Whether you're looking for a sustainable gift idea or a unique crafty project to relax and disconnect from the busy world, making a moss frame is just the perfect crafting activity that lets you connect with nature at home and enjoy your beautiful project on your wall for years to come!
Follow these few easy steps to make a reindeer moss picture frame with just a few tools and easy-to-find materials and tools.
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR A DIY MOSS ART FRAME:
- Scissors
- Gloves
- 1 PVA glue for wood (ideally grade D3, water resistant)
- 1 bag of reindeer moss of your color of choice
- A small bag/bin to put the moss roots
- A frame, ideally a wooden one that doesn't have a detachable back (like the standard picture frames) as the PVA glue would come out on the sides.
STEP BY STEP DIY MOSS ART PROCESS
1. First of all, reindeer moss needs to be cleaned up. Take the reindeer moss out of its bag/box and remove any pine needles or long roots you may find. This cleaning process is very important to avoid the dirt building up at the bottom of your moss picture frame and then falling every time you touch it.
2. Take a piece of reindeer moss and hold it by its "head" (the spongy part). This is the side that needs to show upwards in your frame. The lower part (where the roots are) needs to be cut at approximately the same height throughout the whole frame to create a consistent texture that is pleasant to view and touch. My suggestion would be to hold it like in the picture and cut it just below your thumb.
3. Take the glue and pour it on the frame, if you want you can use a card to spread the glue evenly but it's not mandatory. I usually pour enough glue to create approx 1 cm of thickness. PVA glue gives you some time before it dries so you have 10-15 mins to glue the moss, I suggest you pour the glue to approx one-quarter of the frame to give you enough time to glue the moss properly in each section of your moss frame.
4. Take each piece of preserved reindeer moss (already cleaned and cut) and attach it to the glued part of the moss art frame. Glue each piece of reindeer moss beside each other, making sure that there are no empty spaces between them.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the entire frame is covered.
5. You're done gluing, now leave your beautiful moss art picture frame drying for a few hours. The glue will become transparent and dry. Consider 24 hrs as a safe timeframe for making sure the glue is fully dry.
HUGE CONGRATS, YOU'VE MADE YOUR FIRST DIY MOSS WALL ART!
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR MOSS WALL ART FRAME
Preserved reindeer moss is the longest-lasting type of preserved moss. It is not alive anymore so it doesn't need any type of care or maintenance whatsoever!
Preserved reindeer moss does not like humidity so it's not suitable to be kept outdoors or in open-air spaces, it must be kept indoors!
It also has to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from direct fonts of heat or air conditioners - however it can be placed above a radiator cover or shelf.
No water, light, trim or spray required, just let it be!
WHERE TO FIND MATERIALS FOR A DIY MOSS ART
If you have difficulties finding all the materials required, we offer a ready-to-use DIY preserved reindeer moss art kit that includes the right PVA wood glue, a bag of premium preserved reindeer moss - available in multiple colors - and the perfect wooden frame that will insure a nice and clean job without any glue spilling.
The frame is made of unfinished wood so it can be painted over with your favorite color to create an original work of wall art that suits your interior color palette.
The DIY moss art kit is available in two sizes (20x20 cm or 30x30 cm) that suit absolute beginners who want to spend some time with a fun and relaxing craft project as well as moss artists wannabe who want to familiarize themselves with the materials and practice a more challenging moss art crafting project. This moss artist kit also includes a detailed guide to make your first reindeer moss art frame, which is also a unique and unusual gift idea for any nature lover or craft enthusiast!
For any questions on how to make a moss art frame with preserved reindeer moss, don't hesitate to contact us at info@ninfastudio.com