There are different types of clay for crafting at home such as air dry clay or oven bake (polymer) clay.
Air dry clay doesn’t need a kiln. As you can tell by the name, it dries over time when exposed to air. I like working with air dry clay because it is easy to use and requires no baking. The finished mushrooms are sturdy enough to last for years in a terrarium.
You could also make these by using polymer clay and following the package instructions on how to bake them in the oven. Skip the wire if you are making polymer clay mushrooms as they will be firm enough to set in the soil without it.
Roll a little ball of clay out on a work board into a long snake-like shape. I find that having a small foam paintbrush and a glass of water is handy. Use the brush to add a bit of water to the clay to keep it from cracking.
Cut a length of wire that will be long enough to go two to four inches into the clay and leave four inches left out at the base. The taller your mushroom, the farther in the wire should go to support it. Gently feed the wire into the bottom of the clay shape up through the top of the stem. Mold and reshape the clay if needed.
Make a second ball into a mushroom cap by pushing your thumbs into it.
To attach the cap, cut a few crosshatches into both the cap and the stem where you want to join them. Wet both and use your thumbs or a small tool to help push the clay together.
Set the mushrooms to dry on a plastic-covered work surface. I like to use a canvas art frame that is still wrapped in plastic.
When dry, carefully paint the mushrooms with craft paint. Red caps with white spots are a good option, as are metallic paints. Let your creativity come out in the paint. For these mushrooms, I used copper, white, and teal craft paints.
Now, head over to see how to make a geometric terrarium to plant the clay mushrooms in. Don't they look lovely?
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