Polymer clay mushroom crafts are the perfect way to decorate a scrapbook page, a light switch cover or at the base of your elf door. While you can always use polymer clay molds in mushroom shapes, if you don't have a mold, it's not difficult to learn how to make polymer clay mushrooms with your own two hands.
Polymer Materials You Will Need
Because sculpting is a form of art, every artist will require different tools and materials. Depending on the type of mushrooms, you may want different colored sculpting materials.
The best polymer clay for this project is Sculpey. Sculpey is soft and pliable. With a little coaxing, you can form an entire forest of exact replicas of nature.
Start with a covered surface. The covering should be a flat, non-porous material and large enough so that you can work comfortably without running off the sides and getting clay on the tabletop. (Leaching from the polymer clay will ruin a wooden surface). For a mushroom similar to those seen in fairy tale books, get red and white Sculpty. Transfer the color medium to use as glue and glaze the baked mushroom with Future Floor Polish.
When duplicating nature, you may want to mix several colors together to get a more natural look. Or you may want a striped texture, making your mushrooms slightly unusual, but still very authentic. To create this effect, use different colored canes and do not squish, but rather roll and fold the clay together. The end result will be cane filled with zigzagged lines of different color. Use colors that compliment one another. If you are trying to create a forest mushroom, try darker colors of brown, gray, black and maybe a creamy yellow or white. If you want a fancier mushroom, use Sculpey in a range of colors such as orange, red, yellow and pink or purple.
While polymer clay is not labeled as toxic, it is dangerous-especially to children when ingested or absorbed through the skin. Make sure all polymer clay, tools and supplies are kept on a tray rather than dumped on the table or counter where food preparation takes place. Do not allow young children in the room while you are sculpting, and make sure you clean up every surface and sweep and mop the floor after you have finished.
How to Make Polymer Clay Mushrooms
Red and white mushrooms for scrapbooking should be made so that they appear to jump from the page. To create this three-dimensional look, one side of the mushroom must be flat against the page while the other side has some dimension.
Making flat mushrooms that can be glued to a page, but still appear three-dimensional is very easy. Simply condition the red and white clay separately and begin forming the mushrooms according to size.
Pinch off a bit of red and form a triangular cap. Smooth the edges so they're more rounded than pointed. Use your fingers and thumb to mold the cap so that it flares out and up-higher on the bottom middle and tapering down to each side. In the flared or rounded portion of the bottom of the cap, use a toothpick to add lines to represent the frills on a mushroom. Set the mushroom cap aside while you make the stem.
Use white for the stem. You will only need about ΒΌ the amount of clay you needed to make the cap. Condition the Sculpey between your fingers or roll it out on the wax paper until it is pliable enough to form. Make the stem the same way you made the cap-flat on one side. Roll the white into a small cane, then push the bottom up slightly to make the stem a little bit stockier on the bottom. When you have the right size, crosshatch the top of the stem as well as the underside of the cap. Use liquid polymer as your glue and push the two pieces together.
Add a few small white balls of Sculpey to the mushroom cap. Bake the mushroom at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes. For a shiny mushroom, be careful which glazes you use. Some glazes will react with the chemicals in the clay and become sticky or gummy over time. For the best results, paint a thin layer of Future Floor Wax over the mushroom. Future Floor Wax is an acrylic-based wax that will not react with the chemicals in the clay, but will still create a high-gloss shine.
 | Polymer clay projects are a fun and easy craft and also extremely versatile: You can create colorful polymer clay jewelry, decorative kitchenware, home accents, bowls and vases, beads, dolls or figurines. |
 | Making polymer clay flowers is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Polymer clay flowers, using polymer clay molds, can be made and baked in no time at all. |
 | If polymer clay is not conditioned, making polymer clay animals like dogs or any figurine can be difficult. To avoid disaster, work the clay in your hands until it warms up and becomes pliable. |
One would think crafters would need essential polymer clay supplies that may be both costly and unique to obtain the intricate designs found in polymer clay objects. In fact, polymer clay supplies and tools consist of everything from commercial and homemade tools to everyday items such as kitchen utensils. |
There are many tools and polymer clay techniques to use in sculpting and it's best to understand how to work the machinery before delving into the craft. |
