I have two outdoor wire reindeer and the lights do not work. I do not wish to fix the lights, but would like to use them in another way. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
By Jane from Niles, MI
Wire Animal with Moss and Flower Pot:
First cut the light cord off & remove lights if possible, then:
Take sheets of dried green moss (from Craft Store) & place them over the wire animal... Then using a spool of cheapie clear fish line, wrap around & tie the fish line around the moss, criss-crossing & wrapping it tightly to the animal so the sheets of moss are held hold tightly by the clear fish line. (you can also use thin wire & or hairpins) When you're done, saturate the moss with a spray bottle of warm water. If you did this right now (during the cold months) you'd need to keep your animal inside to keep the moss fairly warm so it would start to grow, but if you do this in the spring when it starts to warm up, the moss will continue to grow as long as you mist it daily. It's best to keep your moss-covered animal in a shady part of your yard.
In the spring, you can also plant succulents &/or ivy into the moss & the roots & the ivy will grow as long as you keep it watered or at least mist it daily. For an added bonus, take wire cutters & cut a hole small in the top of the moss animal (you may need to reinforce the hole with more wire) & place light-weight/fluffy dirt mixed with peat moss. Now plant it with brightly colored flowers, ivy & herbs. This animal will make a wonderful planter & would be a great way to greet your visitors if placed near the front door to your home or by the stems to your front porch. I can also see the moss-covered animal in a garden. What a treat!
If your moss starts getting "bald" in places or to make your own moss sheets, simply buy one package of the dried green moss (Spanish moss won't work, use the green type of moss) & a also buy a large tub of PLAIN yogurt. In small batches, put a handful of moss & several Tablespoons or more of the yogurt mixed with water into the blender. (It should look like a liquid "slury" the thickness of pancake mix, but not be to thick for your blender to handle) This water/dried moss & yogurt can then be poured on to the animal or onto rocks, clay pots or directly on to the ground (in a shady area) & it will grow. There are spores in the dried moss & it will start to grow after a few months in the warm, spring air. The moss likes the good bacteria & other ingredients in the plain yogurt so the yogurt helps the moss grow. This is a great way to "seed" a moss/rock garden. I love moss because & it's soft & springy to your bare feet!
If your moss dies from lack of watering, you can either add some of the blended stuff from above or just continue to water it again & usually you'll start to see that the moss will start growing again after a month or two.
If you buy one of these moss-covered animals, they cost a fortune, but you can have one for 5 or 10 bucks & a little bit of work!
