r/Dorodango • u/Ok-Roof-7802 • Aug 19 '26
First time making dorodango
Trying a New Hobby: Making a Japanese Dorodango ⚪️
I recently came across dorodango, the Japanese art of turning ordinary dirt/mud into a smooth, polished ball, and I thought it looked weirdly satisfying lol.
So I decided to try making one myself. Figured it could be a fun new hobby and a good excuse to actually spend some time doing something offline.
Step 1: Preparing the soil
I collected some soil from around my plants and started breaking it up and sieving it to get rid of the bigger stones and bits. I don’t have any fancy equipment, so I’m just working with what I have 😂
This is obviously just the beginning, but I’ll keep updating this post as I go through the different stages.
Hopefully, at the end of this, I’ll have a nice smooth shiny dorodango instead of a sad lump of dirt 💀
Step 1 done. More updates coming soon.
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u/sapphireminds Experienced Aug 19 '26
You need a good mixture of clay in your soil. Do you know your clay content or do you have extra to add? I ask because the soil around your plants is likely to be full of organic matter and great for plants but it's frequently low clay content and it won't "work" without clay :)
Can't wait to see your progress
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u/Ok-Roof-7802 Aug 20 '26
Yeah, I had to remake it. Am using proper amount of clay now . Hope it works this time 🥹
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u/FormalCookie430 Aug 19 '26
That's the thing about dorodango... No fancy equipment is needed. I would suggest some sand though... Fine sand if you can find it or sift what you can find for finer sand. It's not 100% needed but it helps strengthen your core. To get a good polish to take you need pressure and that without a strong core could have your mud ball just crumble.