A fun project to try in your home is mounting a staghorn fern on display. It’s an easy way of adding some natural beauty and character that you’ll love having around! Learn how to mount a staghorn fern on a board with this easy beginner project.
It is easy to bring green into your home during these chilly months with an 8-step tutorial on how to mount a Staghorn Fern in your own space. This is a great replacement for art on your wall or an addition to a gallery wall. A staghorn fern is easy to care for and this easy DIY to mount a staghorn will be a breeze for any one looking to do it on their own. If you’re looking for a taxidermy bear skull to mount on your wall, click here.
Staghorn ferns are an easy house plant to have and they look gorgeous with their super long leaves. They feel modern and can work in nearly any space, or with any style. In just a short trip to the garden store you can pull off this gorgeous mounted plant for yourself or gift it to a friend as a house warming gift.
DIY – How To Mount a Staghorn Fern on a Board
Materials Needed
All you will need is the following:
1 Staghorn Fern – If you cannot find one at your garden store, you can order one here.
1 mounting board – We used a split log, but you could use any flat piece of wood. This is a great place to get creative and make it yours
1 a bag of Green Sheet Moss – if you do not find it at your store you can order some here
8 small nails
1 wall mounting device of your choice – this may depend on the surface you decide to mount on
4-5 feet of twine – found at most craft stores, but I use this twine stand and love it!
Hammer and possibly a screw driver.
Step By Step Guide on How To Mount a Staghorn Fern on a Board
Step 1: Set the Hook
First things first, you will want to set the hook that will attach to the wall. Whatever you decide to use is up to you and the mounting piece you decide on, but begin with placing that before anything else. Trying to do this after you secure the plant could be disastrous.
Step 2: Trace a circle
Next, find a round object that you can trace around for your guide for step three. We used a bowl that was about 5 inches wide in diameter.
Step 3: Hammer in nails
Once, your circle is drawn grab your nails and equally hammer in the 8 small nails around the circle’s edge. If you have a bigger circle you will need more and if you have a smaller circle you will need less. This will secure the plant on the mount.
Step 4: Prune and open roots
Before you place the plant, it is important to loosen and prune the roots some. This helps better absorb moisture in it’s new environment as well as adapt to the new surface it will call home. After pruning make sure to water the plant.
Step 5: Place fern on mount
Once you have pruned the plant, place the fern in the middle of the circle of nails. We also took into account the direction of leaves, where the back hook was. By considering these details it will make the final presentation feel right. There is no wrong way, but sometimes one side of the plant will look better than another.
Step 6: Wrap base in damp moss
Now, grab the moss and pull apart a chunk, dampen it slightly and make sure to absorb any drippy moisture. Wrap the moss around the base of the plant to contain the dirt and roots of the fern.
Step 7: Secure with twine
Once fully wrapped, cut a long piece of twine and tie a knot on a nail. Criss-cross the twine over the base of the plant and wrap it around the tops of the nails with each cross. This will be the only security the plant and moss have so make sure to hit every nail and wrap around the heads well.
We used a burlap twine as it had a natural feeling and blended well, but you could get really creative and use neon twine, baker’s twine in colors, or simply use fishing line. Choose whatever fits you and your style.
Step 8: Nail and Hang the Plant
Once the plant is well secured you can now hang it. First, tested all three of our mounted plants before we hung them. We wanted to keep the concept of odds, a triangular shape, and lines of all the objects into account when doing this.
It took us about 5-10 minutes per plant to create. Corey also wanted to hang his Orchid because Orchids are also an easily mounted plant. It came out very modern, clean, and natural.
Step 9: After Care
To keep your plant healthy, check the moss every so often to make sure the moss is moist. The dryer your home, the more often you will need to water it. Make sure to also place it in a brighter room to allow enough sunlight, however it should not have direct sunlight.
When you do water them place them in a sink or shower and spray them to give them a rain-like experience. Then allow them to drip off the excess moisture. Once they are done dripping and not as damp you can replace them on the wall. I personally maintain my plants once a week in our home and it takes about 10 minutes on a Saturday to do.
I hope y’all enjoy this and if you have any garden diy questions or things you would like to see us create, please leave a comment below. We love to help your ideas come to life and are very open to ideas.
If you do create this DIY, please share it with us in the comments section below or by @ mentioning @freshexchange on Instagram/Twitter. We would love to see how you create your own, bring it into your space, and answer any questions you have.
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