Sometimes you can get your kids to make something that YOU want

Kids's crafts usually involve making something that interests kids. Sometimes, though, they are just as happy to get involved making something that YOU want and they don't need to 'own' the end product themselves either. Try this air plant / moss wall out and see!

Moss walls have been fashionable for a while now and moss is safe and easy to use in kids' projects. I actually made a moss wall a year or so ago and added the air plants by gluing them into the moss. However, I found that spraying the whole moss picture with water left the air plants dripping water everywhere and moss would drop onto the floor. Plus air plants like a good soaking from time to time so I planned to make little holders for them to sit in instead.

Looking around the house for something to use to hold the air plants in, I found some bobby pins (Kirby grips). I bent them into shape and hot glued them into place using lots and lots of glue and holding them in place until the glue had set and the holders sat upright.

Now the kids got involved. I gave them standard craft glue and a big bag of mixed color reindeer moss. They were free to just glue and stick, glue and stick. No rules and no limitations. They really enjoyed this. Once the glue was dry we were done! Put the air plants into position and hang the picture.

Materials needed - a picture frame (I chose white because I love the green against white), a glue gun, bobby pins or some other metal that can be used to hold the air plants in place, air plants, a bag of reindeer moss, craft glue (the stuff that comes in a squeeze bottle is ideal).

Caring for your air plants

You can spray them with water every few days or so and fertilizers can be bought online or in garden stores. If you want your air plant to flower then you will have to fertilize at the right time of year.

I also recommend soaking the air plants in water once a week for an hour or so. Some people soak them overnight but I've never found it necessary. Let them sit on a paper towel for a minute afterwards to catch drips of water and then reposition in the frame.

Air plants usually attach themselves to trees in their native environment so this moss wall is an ideal environment for them. The reindeer moss does not need water. It has been dried and so needs no care. Keep the picture out of direct sunlight but in a bright location.

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