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Step 2Make the mushroom caps and stalks
I used Sculpey 3 polymer clay in two colors: translucent and glow-in-the-dark.
I wanted to create a subtle stripe effect instead of just mashing the two together.
I rolled out a log of each color then sliced them in fourths. I placed the sections next to each other to make a shorter, fatter log, then squished them together and rolled them out again. I repeated this a couple more times until the stripes were as thin as I liked.
I left the log thick and sliced off sections to make the caps. I pinched the outsides of the slice together into a point to form the top of the mushroom cap so the stripes would line up properly. I smooshed a handle into the bottom of the cap to hollow it out a bit, then pressed a blade into the cap to form lines inside and out.
I used two enameled copper wires for each stem. I rolled out a small log of the striped clay, flattened it, then wrapped it around the wires; the long ends of wire protruded from the bottom of the stem. I squished the clay up from the bottom of the stem a bit to make it slightly fatter. I bent some of the stems just a little to make them more interesting.
The tops of the caps and the bottoms of the stems could use some color. I'd have used a flat brown brush on pigment powder if I had any, but all I had was metallic copper or silver powder. I used those. I like shiny.
On one of the mushrooms, I decided to use something flatter. I went outside and grabbed a little dirt. The dirt has larger particles than the pigment, so I really had to press it into the clay. I could've scraped some brown chalk with a knife and used that powder, but I couldn't find it.
I baked these at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes.
I wanted to create a subtle stripe effect instead of just mashing the two together.
I rolled out a log of each color then sliced them in fourths. I placed the sections next to each other to make a shorter, fatter log, then squished them together and rolled them out again. I repeated this a couple more times until the stripes were as thin as I liked.
I left the log thick and sliced off sections to make the caps. I pinched the outsides of the slice together into a point to form the top of the mushroom cap so the stripes would line up properly. I smooshed a handle into the bottom of the cap to hollow it out a bit, then pressed a blade into the cap to form lines inside and out.
I used two enameled copper wires for each stem. I rolled out a small log of the striped clay, flattened it, then wrapped it around the wires; the long ends of wire protruded from the bottom of the stem. I squished the clay up from the bottom of the stem a bit to make it slightly fatter. I bent some of the stems just a little to make them more interesting.
The tops of the caps and the bottoms of the stems could use some color. I'd have used a flat brown brush on pigment powder if I had any, but all I had was metallic copper or silver powder. I used those. I like shiny.
On one of the mushrooms, I decided to use something flatter. I went outside and grabbed a little dirt. The dirt has larger particles than the pigment, so I really had to press it into the clay. I could've scraped some brown chalk with a knife and used that powder, but I couldn't find it.
I baked these at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes.
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the most time consuming part was digging through the tubs in the basement to find the LEDs and resistors.