Concrete Mushrooms -- Yard Art

Step 12 "Plant" Your Mushroom

Push the PVC pipe into the soil to keep your mushroom from tipping over.  That's all there is to it!  

Comments

[silverlace]

if you used a pvc pipe down the centre of the stem, added the concrete around it, it would be lighter, but probably still strong enough to hold the top. if you took a can a little larger than the stem, and set it in the top, spraying it with pam first, it should also make the top lighter and sit well with the stem, don't you think? i am definitely making some of these when i get the chance. i also think if you used some kind of "filler" to the concrete, anything lighter you have laying around, it would make it lighter, but possibly still strong enough, if you use the bath technique.

[turbotonic27]

haha,nice :P

[suezq]

This is a well done 'ible and I think I'll give 'em a try. I attempted to make a large stepping stone from the top of one of those plastic deli meat trays but didn;t have a clue what I was doing. Your 'ible explained it to me in plain english. First mix the quikrete properly, then spray the mold, then be patient (which I wasn't), then more patience and finally more patience! I can't wait to try all sorts of bowels and tubes. When you say you can use the pipe to make them tilt, can you explain that a bit better to me? Is the tube you're using flexible?

[THYMETOCHAT]

The tubes for the mushroom bases I use are hard plastic, and they're about 3 inches across.  I use PVC pipe (like for plumbing) down the center of the plastic tube (mushroom base).  After you've filled the tube with Quickrete, you push the PVC pipe into the concrete.  You can either push it straight up and down or you can tilt it at a slight angle.  I say slight angle because if you put it at a steep angle, your mushroom will look like it's falling over.

You can also create a bit of an angle by pushing the PVC into the ground at a slight angle when your moshrooms are completed and you are placing them in your garden.

A bit of advice on the stepping stones...they need to be about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick or they'll break when you step on them.   Also, for stepping stones, you want fairly straight up and down sides so the thickness is the same clear to the edge.  I have used cake pans from Goodwill for stepping stone molds.  BE SURE to spray them with PAM before putting the concrete in.  I didn't use PAM when I trued to use this cute dimensional lamb cake pan to make a little lamb for my memory garden.  I never did get the concrete lamb out of the pan, it was TOTALLY stuck!  Have fun!

[suezq]

Thank you. Now I even more curious about your memory garden! Can you send me a picture of it if I send you my e-mail address, or post it on your website? Oh and just so you know, I was up until 1 a.m looking at everything on Etsy. Now I have another addiction! LOL. Thank you for your great ideas and neat website.

[yodaandmoody]

pretty cool Do you think I could make a mushroom top table and mushroom stools using this method?

[THYMETOCHAT]

I saw a plastic child's sled at Goodwill that was kind of bowl-shaped.  It was big enough for a kid to sit in it with his legs inside the sled.  I thought of YOU when I saw it because a sled like that might make an interesting mushroom table.  You could get one of those paper tubes from a home improvement store that are designed specifically to be concrete molds for a big enough base.  Or you could use a log for the base. 

I would probably embed some chicken wire into the concrete to help reinforce the table top.

I see two problems, however.  First, of course, is that it would be extremely heavy.  Second, the mushroom top is rounded (like a dome) not flat, so you couldn't really set anything on the table without it falling off.  BUT, if you do make a mushroom table and stools, I would enjoy seeing photos!  Have fun.

[BadVanGoh]

might get a tad heavy and not liftable by normal means