The other day I was on Amazon looking for something when Amazon said “Hey, Stace, I bet you would like these moss balls!” And I thought, “Amazon, you know me pretty well. We’ve been through a lot together. You have always been so good to me. Why would you think I wanted moss balls? What ARE moss balls?”
But then I got curious and I clicked on them. I thought they were cute.
And I started to ponder what I could do with these little water moss balls that were actually living and growing plants.
And I thought, why not an underwater terrarium!
Luffy Marimo Moss Balls
I started a new thing called Fun Finds last month. Last month I shared my spice jars. I wasn’t going to blog about my moss balls originally. I bought them a few months ago. But I have actually really loved them and thought you might, too.
If you follow me on instagram then you know I found these glass bottles at IKEA the other day. I asked you for ideas of what I could use them for. You had some great ideas, but then I had a light bulb moment and knew it was the new home for my moss balls. I swear I remember there being two sizes of bottles, but don’t quote me on that. I did have all four kids with me and was distracted. The IKEA website only shows the larger size. I bought the smaller one(if it exists…). I loved the shape of these bottles!
@StacyRisenmay via instagram
I added some sand from our trip to Bear Lake and some of the little shells we found there. If you have ever been to Bear Lake then you know that there are millions and millions of these tiny shells all over the shore.
Not only is this a fun terrarium to put on my desk, but it will remind me of our vacation. My boys are actually petitioning to have it in their room so I may need to make more :)
I also have clear plastic Christmas bulbs I got at the craft store. I think it would be cute to fill them with rocks or sand and moss balls and then hang them! I usually take off the metal part and tie string or twine to hang them with so they look less ornament-y. The moss balls could go in any clear container with water and the possibilities are almost endless.
Here is an ornament that I filled with shells and then tied string to. I did this project for my book. Now I wish I would have known about moss ball back them!
Would you ever make a water terrarium?
I have no clue what you mean by “clear plastic Christmas bulbs”
Like you make a Christmas terrarium? So confused
I just sent you an email with pictures :) Let me know if you have any other questions!
I love this idea and the moss balls are so cute. Do the moss balls have to be kept in water? I wonder if you could put a couple little guppies in there. I love all things with moss and this is just too cute, love the bottles, I have to search Ikea and Amazon and see what I can come up with. I’m so glad you decided to share the moss balls, thanks.
Yes, they need to be in water and YES! people put them in fish tanks all the time. They are probably used more for that then what I did. I think that would be fun!
just an FYI – a lot of bars discard there bottles when the alcohol is empty. Some of those are the most beautiful bottles made. If you have access to or are friends with someone in that profession, you might be able to get your hands on some great ones.
I have used them for Christmas with mini twinkle lights inside and they make great vases for spring branches outside on the patio because of the long necks.
Did you make the moss balls? Is there a tutorial or did I just miss it. I think they are great!
I should have looked on Amazon before asking for a tutorial! Didn’t realize these were actual growing plants.
I think I will be buying these later today. A great find!
Not sure about using an empty booze bottle though. When they get bigger, itmight be hard to remove them without breaking the bottle.
Thanks!
I can’t tell if you actually have water in the jar. If you do, how often do you have to refill for evaporation? Wonderful idea for the jar and the clear ornaments or even a fishbowl.
Yes, there is water in there. It suggests on the website to change the water ever 2 weeks but I have been going 3 or 4. I imagine if you had fish in with them it would need to be more often. :)
I love all things mossy and your sweet terrarium is right up my alley. Hey Amazon, gimme some moss balls!
I love that Amazon was all “Hey here’s some moss balls..thought you’d be interested” lol. But seriously this idea is super cute! I think it would be so much easier to keep those alive underwater than it is for me to keep plants alive in a dirt terrarium. Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!
I love this idea and I have to tell I have an eye for these moss balls for years now, now I have no more excuse no to buy them! How do you change the water without disturb the moss balls and the rocks and sands? – Love, Anna
What a unique and beautiful decoration. I’m sure my kids would love one of their own too. Thanks for linking up with Inspire Me Monday! Have a wonderful week!!
I saw some of these in the pet store and had no idea what they were for. Thanks for sharing!
Very cute! Who knew — Amazon, what a crazy place!
How fun and interesting is this accessory?! Love how fuzzy the moss balls look underneath the water.
Thank you so much for linking up with The DIY Collective! Please join us again next week!
Your underwater terrariums are pretty! Thank you for sharing on Idea Box. This will be featured on m y blog tomorrow!
Gorgeous! I love the idea of living decor. Makes me miss my fishtank, though!
Thanks for joining us at Idea Box Link Party!! This week’s party goes live at 6am tomorrow– don’t miss it! You’re our most viewed for the week. ;)
C
This is super adorable. I have mine in a few wide mouth containers. I like to change up the decor. ;) I love how “zen” yours look.