How to Make Realistic Polymer Clay Mushrooms!

Watch the video tutorial HERE!

This polymer clay mushroom tutorial will show you how to use translucent polymer clay to sculpt some lifelike amanita fly agaric mushrooms. You can use these to make polymer clay mushroom lights with a little trick I use to give these hollow stems that can be rigged for LED lighting. 

Added bonus:  You're must less likely to burn your fingers making these mushrooms when compared to making the ever-popular hot-glue mushroom lights.

Materials Needed:​

• Translucent polymer clay ( I used Cernit brand)

• Small amounts of orange, red, and white polymer clay

• Oven-bake polymer clay adhesive

• Aluminum foil

• LED fairy lights (optional, battery operated)

• Sculpting tools

• Circle cookie cutter or craft knife

• Latex makeup sponge (I use dissposable ones from the discount store)

• White acrylic paint and a small paintbrush

• Isopropyl alcohol

• Cotton buds

Step 1: Creating the Mushroom Stems

• Wrap a sculpting tool tightly in aluminum foil to prevent clay from sticking.

• Roll out a sheet of translucent clay and wrap it around the foil-covered tool, trimming it to size and smoothing the edges.

• Carefully and gently grip the foil and slide out the tool, leaving the clay-wrapped foil intact.

• Set aside the stems for baking.

​Step 2: Crafting the Mushroom Caps

• Mix translucent clay with a bit of orange to achieve a light orange hue for the mushroom caps.

• Use a cookie cutter or craft knife to cut out circular shapes from the clay. You can also roll out a ball and squish it flat for a similar result.

• Shape the circles into domes using a ball stylus or knuckle, embracing imperfections for a natural look.

• Bake the cap and the stem according to the manufacturer's instructions.

​Step 3: Adding Realistic  Details to the Stem

• Once baked, remove the foil from the stems by gently twisting and pulling.

• Roll out a snake of clay, flatten it, and pinch the edges to create a ruffled strip of clay.

• Wrap the strip around the stem, blending in the top the top edge for a seamless finish.

• Use small bits of clay to add lifelike texture and to the stems, smearing them onto the surface. You can see how I do this in detail here. 

• Bake the stems again to set the texture and details.

​ Step 4: Assembling the Mushrooms

• Create a small clay "donut" to fit inside the mushroom caps.

• Apply a thin layer of polymer clay adhesive inside the cap. Put a drop right into the center. Insert the stem into the clay donut.

• Blend the edges of the donut into the orange cap. Don't worry if the stems don't look neat.

• Use a tool to create gill-like textures on the underside of the caps.

​​Step 5: Adding Color and Finishing Touches

• Mix a few crumbs of red clay with a squirt of polymer clay adhesive to create a  red liquid paste.

• Dab the paste onto the caps, focusing on the top center for a natural gradient.

• Bake the mushrooms to set the color.

• Mix a few crumbs of white clay with clay adhesive to create a chunky paste for texture.

• Apply the paste to the caps to mimic the spots found on real amanita mushrooms.

• Bake the mushrooms one final time to set the textures and colors.

Step 6: Dry-Brushing and Adding LED Lights

• Dry-brush a bit of white acrylic paint onto the textured areas of the mushrooms. I have a detailed dry-brush painting tutorial here.

• Clean up any mistakes with isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds.

• The wires for the the LED lights can now be inserted into the hollow mushrooms stems.

Now you can use your mushrooms in any project you'd like - from light up mushrooms mirrors or frames, to crowns and the like. Next week I'll be making some whimsical mushroom bookends, so make sure you pop back to check out that project! 

If you give this project a try, it would make my day if you’d share it with me. I’m @JaneSawyerMakes on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Threads,  and Twitter (X). Please share and pin this article!