Cute DIY Moss Pouches

My Sweet Cottage
by My Sweet Cottage
6 Materials
$15
2 Hours
Easy

Making these cute moss pouches that hold plants doesn’t require any special skills. And the fun thing about it is that it is not an exact science. If something ends up crooked or a little lopsided, it adds to the natural look.


But if someone is looking for perfection, this may not be the right project. When the plant is watered, the bottom of the moss pouch gets soggy – and a bit of the soil residue can even leach out. For that reason, these moss pouches should be kept on a saucer.

Himalayan maidenhair fern in a DIY moss pouch

Making the Moss Pouch


I started with a 12 X 7 piece of sheet moss (specifically, Instant Green Supermoss) and a similarly sized piece of light-duty landscape fabric.

I removed the paper backing from the sheet moss to expose the grid.

And I placed the landscape fabric over the grid where the paper backing had been.


Then I folded the moss and fabric in half so that the moss was on the inside and the landscape fabric was on the outside. Then I pinned the sides together.

On the bottom part, where the fold was, I cut each corner at a 45-degree angle.

Then it was time to stitch. This project was messy, with little bits of moss coming off of the sheet. So there was no way I was going to put this into my lovely little sewing machine. I would stitch it by hand.


Because the grid that the moss is adhered to is somewhat loosely spaced, there wasn’t much for a thread to hold on to. So I needed to use a fairly thick thread. I used embroidery floss (in a mossy color) and a large needle.


And I found out the hard way that, for the stitches to hold, I would need to tie big, secure knots at the beginning and end of every run of stitches. I double- and triple-knotted everything.


With this in mind, I simply stitched up the right and left sides of the pouch and left the top un-stitched.

At this point, it looked a little like a pocket.


Now it was time to turn it right-side-out. Because the moss tended to shed from the sheet when disturbed, this had to be done very carefully.

Now I had a moss pouch with a landscape fabric inner lining. It was not yet ready to stand on its own, but I had a solution.


I folded the top of the pouch (approximately an inch of it) inwards all around the opening.

And then I stitched four evenly-spaced pleats into the top.

Simple inward-facing pleats in four locations

This was to make sure the top would stay folded inward, and it would make the pouch more likely to stand on its own. It also gave the pouch a cute little inward curve at the top – while still providing room to place the plant and soil inside.


I coaxed and manipulated the bottom of the pouch a bit, and it was almost standing on its own – but not quite.


So I tried the simplest thing I could think of: I placed a generous handful of decorative pebbles inside. This weighted the bottom of the pouch enough to solve the problem.


Then I just carefully packed in some pre-moistened potting soil mix and planted a cute little Himalayan maidenhair fern and few birch twigs. All done!

At this point, with the added pre-moistened soil, the pouch was fairly stout and heavy – and it was standing on its own very well. Still, I probably wouldn’t trust having it around rambunctious kids or pets. Nor would I plant it with a large, top-heavy plant.


Now, I knew all along that this was not going to be a watertight planter. When the plant is watered, the bottom leaks. It gets a bit drippy – just like similar moss pouches I’d seen at the nurseries.


I'm sure there are many other ways to make these pouches, so please speak up if you have any suggestions.


Small ferns are particularly cute in these pouches, and they love the moist soil. But I made and planted up several other moss pouches. To check them out, please see my blog post on this.


Here is photo of my smallest one - "planted" with a lemon cypress cutting and sitting in a small vintage dessert bowl.

Now, as far as materials, I estimated $15. Actual cost will vary widely depending on what you have on hand and the cost of the plant you choose.


If you like this project, you might also enjoy my shatter-resistant eggshell planters or my elevated tulips.

Resources for this project:
Instant Green Supermoss
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  2 questions
  • Bridget Bridget on Mar 13, 2020

    Interesting moss bags, but where did you get that cool baby doll head and what is it made of?

  • Lisa Lisa on Mar 14, 2020

    Have you tried making your pouches into mini fairy gardens? Thanks for your totally cute idea and easy directions.

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  • Michele Michele on Mar 14, 2020

    I love the idea. I like real plants but I would also like to make one with fake flowers and plants in it. For someone without a green thumb. Thank you for sharing. Very beautiful.

  • Dee Dee on Apr 17, 2020

    so cute! tfs

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