9 Wonderful Ways to Display Your Kokedama Plants
Japanese moss balls or kokedama are taking the indoor gardening world by storm, and rightfully so. If you’re stumped on how to display your beautifully flourishing kokedama plant, I have plenty of great ideas for you.
Here are my top 9 ways to display kokedama:
- On a decorative saucer
- Hanging suspended
- On a slab of stone
- In a glass terrarium
- Wrapped with colorful twine
- On a plant stand
- On a metal beam over a block of wood
- With mini decorative towns on them
- In a geometric display
In this article, I’ll talk further about the 9 kokedama display ideas above, adding photos and including product recommendations so you can bring the display to life in your home or office. I’ll also share some of my favorite places for hanging kokedama, so let’s get started.
9 Kokedama Display Ideas
On a Decorative Saucer
My first idea is a simple one, but it can be impactful if you pull it off right. Just place your kokedama ball on a saucer.
Rather than use the assortment of ceramic, plastic, or clay saucers I’m sure you have handy from your years of indoor gardening, buy a decorative one. Yes, there’s an extra expense, but the results will be worth it.
I don’t know about you, but I love these Cloud Trays on Etsy. The holographic trays are only plastic vinyl and nickel, so they’re more durable than they look. The stunning effect they create will have everyone asking you where you got them.
If you’re more of a simple kind of indoor gardener, these minimalist plant saucers, also on Etsy, are low-cost and made of eco-friendly materials like carnauba and Jesmonite.
Not only is a decorative saucer great for displaying a kokedama plant, but it’s functional as well. The saucer can catch water runoff so it doesn’t soak through to your table or windowsill.
Hanging Suspended
This is something I’m going to talk about a lot more in the next section, so make sure you check that out.
Hanging kokedama balls look very cool and somewhat mystical too. Whether it’s one large ball or several smaller ones in a group, the alluring collection of hanging plants can liven up any corner office or living room.
Once your kokedama plant begins to grow, then the beauty of a hanging kokedama will as well. I will say that you must wrap up your kokedama very well using twine or rope to prevent its soil from shedding onto your carpet or hardwood floor though!
On a Slab of Stone
Don’t feel like you must reinvent the wheel when it comes to how you’ll display your kokedama. You can put the moss ball directly on a slab of stone or perhaps in a stand that rests on a slab of stone.
Stone does not have to be boring and one-note, by the way! This piece of labradorite on Etsy shines all the colors of the rainbow depending on how you hold it. It could be a lovely display piece for your kokedama plant.
A round chunk of selenite in pure white is just begging for a few kokedama balls to be put on display. It’s reasonably priced too!
In a Glass Terrarium
One cool idea that indoor gardeners have tried for displaying their kokedama is putting the moss ball in a glass terrarium.
There’s something about glass houses for plants that make them look like display pieces at an art gallery, so I’m all for it. However, I would caution you against getting a terrarium that’s completely enclosed.
Why? That’s going to make it mighty hard to get to your kokedama plant out so you can soak it. Also, for those plants that don’t like humidity, the warm air that can get trapped within a terrarium can cause them distress.
Open terrariums are totally fair game for your kokedama plant though. I recommend measuring both the size of your moss ball now as well as the size of the plant growing in it. Then buy a terrarium that can accommodate the plant.
As your plant grows, you’ll have to replace its terrarium or abandon using a terrarium altogether depending on how large your plant gets (such as a Monstera!).
Wrapped with Colorful Twine
Kokedama balls require twine or rope to hold the dry soil balls together, as I mentioned. The soil that’s packed around the root ball of your plant will become wet and muddy when you water your kokedama plant, and at that time, it will stick better on its own.
Using colorful twine for your kokedama ball is a display method all on its own.
My suggestion? If you have several moss balls, then enwrap each one in twine of a different color. You can select from neutral hues, pastels, brights – it’s your choice, so have fun with it!
On a Plant Stand
If you’re still seeking ideas for how to display your kokedama plants, why not try a plant stand? I’m quite fond of this Busy Gardeners Kokedama Holder on Amazon.
You get six plant stands in the set that are all made of metal. The bent metal resembles a stick figure holding the kokedama plant in different ways.
The first figure is carrying the plant in their arms, the second is carrying the moss ball behind their back, and the third one is heaving it over their head.
The fourth metal figure is lying down with the kokedama ball in their lap, the fifth one is dragging it behind them in a wheelbarrow, and the sixth one is carrying it using a wheelbarrow in front of them.
You’ll feel inclined to grow lots of kokedama so you have one for each of the six displays!
On a Metal Beam Over a Block of Wood
If you find the idea of metal figures holding your kokedama as a little too hokey, this next display idea should be more up your alley.
You’d insert a metal rod into the soft, moist soil of the kokedama ball. Then glue or otherwise affix the other end of the metal rod into a wood slab, as this photo illustrates.
This DIY display method should only take a few hours to put together and won’t cost you too much money. If you’re gluing the metal rod, then make sure you give it adequate time to dry. I wouldn’t glue the side that goes into the kokedama’s soil.
I would also recommend treating the wood with a waterproofing seal to prevent it from rotting if your kokedama isn’t totally dry when you replace it on the rod.
With Mini Decorative Towns on Them
Okay, this next idea is only for the kokedama balls themselves, not for any plants. It’s not really feasible for maintaining a kokedama garden, but I couldn’t resist showing it off anyway.
You can create a miniature globe or town on the moss balls as seen here. The creative indoor gardener who came up with the display attached small mushrooms, a mini house, a teeny-tiny bench, and even a small faux tree on the moss ball, not to mention there’s a precious little walking path.
In a Geometric Display
Do you want your kokedama ball to become a conversation piece whenever you have friends or family over? All it takes is a little bit of geometry and voila, your kokedama plant instantly looks 10 times cooler.
This metal hexagon on Etsy is six inches high by seven inches in width. It comes in gold and is open at the top so there’s nothing stopping your kokedama ball from drinking in the sunlight it needs.
The Best Places to Hang Your Kokedama
You’ve decided that you’d rather hang your kokedama plant. A wise choice for sure!
As I talked about earlier, kokedama are stunning when suspended. You’ll want to make Japanese moss balls to hang throughout your home or office.
Where you hang your kokedama matters though.
In an easterly, westerly, or southerly-facing window, affix the plant so it dangles three feet from the window. If yours is a northerly-facing window, you can suspend the kokedama ball right in front of the window.
Northerly-facing windows never get direct sunlight, so you won’t have to worry about the sun drying out your moss ball.
When determining where the kokedama plant should hang, keep in mind also the risk of drafts such as from a window air conditioner, a radiator, or vents. Suspend the plant in an area where the drafts can’t affect it.
