If you’d like wall art without the use of paint, or to make a fashionably creative work of green wall art, consider using moss! Believe it or not, you can grow your own moss on a wall—and because you’ll paint it on, you can shape your moss into any design you’d like. From imagery to a stenciled message, or even just a splattered faux-aged look, painting moss is easy!

So how does it work? To grow moss, you’ll have to take existing moss and simply break it up into a paste.  You’ll then paint the paste onto the surface you want to cover, and soon the moss will grow!

Tools and Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • A handful of moss, of course!
  • A blender
  • A bucket or container

How to Make Moss Paste

  1. Wash the moss roots to remove the soil caked on.
  2. Break up your washed moss, and then put it in a blender.
  3. Add your other ingredients: the water, buttermilk (or yogurt) and corn syrup for thickening. Note that adding corn syrup is optional.
  4. Blend your mixture, and then pour in a container for your paste.
  5. Your paste is done! Dip in a brush and get going!

Some Extra Tips

After painting, spray some water on the “graffiti” to encourage growth of the moss. If you’re going for a specific design, stencils are a great way to get the shape you’re looking for.