How to Revive Moss Decor

Do you use organic moss decor throughout your home? Moss is a great way to add freshness to interiors. Although preserved moss is treated to retain its luster it invariably does fade through time especially when exposed to sunlight. Today I will share a solution on how to revive faded and sad looking moss decor to its original green splendor.

Moss is a great alternative to add organic tones in interior design with less maintenance than houseplants and a longer life span than fresh florals. Instead of spending more money replacing your sad moss pieces, you can simply refresh all the old moss decor with an extremely affordable solution. It’s not only affordable, but super easy as well.

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I found a few different techniques to revive moss, which provide subtle different results.

Real moss can be brought to life simply with moisture, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee added greenness.
Another technique includes using green paint to revive the color. This technique though, seems counterintuitive to me by using paint with an otherwise natural element.
Green food coloring provides an alternative for added color, while remaining somewhat natural since it’s something which can be ingested.
By mixing green food coloring with water, provides the perfect mixture of moisture and color.

Supplies

Green Food Coloring
Water

Tools

Spray Bottle
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons

Crafting Pro Tip: Read all the instructions through once and then re-read everything again. This way, you are familiar with everything you need and know what to expect.

Instructions

Read instructions thoroughly and assemble all supplies & tools
Identify and gather all moss decor, etc. which needs a refresh

Fill spray bottle with 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of green food coloring
Spray moss decor liberally with green water coloring saturating piece

Once moss is dry, rotate or turn over piece and spray other areas until all moss is revived
Allow moss decor to dry fully before placing in desired spot
Voila! Enjoy your newly revived moss decor

Examples of Revived Moss Decor

I found a few moss pieces around our home, which had seen better days and were looking really sad and drab. The old moss pieces were in dire need of a refresh, and this easy technique revived them to their earlier splendor. Here are some before and afters, which show the brilliance of this simple glow up.

Large Orb

A large moss orb sits on the coffee table ottoman in the family room. Although the moss ball is dislayed indoors, it still gets plenty of light through the windows. Through the years, the oversized orb lost its greeness and looked brownish and sad.

After the food coloring revive it looks amazing again. The pop of green in the middle of the room adds so much freshness and vibrance.

Trellis

A couple of moss trellises were an impulse buy years ago, which were displayed on the front porch. You can see them here when they were brand new and through all the sun exposure they yellowed quite considerably.

This food coloring glow up brought them back to life. The trellises had been stashed in the back patio out of sight, and now I am so happy to be able to display them on the front porch again. This technique is easy enough and organic enough to apply at a later date should the moss fade again.

Planter

Remember this moss planter DIY? It’s been a few years, and although this piece is also used indoors, through natural exposure it faded and was not as fabulous anymore. You can see how it looked new below.

This is how it looked like before I sprayed it. It’s blurred in the background but you can see it was mostly brown and drab. Sorry I didn’t get a better photograph, but I think you get the picture, literally and figuratively.

After sprayed and dried, the cast iron planter is back to its natural splendor. The tricky part on this one was the different variations of the moss. There were different greens and some moss wasn’t green at all. I was very careful where I sprayed and how much I saturated each piece of moss to achieve the different degrees.

Bunny

This moss bunny is really a seasonal piece for me, displayed mostly in the springtime. Since I was spraying all the faded moss I figured I would spray the bunny too. It will be ready for next Easter and spring season.

OR I could surprise you with a summer vignette starring Mr. Bunny. You never know around here. The unconventional or surprising is always fun in home interiors. It keeps things interesting and fun.

Tips & Recommendations on How to Revive Moss Decor

Spraying Technique

A few tips and thoughts about how to spray the food coloring solution on your moss pieces.

Location

Spray in an area where the spatter will not affect the surroundings. I used a painter’s tarp to protect our patio as I sprayed. Spraying on grass is a safe solution as well. The food coloring does wash away should you have a mishap, but it’s simpler to choose a prudent location to spray.

Clearance

I sprayed all the pieces from about a 6 inch distance. This provided a good coverage spray. Too close doesn’t allow for the food coloring solution to spread across the moss element enough, while too far away causes the spray to go around the piece and affect the surroundings.

Protection

Using a tarp or piece of cardboard helps catch all the green splatter. For the planter I had to be very specific where I sprayed plus I used a paper towel to protect the planter. Also I did not wear gloves for this project so my hands were green for a split second. If this bothers you, I would recommend wearing gloves.

Saturation

You can spray as much or as little as you want in order to achieve the green density you desire. I sprayed a lot. So much so, my hand hurt at one point. Keep this in mind if you are spraying many items or a large scale piece.

Here’s a video of the spraying technique which you might find useful.

Moss Lifespan

There are many types of mosses from natural to preserved to faux and many in between. Depending on the many variables of all these varieties the moss color and life span will be influenced. Some faux varieties will fade while others won’t. Natural mosses will fade much quicker when exposed to sunlight than those displayed in a protected space. The good news is that regardless of all these different scenarios the food coloring technique works for all of them in a natural way, allowing for moss rejuvenation and enjoyment for a long time.

Moss Care

Regular care of moss will prolong its lifespan. Keeping moss pieces dust free is key. Spritzing fresh moss varieties on a regular basis is a good idea. Invariably, even if you maintain perfect care of your moss pieces the natural air and light most likely will affect them. Now you have an easy solution for if and when that happens.

Preserved Boxwood

Taking it a step further I applied the same technique on a preserved boxwood wreath, hoping for the same results. And although it did give the wreath a bit of sprucing up, it did not work as well as the food coloring spray did on the moss.

The wreath hangs on our front door most of the year. The front door is protected for most of the day, but it does have some sun exposure, and there’s also the natural elements in the air. We’ve had this wreath for a few years now, and I noticed in my recent spring porch post that the wreath is showing some wear.

dutch door — a New Dutch Door Front Entry

how to refresh a spring porch — a New Dutch Door Front Entry

Above you can compare the wreath when we first hung it on the door, and how it looked like on the recent spring porch refresh. The color has definitely faded. Although the food coloring spray did not saturate the leaves as well as the moss pieces, it did brighten the wreath a bit. I believe whatever coats the leaves to preserve them does not allow for the moisture and color to permeate. I dabbed the leaves after spraying to facilitate the process. Although it’s not back to new, it is greener and livelier.

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Closing Thoughts

Do you use moss decor in your home? If you do, I hope this helps you spruce up any pieces which might need a refresh. Personally, I’m super happy with all the results. This food coloring glow up has revived all the moss elements whether they were store bought pieces or DIY projects.

Thank you for stopping by today and see you next time. Au revoir!

Shopping the Look

Shopping Note

I included *affiliate links here to some of the items I used or that are very similar for your convenience. If there’s something you are looking for, which you don’t see here, please drop me a note or leave me a comment down below. I’m happy to help.

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How to Revive Moss Decor