How-To: Burlap-Wrapped Living Ornaments

We usually think of plants as rooted firmly in the soil, but this year we’ve been taking them out of the garden and into the home, as burlap-wrapped ornaments for the tree or tabletop.

Easy to make and even easier to care for, burlap-wrapped plants just might be our favorite DIY of the season, and a fun project for families gathering this weekend. At the latest workshop in our Living Gifts series, Styer’s nursery specialist Megan McKee demonstrated how to create natural ornaments from succulents and other petite plants, and shared her how-to with us below.

What You’ll Need:

Succulents or other small, hardy plants (around 2-3” tall)
Burlap
Twine or string
Sheet moss
Soil
Ribbon, small pine cones, or other embellishments

1. Select your plants. Succulents, cyclamen, tiny evergreens, and poinsettias are our favorite choices.

2. Surround the roots with soil, then wrap in sheet moss. Press firmly to create a ball of moss around the roots and soil.
    For an alternate design, simply fasten the moss ball with twine and skip to step 4.

3. Wrap the moss ball in burlap and fasten with string or twine.

4. Add a length of twine for hanging and embellish as desired.

5. To water, place the root ball in a dish of water for around 20 minutes, then drip dry any excess liquid. Water pines and cyclamen once a week, succulents and poinsettias every other week.

6. Hang from the tree, add to a holiday place setting, or give to a friend. When spring arrives, unwrap the root ball and find a permanent home for the plant indoors or out.