxic version to preserve my reindeer moss. Also, do you know a method to paint the moss with non-toxic paint? Would truly truly truly appreciate that. :)
Hey Karen,
2 years have passed since you tried the 2nd technic with he hot water and glycerin, so I was wondering how the moss looks like by now ? I mean, I know that if I try the first techinic, I would not resist by styring with my tongue, so I think it would be wiser for me to adopt the non toxic one. ;) Since I am using the moss for art wich will be sold (hopefully...), I have a big concern about how the moss from the 2nd technic turned out after 2 years. :) Thanks for the response !
Deborah
How long do you think the glycerin and hot water moss would last? I just need some to last me until my January wedding :) We live in Florida and I will be taking advantage of the abundance of Spanish moss around these parts for my centerpieces. Thanks!
It will last forever. Seriously. It will never ever go brittle. I have some I did almost 10 years ago and it's still perfect. ~ karen!
Would this method work for Spanish moss? Since it is not a lichen but a bromeliad, I wasn't sure. I have a ton of it that I harvested and now need to dye and preserve. Help!
Hi Megan. I haven't tried it so I can't guarantee it would work, but I think as long as it's something that's porous, this method would work. I'd at least give it a shot if I were you. :) ~ karen!
Have you any instructions on preserving boxwood?
Sorry, no. ~ karen!
Hello from Louisiana. I am preserving moss grown on bark. Should all bark and soil be removed before preserving? Does the bark become preserved during this process?
Thanks,
Jane
Hi Jane! I have to be honest with you, I've never tried to preserve moss on the bark. I've always removed it. I'm not sure it would work. I have a feeling the wood would just eventually either dry out, or rot because the glycerine wouldn't be able to be absorbed right through the wood. It's easy for it to absorb completely into the moss, but not the wood. If I were you I'd remove the moss, preserve it separately and then if you want the look of it on bark, place it on bark later. :) ~ karen!
Thank you for your quick reply! I enjoy the finding and preserving process more than the decorating process. Will now need to be creative!
Jane
One more question :> Does the smell go away?
One more comment :> You're the best!
The smell could be coming from my first batch which contained too much organic matter. Both batches are in the same room. I plan to cut more away. Should I preserve again by saturation or misting?
Sorry for play-by-play mistakes! Decided to toss it due to chance of mold. Learning how to not be afraid and just experiment is challenging for me!
LOL. You'll get the hang of it if you keep taking chances. ~ karen!
You know what Jane? It doesn't go away completely. :/ I'm not sure if the smell subsides a little or if you just get used to it but it doesn't seem as bad after a while. ~ karen!