In this tutorial, you will learn how to make air dry clay mushrooms. Learn how to prepare the clay, smooth it, form it, and finally paint it in easy-to-follow steps.
Materials Needed
You will need:
- Some air dry clay (I use clay from DAS)
- Basic clay tools or a round cookie cutter
- A cup of water
- Some acrylic paint
- A paintbrush
- Some superglue
Step 1: Condition the Clay
Knead the clay and add some water until the clay is well conditioned. You can tell if the clay is well conditioned when it can be formed with ease, and no cracks should appear when you knead the clay.
Once the clay is conditioned, roll it out.
Step 2: Make the Mushroom Cap
Use a clay tool or a round cookie cutter to cut a round piece from the clay.
Then use your hands to gently smooth the edges.
Water will make it easier to smooth the edges.
Then, place one finger in the middle of the mushroom cap and use the rest of your fingers to form the clay into a semi-round form.
Put the mushroom cap aside and let it dry.
Step 3: Make the Stem
Roll some clay between your hands to make it into a clay worm.
Use some water to smooth the surface of the clay and fix any cracks in the clay.
Then, use a clay tool to cut it to length. Form one of the ends flat and use a clay tool to carve some patterns into the stem.
Set the stem aside and let it dry.
Step 4: Add Some Details
You can add some details before you assemble and paint the mushroom.
Roll out a thin piece of clay. Then wrap it around the stem and use some water to smooth it out.
Then bend the clay piece outward and let the stem dry.
Paint the Clay Mushrooms
The clay can be painted directly with acrylic paint once it has dried fully. You can paint the mushroom however you want. I painted one mushroom red with white dots and the other one brown.
Finally, use some superglue to glue the mushroom caps to the stems.
I used these two mushrooms to make a mushroom lamp. So feel free to make your own creative project. You could use this guide to make a fridge magnet, for example.
Or you can make some different mushrooms like this one.
