The summer and holiday season means get togethers and festive craftiness is right up our alley. And, if it involves plants, we’re IN! Making a kokedama ball is (warning!) highly addictive and loads of fun. They make the sweetest gifts for guests or look epic piled high as a table centrepiece. Plus, double win, they’ll happily survive the hot weather!

Dirty hands are a given, but it’s completely worth it when you see your pile of self contained plants grow! You can use ferns, succulents and a variety of other plants to achieve a theme or overall look. You can also make a kokedama well in advance of your event.

What You Will Need: 

  • Plants – choose healthy plants which aren’t too fragile when handling
  • Succulent/cactus mix soil
  • Peat moss
  • Sphagnum moss
  • Water
  • Twine
  • Scissors and 2 buckets

Step 1. 

The size of your chosen plant and the amount of individual kokedama you make will affect the amount of each item needed. Start with a little less sphagnum moss than you think you will need (approximately one big handful) and soak it in a bucket of water.

In a separate bucket, mix together equal parts soil and peat moss (for one kokedama, approximately 2 cups of each). Add in enough water to make a sloppy mix. Cut 2 pieces of twine, approximately 1 metre long, and set aside.

Step 2. 

Remove your chosen plant from its pot, and remove any excess soil. Tease gently at the root ball to remove any long roots and soil. Cup the plant in your less dominant hand and get ready for some mess!

Step 3. 

Scooping up handfuls of the wet soil and peat moss mixture, form a half ball on top of the root ball, squeezing out the excess moisture as you go. Compact the soil as much as you can to create a neat half sphere.

Step 4. 

Using the soaked sphagnum moss, drape it over the half sphere, until it is evenly covered and you can no longer see any soil. Using one of your pieces of cut string, roughly bind the soil and moss together, by threading the twine between the ball and your hand. This will loosely hold this half together.

Step 5. 

Flip the kokedama over in your hand and repeat. Make half a sphere with compacted soil mix, cover in sphagnum moss and roughly bind together with the other piece of cut string.

Step 6.

Using approximately 20-30 metres of twine, begin to neatly bind the kokedama ball together. Hold the twine across the top of the ball, close to the plant and continue to work around the ball, winding the twine as you turn the ball in small amounts. You can do this messily, or neatly, or with coloured twine. The only must is to ensure the twine is bound tightly.

Step 7. 

Once you are pleased with how the twine looks, finish it securely with a knot. If you are making these in advance of an event, give them a good soaking in a bucket of water 3-4 days before the event, so that they are watered but not soggy. Stick a name tag in them, hang from an arbour or place at each setting. There are so many ways to use these long lasting and heat resistant kokedama’s.

Ms Zebra Says: WOW! These look SO amazing – and not nearly as hard as you think. Well done Ms Honeycomb on simplifying a great DIY guest gift.

About Ms Honeycomb: My heart and home in Scotland and Australia, I am a florist, flower lover, writer, baker, stylist and sew-er of lovely things, with my darling toddler forever keeping me on my toes!