Winter is hopefully coming to an end. Everyone is beginning to go stir crazy from being snowed in or bothered by the intense cold that has blanketed much of our country this year.
Those who garden are scouring the seed catalogs that arrive. Thoughts are turning to what to do with the yard and gardens when the weather permits. Here is a little crafty idea to get you started. These little - or big - mushrooms make wonderful garden art. Or they can be displayed on a patio table. They are fun to make and the kids can help as well. And is a great way of recycling.
If your children are young or clumsy, then I suggest using some of the plastic ware that can be found in the dollar stores.
Here's what you need to do.
I scour the thrift shops, Goodwill, and flea markets for my supplies. With yard sales starting, you can find ideas there too.
You will need glasses, vases, hurricane globes, candle sticks or bottles for the stem of your mushrooms.
The "caps" of your mushrooms will be bowls, lids, plates, cheese domes.
Again - this is left to your imagination.
Now comes the fun part. Experiment with putting different "caps" on the stems. Turn glasses upside down, try longer vases on smaller tops or larger tops. Your imagination is supposed to run wild here.
When you have decided on the way
you want your mushroom to look, you will glue
them together. I use E6000 glue.
It has a very strong odor and should be
used near an open window, or in the open air.
It works on glass and is waterproof.
I do not recommend kids using it without
parental guidance.
Once you have your mushroom completed, you can add embellishments if desired.
The little mushroom above is made from a candle stick topped with a desert plate. On top of the desert plate is a small condiment bowl. Finally a green glass bead is glued to the top. This mushroom is approximately 6 inches tall. The large, tall mushroom in the header picture is 10 inches tall. The size depends only on what you choose for a stem and cap.
If you are making mushrooms with plastic
ware, a good glue to use is
Aleene's Jewel-It.
The glue is non toxic and water proof.
If you make some mushrooms, post a link in the comment section so we can see the creativity of our readers.
