How to Make a Mini Zen Garden for Father’s Day

By Grandma Sandy | May 21, 2025 |

Our Father’s Day gift this year is super-simple. You just need an empty container, fine sand, a few rocks, and moss to make a mini Zen Garden.

What’s a Zen Garden?

Ryōan-ji garden in Kyoto, Japan, is a "dry landscape" garden; sand raked in geometric patterns facilitates meditation. — **Ryōan-ji in Kyoto is a “dry landscape” garden**; **sand raked in geometric patterns facilitates meditation.**

Zen gardens are serene spaces for meditation and contemplation. They are minimalist “dry landscape” gardens where rocks, sand, and plants are used sparingly to create quiet harmony.

Your Mini Zen Garden

A mini zen garden makes a lovely Father’s Day gift. A stressed-out dad can find calm and inner peace raking the sand to make patterns.

**Two mini zen gardens with tools and materials.**

Materials Needed

1 empty Pringles Grab and Go cardboard can or small box, with lid
1 sheet origami paper
Glue stick
Fine sand
Small rocks
Artificial moss
Small plants, artificial or air plants (optional)

Child shows a cityscape card made with torn paper.

Tools Needed

Ruler
Pencil
X-Acto knife
Scissors
Glue gun
Spoon

How to Make It

Use an X-Acto knife to cut down the Pringles cardboard can. — **Cut down the cardboard can using an X-Acto knife.**

#1 Prepare the Can

If you are using a box instead of a Pringles can, start at step #3.

Clean the can and measure 1 1/4-inches from the base around the perimeter of the can. Use the X-Acto knife to cut carefully along the measured line. This should be done by an adult, CAREFULLY. Trim rough edges with scissors.

#2 Cover the Can

Cut the origami paper to make two strips, each 1 1/2 inches wide. Fold down 1/4 inch along the long edge of each strip. Now glue the first strip to the can using a glue stick, with the fold covering the rough edge of the can. You’ll need to join the second strip to cover the circumference of the can completely.

Line the can with a strip of origami paper, folding the top edge over the ragged cut edge of the can. — **Line the can with a strip of origami paper, folding the top edge over, to cover the cut edge of the can.**

The overhang may ripple as you fold it over into the can. If so, snip in a few places, use a toothpick to add glue and smooth down.

If the overhang ripples, snip in a few places with scissors, add glue, and smooth down. — **If origami paper ripples, snip in a few places, add glue, and smooth down.**

Now your garden base is complete.

#3 Populate your Garden

Child glues rocks and moss into the box that will become his zen garden. — **N glues rocks and moss** **into the box that will become his zen garden.**

Glue rocks and moss to the base of your garden with a glue gun.

#4 Add the Sand

The finished Pringles can zen garden features two rocks with artificial moss on white sand that has been raked into a pattern. — **The finished Pringles can zen garden.**

Spoon sand into your garden. Now rake a pattern in the sand, using one of the rake options below.

Mini Zen Garden Tools

What dad will need for upkeep of his mini zen garden:

Small paintbrush to brush away sand from rocks and moss and to “erase” previous raked design
Mini rake (see options below)

Mini Rake Options for Your Zen Garden

You can buy rakes for mini zen gardens online, but they tend to be too big for our teeny gardens (the round one is 2 3/4 inches in diameter; the rectangular one is 4 1/4 inches by 3 inches).

Here are some easy options for a rake you can give dad to accompany his zen garden:

A wooden toothpick or skewer to use as a rake
A small plastic fork. Use as is, or have an adult cut the tines off each side of the fork to make a narrower rake. Be careful when you cut the tines. I used a cheap plastic fork and wire cutters. Wrap the sharp cut edges in washi tape.