Fresh Flower Kokedama
A modern twist on a classic botanical art form. In this Flower School How-To video, Leanne transforms fresh flowers into a living kokedama design, wrapping moss and natural materials into a sculptural base topped with elegant blooms and graceful movement. It’s simple, creative, and a beautiful way to explore foam-free floral mechanics while letting each stem shine.
Video Transcription
Here in the Pacific Northwest, Sphagnum Moss is everywhere, and it's so fabulous. To do this design, the kokedama, you start with sphagnum moss. Let me show you how it's done.
The inspiration for this design was this vessel I've had for years. I thought, "Oh, we could do something similar and better." The kokedama uses sphagnum moss to create an orb that you bind together. Then inside, a water tube, it comes in different sizes, binding it with twine, and then accenting it with curly willow that is fresh. You've got to have fresh because they have to be bindable. Then flowers, whatever your favorites, to create a beautiful, fresh flower kokedama.
To begin take your water tube, and tuck it into the sphagnum moss. Then wrap it around. You can leave the lid on or off, doesn't matter, but you're pulling it together. Then using your twine, gather it and start wrapping, pulling it tightly, winding until you get that beautiful orb shape. You can always go back and add more moss, more twine, pulling and wrapping, and then tie it together at the end.
As you work on your orb, you may notice flat spots. Go back and add in a little more moss. Tie it in place. Then once you are happy with the form, that's when you go back and add in the curly willow. So you want to start with a bit, tucking it in. And you can see I've already put it together because it takes a little bit of work to get it all tied in. Then bringing it back around, wrapping, and then tying it again with a bit more twine to make sure that it stays in place.
As you finish adding in your flowers, make sure you have water in your tube, because it does have to last. Then looking at what materials are available. Now this amazing anthurium, giving it a cut, setting it in, letting it come out nice and tall. Then a little bit of brasilia. This will give me the substance that I need at the base to support everything, cleaning it out, and then tucking that down low. Then lastly, the snake allium gives such wonderful movement. Just adding that, and letting it come out. And you can see, it becomes a work of art.
The recipe, starting with Sphagnum Moss for the base and then enhancing it with Curly Willow. The flowers, one Anthurium, one Brasilia, and then two of the Snake Allium. To make it more special, setting it onto a pedestal, and just setting that up. And all of a sudden, it's even more important.
When you're creating with an orb, you have the problem of it rolling. With this particular design, all you need to do is take and pound it down a few times to create that tight bottom that's flat, and then it will stay put. For more creative inspiration, check out our website, flowerschool.com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there. But now, it's your turn. Find your moss, create a way. Be sure to take a picture, post it on social media, and #floraldesigninstitute. That way, we all can see what you do as you do something you love.
