As buds begin to open and trees reveal bright green new leaves, why not bring some of that refreshing detail indoors? Here are two fun and easy little projects. A branch holding vases can be refreshed all year long. And the handcrafted mushrooms are a fun way to add a little mystery to your decor, popping up here and there in unexpected places.
Papier-mâché Mushrooms
It's fun to get your hands dirty, even when it may still be too cold to get out in the garden. So tear up some paper and have fun making these little papier-mâché mushrooms. When they're finished, tuck them in various, unexpected places — in the pots of plants or on a bookshelf. Whether you paint them in natural tones or in a more whimsical style, they're a fun reminder of those long-hidden elements of nature that begin to emerge as the weather slowly warms.
SUPPLIES
- Magazine (finish reading this one first!)
- Masking tape
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- Newspaper
- Pie or baking pan
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rip out magazine pages and start forming mushroom caps and stems by folding, scrunching, and rolling the paper into the desired shape. Attach the mushroom pieces together by covering the entire mushroom with masking tape.
- Combine the flour and water together in a dish and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix until completely combined with no lumps present. Depending on your microwave, it may need 30 more seconds. It should end up being the consistency of thin pancake batter.
- Cut up strips of newspaper, dip them into the mixture one strip at a time and apply it to the mushroom, covering all of the masking tape. Dry for 24 hours. Hint: I used a poster board to save the table from getting dirty. A cut-up cardboard box would work as well.
- After the mushrooms are completely dry, add a layer or two of white acrylic paint, allowing it to dry between the applications. Then when they are finally dry, add the paint color of your choice to the tops and/or stems of the mushrooms.
- Place the mushrooms here and there in your home or add a wire circle onto the mushroom tops and string them onto a strand of twine for a garland effect.
Branch Art
While moving into my home, a few years ago I spotted this little branch. It was left behind, propped up against the house waiting for a new life. And it turned out to be the perfect piece of inspiration to hold little vases filled with changeable living additions. Whether the vases are filled with propagating plants, snippets of berry stems, slips of evergreens or little flowers, this is a living nature art piece.
SUPPLIES
- Branch
- Twine
- Small vases with a lip around the top
- Nails
- Wrap twine around the two ends of your found branch and attach them to your wall of choice.
- Wrap lengths of twine around the vase lips and secure them to the branch.
- Carefully add water and plants.
- Change out the plants whenever you're ready for a new look.
Diane Holm is a prop/product stylist at White Picket Fence Company. Her home was featured in the October/November 2022 Inlander Health & Home.
