Kokedamas from Japan use moss to retain moisture and don’t require planters or pots. Everyone loves a self-sufficient houseplant. In the tradition of Japanese kokedama–which uses moss to retain moisture instead of a pot–here are instructions for making a planter-less houseplant of your own.

Materials

Soils, moss, tiny plants, and waxed string are the basic materials you need to make a DIY kokedama.

To keep a kokedama healthy and happy, sphagnum moss, bonsai soil, and peat moss are the magic three ingredients you need to retain water.

Begin by mixing soil in a 7:3 ratio of peat moss to akedama, or bonsai soil. After mixing, wet the soil until it’s moist enough to form a ball without falling apart.

Use your hands to form round balls.

After forming the soil balls, use your fingers to make a small hole in the balls.

To prepare the plant, remove as much excess soil from the roots as possible.

Next, tuck the plant’s roots into the hole. If the soil ball crumbles, mold it back into shape.

To hold in moisture, you’ll need to wrap the soil ball in moss. You can use either sphagnum moss or sheet moss. Sheet moss will create a greener moss ball, while sphagnum is more golden.

Holding the moss-covered soil ball in one hand, use your other hand to wrap the ball in twine.

After wrapping, secure the twine with a knot.

And you're done!