The easiest DIY mushroom Christmas ornaments

Video tutorial

Some of you might not want to read a long tutorial. So it’s always good to have a video tutorial. You can also watch and follow me on my YouTube Channel for more videos or in case the video doesn’t load here on my blog.

Full tutorial

Before I got started I looked at some inspiration on Pinterest. There are many great photos of mushrooms. I wanted to stay within a color range that matched my decor. A fully red cap with dots (fly agaric – Amanita muscaria) was just too much. There are some toadstools and panther cap mushrooms that have a more tan/orange-brown color with dots and that’s the direction I wanted to head in. A lot of my throw pillows have that color, especially in the dining room.

The fly agaric amanita muscaria) is called “Fliegenpilz” in German, also called a “Glückspilz” which means lucky mushroom in German.

Step 1: Paint the mushroom caps a solid color

In one bowl I mix orange, tan, white, and a bit of brown with some baking soda (optional) for some added texture to get a burnt orange color. And in another bowl, mix red, brown, orange, and light tan for a burnt red/brown color. You don’t have to do two bowls and can just pick one mixed color (or buy a premixed color of your choice).

Use a regular craft paintbrush to paint the mushroom caps with those colors. Sometimes overlapping them and always making sure it’s random strokes. Let the caps dry.

Step 2: Paint the mushroom cap edge

An angled small craft paintbrush works really well to add a feathered pattern to the bottom of the mushroom caps with ivory acrylic craft paint. You can wipe any excess paint on a paper towel if needed so it doesn’t get too thick.

Step 3: Add dots to the cap

Start with the ivory acrylic craft paint (420 Linen Toile by Folk Art) to add dots to each cap of the mushroom. Simply dip a medium-sized dotting tool into the craft paint and then onto the cap. (I like having larger dots at the top of the mushroom that then get smaller towards the bottom of the cap.)

Then dip the dotting tool into white paint and add some white dots slightly off-centered to the ivory dots while overlapping. They are uneven and random polka dots.

On some of the mushrooms, you can add tiny brown dots to some of the white/ivory dots. But not to all of them.

TIP: We have the dotting tools left from my Ukrainian easter egg designs tutorial and from doing nails. If you don’t have a dotting tool, you can just use a toothpick, a small paintbrush, the other end of a paintbrush, a bobby pin tip, a paper clip tip, the tip of a pen, or anything else you could think of. Just to give you some ideas.

Step 4: Hot glue moss to the mushroom stem (optional)

Add a generous amount of hot glue to the bottom of the mushroom stem and then firmly press the stem onto a piece of moss. My kitchen countertop was perfect for that part of the project since the hot glue doesn’t adhere to the stone. You could use a ceramic plate as well.

Step 5: Paint the stem base

Paint the bottom of the stem with dark brown paint starting right where the moss is and blend it upwards with more watered-down brown paint and a small broad craft brush. You can blend in some ivory paint too. (You can paint the mushroom stem before adding the moss, it doesn’t matter)

TIP: You can get very detailed with the way you paint the mushroom pattern or you can just leave it pretty simple. I think both look pretty.

Step 6: Screw hooks into the top of the mushrooms

Use the micro hand drill to start a tiny hole at the top of the mushroom cap. Then screw the eye hook all the way into the cap. If you have trouble grabbing the tiny eye hook then you can use something like the dotting tool inserted into the hook to help spin it.

Step 7: Add ribbon or twine to the hook

Cut a piece of ribbon or twine. Thread the piece through the eye hook. Loop and knot it for hanging. I like adding a bow to the top.

Or you can use the mushrooms without hook and ribbon as Christmas table decor or other holiday decor vignettes.

I used the same mixed paint to make toilet paper roll stars to match my favorite velvet pillows that you can see in the above photo on my dining room settee.

These mushroom ornaments aren’t just for Christmas. They would look cute on my paper fall leaves that I glued to branches this past fall and that’s where I will try them next fall.

Where to buy mushroom Christmas ornaments

If you don’t like to DIY then I always include options on where to find similar products. I found several mushroom Christmas ornaments that I love and would add to my Christmas home decor in a heartbeat. Aren’t these all super cute? They all use different materials from felt mushrooms to velvet mushrooms, to clay mushrooms.

Happy Holidays,

How to make easy mushroom Christmas ornaments

Yield: 1 bunch of mushroom Christmas ornaments

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: easy

These cute DIY mushroom Christmas ornaments are easy enough even for small kids because I am only using wooden mushroom shapes and craft paint.

Print

Instructions

1. In one bowl I mix orange, tan, white, and a bit of brown with some baking soda (optional) for some added texture to get a burnt orange color. And in another bowl, mix red, brown, orange, and light tan for a burnt red/brown color. You don't have to do two bowls and can just pick one mixed color (or buy a premixed color of your choice).
   Use a regular craft paintbrush to paint the mushroom caps with those colors. Sometimes overlapping them and always making sure it's random strokes. Let the caps dry.
   
2. An angled small craft paintbrush works really well to add a feathered pattern to the bottom of the mushroom caps with ivory acrylic craft paint. You can wipe any excess paint on a paper towel if needed so it doesn't get too thick.
   
3. Start with the ivory acrylic craft paint (420 Linen Toile by Folk Art) to add dots to each cap of the mushroom. Simply dip a medium-sized dotting tool into the craft paint and then onto the cap. (I like having larger dots at the top of the mushroom that then get smaller towards the bottom of the cap.)
   
   Then dip the dotting tool into white paint and add some white dots slightly off-centered to the ivory dots while overlapping. They are uneven and random polka dots.
   On some of the mushrooms, you can add tiny brown dots to some of the white/ivory dots. But not to all of them.
4. Add a generous amount of hot glue to the bottom of the mushroom stem and then firmly press the stem onto a piece of moss. My kitchen countertop was perfect for that part of the project since the hot glue doesn't adhere to the stone. You could use a ceramic plate as well.
   
5. Paint the bottom of the stem with dark brown paint starting right where the moss is and blend it upwards with more watered-down brown paint and a small broad craft brush. You can blend in some ivory paint too. (You can paint the mushroom stem before adding the moss, it doesn't matter)
   
6. Use the micro hand drill to start a tiny hole at the top of the mushroom cap. Then screw the eye hook all the way into the cap. If you have trouble grabbing the tiny eye hook then you can use something like the dotting tool inserted into the hook to help spin it.
   
7. Cut a piece of ribbon or twine. Thread the piece through the eye hook. Loop and knot it for hanging. I like adding a bow to the top.
   
   
   

Notes

• If you don't have a dotting tool, you can just use a toothpick, a small paintbrush, the other end of a paintbrush, a bobby pin tip, a paper clip tip, the tip of a pen, or anything else you could think of.
• You can use the mushrooms without hook and ribbon as Christmas table decor or other holiday decor vignettes.