DIY Garden Decor – Whimsical Mushroom Art Tutorial

This diy garden decor whimsical mushroom art tutorial believe it or not was inspired by my kids’ metal detecting skills. Let me explain.

We had gotten a National Geographic Metal Detector that my kids were obsessed with, and in the small forest behind our house it seems they found the remains of what was once a treehouse. While they were digging and discovering doorknobs and latches they found the mother of all treasure – an extremely heavy cement bird bath stand!

They literally spent hours digging up this huge thing and dragged it out to my front yard, where it sat for TWO YEARS until I decided to turn it into garden decor and create this whimsical mushroom art for my Tea Garden (aka – edible butterfly garden)! 

Below are the CRAZY simple instructions you need to make your own mushroom garden art! Just remember, this is a completely recycled project so you can use whatever items you have or come across to make your own mushroom garden art! Just browse Etsy, Pinterest of Google for more ideas!

Materials Needed:

Metal Bowl or Lid (thrift stores have tons!)
Rustoleum Red Spray Paint
White Acrylic Paint
Paintbrush
Clear Coat Acrylic Spray Paint
Cement Bird Bath Base OR Wood Log

Since I already had my cement bird bath base I just needed the perfect “mushroom” top to spray paint! I hit up my local thrift store, and as usual, it did not disappoint. I walked away with this metal lid for under $2 that I took the handle out of. It was perfect! 

I chose a metal bowl looking lid because we tend to have high winds where I live and I didn’t want glass falling off and breaking. Pretty much anything I have needs to be indestructible so I figured metal was the way to go for me. If you want you could absolutely use glass or even bamboo – just be mindful of high winds and extreme temperatures in your garden.

I placed it on a pile of cardboard outside and used Rustoleum Red spray paint to cover the top of the lid! I am in LOVE with the color!

I only needed one coat of spray paint so depending on what type of material you use you might desire a second coat.

I seriously couldn’t wait to test it out! Although it isn’t finished here you can now see the concrete base I’ve been referring to in this post! I wanted to paint the base a creme / brown color as well. Can you see the mushroom taking shape?

I used my white acrylic paint from my craft room to paint on large white spots on the top of my new mushroom lid!

Perhaps most recognizable as a toadstool, from Mario Bros. video games, or from the family Amanita muscaria for you mushroom hunters, this design is the perfect whimsy for my diy garden decor!

You can see there is still a hole in the top from where I removed the lid. I debated adding a touch of clay to plug up the hole then painting over it but to be honest, it’s a $2 super sized garden mushroom – no one is really going to care! 

You can use whatever extra supplies you have on hand, or hit the thrift store when it’s open. Use bundt pans, salad bowls, logs for the stalk, or any other ideas! Just be mindful of what will be weather resistant based on where you live.

 

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