How to make decorative mushrooms for the garden

How to make decorative mushrooms for the garden

By C S Wan

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make your own and unique

mushrooms for your garden.

Mushrooms among the flowers

Things you may require
1. A roll of plastic coated clothesline wire
2. White cement
3. A roll of thin wire
4. A small piece of chicken wire
5. A small piece of mesh wire
6. A pair of wire cutter
7. A pair of pliers
8. A piece of cardboard
9. Acrylic paint

Instructions
Please refer to above diagrams


1. Cut four pieces of wire about 30 cm long from a plastic- coated
     clothesline wire.
2.  Tie together the middle of the four pieces of wire with thin  
      wire, leaving about 6 cm at each end untied. 
3. Bend outward one end of the loose wires to form an umbrella 
    shape that will fit into the plate.
4. Place the bent end on a piece of chicken wire and secure it 
    with a thin wire.
5. Get a plastic plate/bowl, preferably one that resembles the cap  
    of a mushroom.
6. Place the end which is secured with chicken wire in the plate.
7. Pour in the wet white cement. Ensure it has the right 
    consistency. Leave it to dry. 
8. Get a fairly hard cardboard ( about 18 cm in height  ) and roll it 
    into a cylinder.  
 9. Insert the cylinder into the tied wires.
10. Carefully pour in the wet white cement into the cylinder.
11. When it is completely dry, bend the loose ends outward.
      Remove the mushroom from the plastic plate.
12. Place the bent ends  on a rectangular piece of wire mesh and 
      secure them with thin wire.
13. Place the secured wire mesh  in a shallow cardboard box (eg. 
      cover of shoe-box). Pour in the wet cement. This will form the
       base for the mushroom. 
 14. When the base is partially dry you can score it with a plastic 
      fork to make it look like the bark of a tree. 
 15. Suggestions: You can make mushrooms with different sizes  
                           and shapes  and attach them to
                           the same base.You can also make or buy 
                            decorative items and attach/glue them to the 
                            mushroom. 
                           Choose the preferred colour / colours  for the
                           mushrooms and paint them with acrylic
                           paint.

A man-made frog on a big mushroom

                             

Two small 'frogs' on mushrooms.

                   Wish you every success in your effort and  
                    happy gardening.