What is it about sensory play that is so relaxing?
Sensory play can be relaxing because it engages the senses and encourages focus on the present moment. Focusing on the sensory experience can also help to calm and regulate the nervous system. Additionally, sensory play can be a form of self-care and provide an opportunity for creativity and exploration.
How does creativity invite out of the box thinking?
Creativity invites out of the box thinking by encouraging individuals to explore new and unconventional ideas, challenge assumptions, and take risks. It allows individuals to think beyond the obvious solutions and consider multiple perspectives, leading to innovative and original ideas. By embracing creativity, individuals can break free from traditional patterns of thinking and discover new possibilities through playful curiosity.
What are some fun ideas for adult sensory play?
Some fun ideas for adult sensory play include:
If this practice resonates with you, we encourage you to schedule daily sensory play sessions. The important thing is creating a consistent practice and sticking to it, so even giving yourself as little as 5 minutes a day and doing it every single day for an entire month could be a transformational move for you if you're not already incorporating play into your life.
Have fun building a practice of play for yourself!
Self-care in the workplace is important for maintaining good physical and mental health. Some ways to practice self-care at work include taking breaks, staying hydrated, practicing deep breathing or meditation, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed. It's also important to prioritize self-care outside of work by getting enough rest, eating well, and engaging in activities that bring joy and relaxation. Starting small is okay, but whatever routines you start, challenge yourself to keep them going, then when you're ready, take another small step towards your goals.
Making time for self-care each and every day is important for our well-being. Here are some tips for creating space for self-care:
Remember, self-care is not selfish, it is necessary for our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Why is self care so important?
Self care is important because it helps you maintain your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It allows you to take time for yourself and recharge, which can lead to increased productivity, better relationships, and a more positive outlook on life. Moreover, taking care of yourself can prevent burnout and help you cope with stress and challenges more effectively.
If you're interested in getting creative with a sand tray, check out our extensive line of Wonderscapes.
Be creative and have fun!
At Olander Earthworks, we value our connection to creativity. It got us where we're at now and helps guide us to where we want to go in the future. Experimentation and play is a huge part of our process as small business owners and creators of an artistic stress relief tool, but sometimes even we need a little help in flexing our creative muscle. We utilize a lot of techniques to recalibrate and here are a few suggestions we have for you if you need a creative boost (or maybe even a jumping off point if you're new to creative expression.
Consider keeping a creativity journal. Record your thoughts and experiences as you play and experiment. How do you feel before and after you engage in each creative session? What themes come up for you? Have fun and keep in mind that creativity is a life-long journey that has many stops and starts. There's no one way to do it- the experience looks very different for each person.
]]>What if there was a beautiful desktop accessory to help one ground their senses and break free from the monotony of everyday tasks? Our handmade Wonderscapes might be what you're looking for. Help them connect to their creative mind in a fun and engaging way. What is a Wonderscape? We'll get to that in a bit!
12" Sea Cave Wonderscape in concrete
First, what are some of the benefits of inspiring creativity in the workplace?
12" Shell Game Wonderscape in concrete
12" Natural Birch Tray with Lines Sphere and 12oz Sand
A Wonderscape is a sand tray with patterned spheres that create textures in the sand. Stamp and roll our handmade sand spheres and watch the textures build, no skills required. Our Wonderscapes activate creativity and promote a sense of calm with an interactive visual display of colors and textures.
The additional beauty of our desktop sensory kits is that your designs can be easily shaken away to reveal a fresh surface for another sand play session. This routine reiterates the idea that everything is temporary and a clean slate to generate new ideas is just seconds away.
7" Prickly Pear Wonderscape in Concrete
We offer many sizes of Wonderscapes, but our most popular desktop sizes are our 7 and 8" trays. They're light and compact and can easily be moved to make room, if needed. Even a small space can usually accommodate this mindful desktop accessory.
For an exceptional client gift, our 12" Wonderscapes offer a beautiful mix of patterns for one to play with, but still keep space considerations in mind.
For an executive desktop and if one truly has the space to play, our 12 or 15" trays are wonderful choices.
Whether you're looking for a corporate gift or a meaningful client appreciation gift that will really resonate, we have a little something for everyone! If you'd like to learn more about our desktop sand trays, check out this wonderful Elephant Journal article that delves into these desktop tools from the therapeutic side. We partnered with Elephant Journal and a couple of therapists so you could look into the scientific side of what makes these sets so satisfying.
]]>
Working from home, we often need a break from being on the computer. Work stress can build up throughout the day with no relief. Our Wonderscapes provide an immediate way to disconnect from the hustle and bustle and experience a moment of relaxation. Along with generating a calming effect, our handmade zen sand garden also cultivates creativity and curiosity.
When not in use, this interactive desktop accessory also provides a beautiful piece of handmade concrete art to admire. Each sand sphere is cast in concrete in small batches by artists in a studio, not with machines on a factory floor. This innovative calming tool was made by humans for humans to engage your senses.
Featured Wonderscape: 15" Painted Wood Wayfinder
What is it about sensory play that is so satisfying?
We've found that zeroing in on our senses for a moment or two allows our minds to settle. We disconnect from our immediate emotions and into the grounding sensations we're seeing, hearing and feeling with our hands. Think of sitting by the ocean, taking in the rhythmic sounds as you watch the waves roll in and the sensation of cool sand beneath your toes. Fidget tools have become popular in recent years as a calming method for these same multi-sensory reasons. Fidgets come in all shapes and sizes.
Our Wonderscapes provide a simple, yet artistic way to achieve this same sensory satisfaction. Clever fidget tool meets handmade art object.
Featured Wonderscape: 12" Concrete Midnight Lore
Some of our other favorite ways to disconnect and detach when we need to take a quick break from work include:
Hearing the rain fall or the wind rustling through the trees, or holding a hot mug and watching the steam rise also achieve some of these same calming effects. While we very much enjoy these stress relief tactics, we often don't have more than a minute or two to relax between meetings and all the other work tasks that pile up during a busy work day.
Featured Wonderscape: 8" Concrete Adrift
This is where the Wonderscape comes in.
It provides an immediate way to disconnect and engage your senses, without even needing to leave your work space. Roll the patterned spheres around to create patterns in the sand. This interactive tool is meant to activate the senses of touch, sight and hearing. Whether you have 30 seconds or 5 minutes, you have a creative and fun stress relief outlet right at your fingertips.
Featured Wonderscape: 12" Concrete Dunegazing
What size of Wonderscape should I get?
Check out our 7 and 8" sets in our Playa and North Coast colorways for the perfect desktop size, or curate your own from our wide selection of sand spheres.
If you have a larger desktop or table, consider a 12 or 15" tray.
Have fun selecting the perfect pairing for you!
]]>Come play in the sand at one of the biggest and best flower and garden shows in the country. Olander Earthworks is fully stocked with all of our popular designs. Curate your own one-of-a-kind Wonderscape with our wide array of colors and pick up a concrete head or two! Find us at Booth 1400.
Meet Andrew Lonnquist, the artist that creates our concrete art and snag a plant (or three) from the many vendors at the show.
Why visit us in person? Try out your favorite designs in the sand and curate your Wonderscape with our guidance. See new colors and offerings not sold online. Talk directly with the brain behind all of our designs and find out more about our small family business.
The Northwest Flower & Garden Show runs through Sunday, February 19th. Visit their website for tickets and more information on the show.
]]>Deal #1- Great Gift for Yourself or Someone You Love
Get our 8" wood Lowtide set for only $70 ($24 off!)
Use our 7" Natural Wonderscape covers for your natural 7" tray, OR, many people use them as a sphere holder alongside your larger Wonderscape.
Our 3-hole 7" natural Wonderscape cover is $15 ($10 off)
Our 5-hole 7" natural Wonderscape cover is $17 ($13 off)
Visit our giant sand tray at the Portland Saturday Market for an artistic, interactive and calming experience you won't forget. View concrete art in a way you never have before!
As you create and discover your own beautiful sand textures, you may find yourself longing for a compact and creative stress relief solution you can use daily in the workplace or your work-from-home space. If so, you're in luck.
We offer desktop sand trays in varying sizes, perfect for a meditative healing session, whenever you need a quick grounding experience. We do offer our beautifully curated Wonderscapes online (great if you need a quick, well-considered gift), but when you visit us live, there are a few special added benefits.
Most Saturdays, our founder and creator Andrew is there to walk you through the process, from discovery to building your own custom Wonderscape.
Some Saturdays you'll get to meet Andrew's wife and business partner, Sarah. She brings an art background, a love of community-building and an entrepreneurial spirit to the operation.
It doesn't get more handmade than this! Our team is making our concrete art from start to finish every day. No factory floors or forklifts. We create our sand spheres in a studio environment, with artisans who have a passion and drive to create something beautiful. From our hands to yours, literally!
We're here to listen to your needs and stories and always have a suggestion or two to guide you as you play. We can provide as much (or as little) creative input as you need. We try to always provide a good mix of popular colors and designs, but we delight in helping you build your own, truly one of a kind set, based on your needs, interests and color palette.
Be the first to see new things and share in our behind-the-scenes excitement!
When you support our small family business, you're supporting real people that believe in people over profit and that wholeheartedly stand behind the product we create.
We've been creating our original, handmade goods since 2008 as our family has grown right alongside our business. Come share your story with us and become a part of ours!
The Portland Saturday Market is an outdoor craft Market open every Saturday March-December. from 10am-5pm. Our booth location changes yearly, but you can usually find us under the bridge, a few rows away from the river. If you have trouble finding us, locate the little red info booth and they'll show you where we are. We're there most Market weekends, but sometimes take a week or two off for an out-of-town show or little break.
Keep in mind that when you visit us at the Market, we won't have the exact inventory you see on our website, but we'll have a great mix of many of our designs and colors. We only carry our natural trays at the Market, so if your heart is settled on one of our color trays, plan to order those online. Also, keep in mind that if you order online, we can't bring your order to pick up at the Market, we only offer pick up at our NE Sandy studio.
Feel free to reach out via our chat and we'll do our best to let you know if we're going to be at the Market on the weekend you're planning to come.
]]>
Dr. Rosalind (Roz) Heiko PhD, CST-T and Licensed Psychological Examiner-Independent, Amy Flaherty, describe some of the science and anecdotal stories behind using sand as a regulation tool.
This article features Wonderscapes from our Playa and Northcoast Series.
What is a Wonderscape? Start here for an overview and a video of our sand trays and sand spheres in action.
]]>
We’re excited to share that we’re taking part in Small Shops Big Hearts Holiday Shopping Event Friday, November 26th and Saturday, November 27th and we would love to see you come out for it!
Our open studio shop hours will be from 11am-4pm on both Friday & Saturday.
Plan to shop with us and other Portland SMALL businesses for chances to win BIG!
Here’s How it Works:
Prizes include ipad, hotel stays, concert and performing arts tickets, dining experiences and gifts from Venture Portland, Travel Portland and nearly 100 participating small businesses.
*Note that discounts may not apply for custom, special order and in addition to other offers. Some regulated goods may be prohibited from discounting by state regulations.
Small Shops Big Hearts is built on 4 pillars:
Join us! Be in Community. Shop Local and with Intention. Let us Inspire you. Share the love and bring your friends!
It’s been a long couple of years, friends! We are so grateful to you and want to let you know that we are doing all we can to provide a safe, healthy and inspiring shopping experience for you!
We thank you in advance for your patience, consideration and ongoing support.
Thank you for wearing a mask. We’ll be doing so too!
PS: We'll have a small amount of our Black Friday $50 trays available for purchase at this event. When they're out, they're out, so we suggest coming earlier rather than later.
]]>To create a crisp delineation between sphere texture patterns, use the end of a paintbrush, a skewer or any thin, dull object to "draw" a line. Then, roll your sphere right up to the edge of your line. Roll the next sphere up to the opposite side of the line. It's subtle, but now you'll see a crisp divide between the two textures.
If you wanna add to your texture play collection, check out what's new here.
Happy creating folks. Send us pics of your texture creations in the sand, or tag @olanderearthworks on social media. We wanna see what you've got!
]]>
As more and more of us work from home, office life has become home life. Creating a space that's comfortable and calming is more important now than ever. Lighting, wall color and even the items one chooses to put on their desk can all be re-evaluated and changed to create a better work environment.
Many people are using our meditation trays as a helpful desktop calming tool. This sand-patterning activity activates three different senses- seeing the beautiful sand patterns emerge as one rolls the spheres through the sand, feeling the grit as the sphere moves and hearing the sound it makes (which resembles ocean waves!).
Explore our collection of meditation tray packages or add our sand spheres to a sand tray you already own.
Shop our typical packaged sets here.
Shop our one-of-a-kind curated sets here.
Build your own magical set by starting here.
Have fun and be sure to tag us @olanderearthworks if you post a picture of your desktop with one of our trays on it!
]]>
Create a daily ritual of patterning the sand, then starting fresh with a clean slate.
]]>If you're the creative type that wants to build your own zen garden from the ground up, select your patterns and colors from our wide variety of options here.
Everything we make is designed by us and then created by hand from start to finish. We're always creating new designs, so check back often for something new!
]]>Here's one of our most popular spheres, the Swirls sand sphere (on the left). On the right you can see our Petals sphere being carved. So many intricate facets!
Then, we create a silicone mold of the finished piece. After that, our studio uses a concrete mix to cast multiples of our spheres in small batches. We use real concrete, not that lightweight stuff used for cheap garden sculptures. It really has a nice weight in the hand, adding to your sensory experience. We love experimenting with color combinations to create one of a kind sensory art pieces for our customers. Art meets therapy in a beautiful, multi-sensory way.
Andrew started Olander Earthworks in 2008 at Portland Saturday Market when Sarah was pregnant with our first child. Our family has grown with our business through the years. Sarah joined Olander in late 2014. We are a true family business!
From left to right- Andrew in 2008 with his Portland Saturday Market booth. Andrew and our oldest daughter as a baby. Our oldest daughter this past year and Andrew. Lastly, our two daughters and Andrew standing together.
As our company grew, we expanded online with an Etsy store, then launched our own website in 2015. We now do a mix of wholesale, web and in person sales, although since COVID hit in March 2020, we've been working hard to expand our digital reach. We look forward to connecting with you, whether it's through our live Facebook shows, on Instagram or hopefully even in person at some point! Our connection to people has always been a foundational part of our business. We feel relationship with our customers is what has carried us through this difficult time and we couldn't be more grateful!
]]>
Our handmade sand patterning spheres provide a new spin on this age old idea with a creative sensory component. Sensory toys aren't just for kids. These playful texture orbs are fun for adults to stamp and roll too!
When you feel your anxiety build, take a moment to roll the spheres through the sand and watch beautiful patterns emerge. Experiment with different pressures and ways of rolling the spheres to create a temporary art piece, then smooth it away for a fresh start. It's simply a fun, playful activity that provides a little analog multi-sensory play amidst the digital world we live in.
Buy one of our zen garden kits, or select a few spheres and fine sand and find your own shallow tray. Our spheres are made out of concrete, which give them a nice weight in the hand, not the featherweight cheap poly resin plastic-like "cement" that sticks to the sand. Our sphere designs are dreamed up by us, then painstakingly carved and molded in silicone so we can make multiples. Then, each sphere is hand sanded and pigmented.
We are a small family-owned business in Portland, Oregon. We love hearing from our customers and seeing their desktop set-up and sand creations, so feel free to tag us on social media, or e-mail us with your pictures and stories.
]]>
Like many other small businesses across the world, we had to close down our in-person craft show sales this March, due to COVID-19. Our business made it through the 2008 recession, grad school, two babies being born and other highs and lows, so we knew we had the grit to figure this out!
This is no doubt our biggest business challenge yet, but the good news is that we have our creativity and ability to pivot and think quickly. We've made a number of changes and have others on the horizon, but today we're excited to share with you our weekly Facebook Live sales! Every Saturday from noon-12:30 PST, we'll be selling our products virtually on that platform.
]]>The magic for us has always been interacting with our customers in person. Letting them play with our sand patterning spheres, building their own custom desktop zen gardens, hearing the story of our business and basically getting a design consultation as they choose their colors. Also, we make a number of one-of-a-kind items, like our air plant pods. Having the ability to choose from the exact item we're selling is a huge bonus, because you know what you're getting.
This is no doubt our biggest business challenge yet, but the good news is that we have our creativity. We've made a number of changes and have others on the horizon, but today we're excited to share with you our weekly Facebook Live sales! Every Saturday from noon-12:30 PST, we'll be selling our products virtually. It's a great way to see what we do and see it at scale. We offer many color options in person that aren't on our website. Plus, if you join us live, ask us questions and request to see items you're interested in.
To join our live Facebook event, head to our Facebook page here and you'll see our upcoming event pinned to the top of the page. Then, join the event to add it to your calendar.
If you don't want to wait for a live event, don't worry! We have a large selection of made to order goods here.
We realize not everyone is on Facebook. If you want to request other virtual venues for us to be a part of, connect with us and let us know where you want us to be. We're sure this virtual platform will evolve over time and we're always happy to hear your suggestions.
Be Well!
Sarah & Andrew
]]>Andrew designed a mask that has adjustable velcro straps, which can be adjusted to snugly fit around your ears. No ties to deal with, but it provides more ability to adjust the fit than a simple elastic band. Each mask is double layer, with a pocket, so you can insert your filter of choice.
See our collection of masks here.
Don't worry! We still plan to make our figurative concrete sculptures, sand spheres and desktop zen gardens, but since many of our sales happen in person or through our wholesale partners, we needed to diversify our revenue stream, plus this is a way we can contribute in a meaningful way during this time.
It didn't feel right for us to make masks without donating towards a good cause, so for every mask sold, we will donate $1. At this time, that money will go to Portland Garment Factory and their efforts towards creating PPE for healthcare workers. Every dollar donated to PGF goes towards offsetting the cost of making PPE for healthcare workers.
We're impressed by Brit Howard and PGF's quick thinking and ability to pivot her business overnight. Visit her site here if you want to donate directly, or if you want to read more about her efforts.
]]>
Our family-owned business has made our original sand spheres and desktop zen gardens since 2008. Whether you're looking to enhance your play therapy supply of tools, are a miniature gardening enthusiast looking for something new to add to your collection, wanting to create texture in moldable sand or looking to create calm and beauty in your space, we thrill in making quality, original pieces for you to enjoy- from our small art studio to your hands. To create each design, such as our sand sphere Swirls above, Andrew carves each sphere design by hand.
]]>
https://www.olanderearthworks.com/collections
]]>
As we all work more from home, it's more important to find time and space to disconnect and tend to our senses. This multi-disciplinary desktop sensory play set is handmade in the USA. All designs are hand-carved, molded and the final results are cast in small batch concrete pours. A therapeutic release and a playful, creative activity you can do alone or with others. Peruse our pre-selected zen garden kits, or build your own.
During the COVID crisis, we will be hosting live sales sessions in our Portland studio. We have many more colors and patterns than represented on our website. If you'd like to virtually shop our studio stock, please contact us to schedule a time and we'd love to work with you to put together the perfect set for you.
If you'd rather view our pre-curated packages, take a look at all the options here.
Or, build your own set from scratch here.
These one of a kind sets are a thoughtful gift idea for the person who needs a little calm in their life. Give your loved one a stress relieving, beautiful piece of art or gift it to yourself!
]]>We got inspired by this season of plants and gardening, so we put together this sweet little mini zen garden package with our Clovers sphere. There's only one available of this particular custom color combination. If you don't see it here take a look around at our other nature-inspired spheres, like Ants, Bees and Flowers and enjoy building your own zen garden set here.
The nice thing about our smaller 9" and 12" trays is that they can be brought out to the patio to enjoy, then stowed away on a table or shelf when not in use.
Wishing you moments of peace and relaxation as we head into the spring months!
]]>Buy your own here:
Give Flowers Zen Garden Package
If you're just wanting a Flowers sphere to update the zen garden you already have, then check out our various sand sphere patterns here:
Here, we'll show you how to roll your Swirls pattern sphere in the sand to create circular whirls in the sand.
This sphere is an original design, carved by hand and hand-poured in small batches. Don't settle for cheap copies made in a factory- this is the real deal and your purchase supports a small ecosystem of artists in our Portland studio. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see studio pics, new product releases and more. Happy rolling!
]]>Also, look for a huge product launch in the next few days. We're launching three gypsum concrete air plant vessel profiles, several size options per profile and three color ways. We can't wait to show you more, but take a sneak peek!
]]>
]]>
Recently, Meghan Sinnott and Sarah Toor from Portland Made came to tour our studio and learn more about us and what we do. Portland Made is a vibrant maker community that hosts monthly events and elevates local Portland Makers. We're honored to be featured this month. Read on to get a little peek into Andy's mind and some of the inspiration behind Olander Earthworks!
]]>
Macro Malo: https://www.macromalo.com
Winona Hwang: http://winona-hwang.com
]]>
7440 NE Sandy Blvd.
Sliding Scale $5-15
Tickets available at: www.tickettomato.com
Olander Earthworks has created small cement sculptures and therapeutic support tools since 2008. Along the way we’ve met and been inspired by many therapists. Now we want to bring a taste of this inspiration to you! We’re excited to launch this new quarterly series focused on mental health.
We're proud to host our first therapy chat with Emilie Gagliardo, MA, LPC. SOMA Kombucha has generously donated their CBD Kombucha drink for you to sample at the event. Check out the details below!
ANXIETY
Emelie breaks down myths and assumptions about mental health in this short psychoed presentation around the anxiety cycle. Learn how anxiety works in the body and mind, common ways people experience anxiety, and the best ways to stop it in its tracks. Learn about self care and things you might be doing that might be making your anxiety worse!
Emelie loves working with life transitions, anxiety, panic & OCD, caregiver burnout & vicarious trauma, children & teens, foster/adoption issues, college aged and emerging adults, the LGBTQIA+ community, couples, and with those in non-monogamous relationships.
Emelie is a licensed professional counselor and practice owner at Sprout Therapy PDX. Emelie has been through her own challenges with mental health -part of why she became a therapist! She aims to reduce mental health stigma and help people fight anxiety. Emelie also co-hosts a podcast called #AdultingTherapists and manages the instagram @sprouttherapypdx, where you can find mental health tips and more.
Emelie received her graduate level training at Lewis & Clark College here in Portland, receiving a Masters of Arts degree in Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy, with specializations in sex and relationship therapy, expressive arts therapy, child psychology, and trauma work. She has worked as a therapist in many settings: intensive outpatient mental health, psychiatric residential treatment at Trillium Family Services’ Parry Center here in Portland, and in Multnomah County schools. She was previously employed in the medical industry and has also taught psychology to middle and high school students at College of the Redwoods in Northern California.
She has specialized training in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), mindfulness, attachment work, and collaborative problem solving (CPS) and is a graduate of the Foster & Adoption Therapy Certificate Program at Portland State University.
]]>
Whether you're looking for fun and interactive patio decor or sand tray therapy supplies for your therapy practice, we've built a collection of over 40 different designs for you to explore and fall in love with!
Each Olander Earthworks sand sphere is designed and hand-carved by our founder Andrew Lonnquist. Below you can see our oldest daughter with Andrew in 2010 at the Portland Saturday Market, then both of our girls through the years growing up alongside our small business. You can't make up that sort of home grown story!
Pictured here: Lines Sand Sphere (2010), Swirls Sand Sphere (2010), Rings Sand Sphere (2010), Topo (2011)
Andrew and our oldest daughter in 2010. If you zoom in you can see some of our oldest sphere designs, such as Spirals and Lines!
Andrew and our oldest daughter, playing in the sand at his Portland Saturday Market booth a few years later.
Both daughters with Andrew at Portland Saturday Market in 2019
You won't find our Wonderscapes on Amazon or other websites supporting large scale factory made items and we pride ourselves on keeping things local. Our original sand sphere designs are still being handmade in our Portland studio to this day.
Our business is built on creating community and getting to know our customers and what they want.
This playful video created by Winona Hwang is a little behind the scenes look at our small studio and how we do what we do on a daily basis to bring our interactive concrete sand spheres from our studio to your sand tray. Enjoy!
]]>
The wonderful part about our mini zen gardens is that they're both beautiful art piece, worthy of display on the desk top or coffee table. Many people get excited and as their collection grows, they have more spheres than can be displayed on one tray. Ideally, you only want a few spheres on the tray at a time so you have a good amount of space to stamp and make patterns in the sand.
We're working on stand-alone sphere holders for our sand-patterning spheres and zen garden kits, but we found a fun and creative solution that's quick and easy for you to set up yourself. A moss-filled tray or bowl will accentuate your sand tray and clear up space for you to play in the sand!
All you need is:
1) A bowl or Tray
2) Some Dried Moss or Other Dry Plant Material
You can use any size of bowl or tray, depending on how many spheres you have and how much space you have to display your sand tray and sphere bowl. The natural textures of the dried moss are beautiful next to our nature-inspired sphere patterns and the earthy colors pair well with many of our color ways.
A long horizontal tray would be a wonderful solution if you have more than a few to display. The sky's the limit as far as what material the bowl is made out of. We used ceramic, but wood is a great choice too- just take care to pad the bowl enough that your spheres aren't scratching the hard surface. Shallow or deep doesn't matter either. You could always add a natural sponge or other filler material at the bottom of the bowl to take up space so you don't have to use too much moss.
Moss comes in many different colors- check out your local garden store to see what options they have. Although we've taken care to seal our spheres so the colors don't bleed, we don't recommend putting them on wet moss. Experiment with other dried plant parts and please, share your creations with us on Instagram or Facebook! Make sure to tag us so we can see and we'll share new display ideas as we come across them.
]]>