Freaky Funghi

 

3 weeks into July and I hadn't started on a single new Halloween prop making me quite obviously, ghastly behind.  Well cue testing positive for COVID and I suddenly had more than enough time on my hands.  Hoarding enough craft supplies to stock a small Michael's proved very wise on my part as I had no problem tackling an idea I'd been bouncing around for a bit - mushrooms.

There's a picture in my head of a witch, walking around her lair plucking ingredients for her next potion from jars and pots, scooping up bones and plucking feathers from birds, and snapping off bits of plants growing right out of the walls and floor.  There's a single post so I thought it would be grand if a creepy vine twisted it's way up with glowing gorgeous, and poisonous, mushroom sprouting.  I'd seen a few videos on making mushrooms from fairy lights using hot glue so I was halfway there.  

There are some nice vine options available but I settled on using fake plants one would place in a terrarium as I thought they might stand up to being outside for 30 days.  They're also quite easy to bend into just the shape you want.   

What you'll need:

• Fairy Lights (I like these from Harbor Freight)
• Terrarium Plants
• Hot Glue Gun (preferably one with Hi/Lo setting)
• Glue Sticks (I prefer the glue that dries somewhat opaque)
• Wax Paper
• Outdoor Acrylic Paint: Daisy Cream, Marigold, Tiger Lily Orange, and assorted Greens

I googled images of "beautiful poisonous mushrooms" because you know how I like authenticity.  We all love the classic bright read with white spots look but worried they would potentially come across cartoonish.  I liked the look of the conocybe filaris but there's some other wonderful options for inspiration.

Start by stretching out one of the vines and positioning it into your desired shape.  You'll still be able to adjust it somewhat afterwards but best to get it as close to what you want to start.

Begin wrapping the end of the string lights around the vine and create stems by pinching together sections of the wire and giving it a twist to keep it in place.  Best to have a light bulb at the end/top of each so that each mushroom cap glows.  I did a few that didn't and while they're still pretty, they're just a touch less cool.  You've got some creative freedom here - you can make clumps or spread them out, make rows or rings.  Whatever feels right.  The string can be long so you can always work you way back up if you get to the end.  This is what it'll look like:

With you glue gun set on low, begin adding glue to the stems.  It doesn't have to be perfect!  I worked my way top to bottom on one side and then turned and did it again on the other side to get decent glue coverage.  The low setting prevents drips and allows more control.  Here's what it looks like now:

Quick note: on the small/short stems I added extra glue to the top to create small caps.  The process for making the caps makes these smaller ones a bit tricky so it's easier to just build it up directly on the stem.

Caps!  Now this had a learning curve for me, the timing has to be just right to work properly.  Using the Hi setting, make disks of glue on the wax paper, different sizes and only a few at a time.  One the glue has cooled enough to peel up from the paper but not too much that it can't be manipulated, peel up the disk and using your finger or the end of a pen, press on the center and mold the disk into a cap.  Like I said, there's a curve here - sometimes you'll peel it up too soon and it'll be too sticky and other times you're too late and you can't shape it.  Hold onto these!  They can be used later to figure out your paint.

After making a few caps of various sizes, let them dry fully and reset your glue gun to Lo.  If the glue is too hot for this next step it can melt your cap.  Either add a drop of glue to the inside of the cap or to the stem and position the cap.  You don't need too much glue and again if it's too hot, you run the risk of the stem piercing the cap.

Repeat the cap making and placing process until all stems have caps.  It should look something like this:

Now these glow quite nicely just on their own and were so magical I almost stopped.  Check it out:

Time to paint!  Start with the stems and similar to applying the hot glue, do a pass from one side and then again from the other.  No need to be perfect here or worry about complete coverage,  I focused mostly on hiding the copper wire.  After that dries it's time to apply the first coat of paint to the caps.  Starting with the lighter color, work your way from the center out to the edges of each cap.  It's hard to hide the brush strokes so might as well make them work for you.  Here's some close-ups of the first coat:

Once the first coat is dry, go back with the darker color again starting in the middle but cutting the strokes short so there's a lighter edge.  Add layers as desired, it's beneficial to paint with the lights on to get an idea of the ultimate effect.  I was happy with just 2 coats of the darker color:

And there you go!  I couldn't be happier with the result and look forward to scaling up for a floor to ceiling post that inspired this to begin with.  I think these would be great for centerpieces and mantels or even wedding centerpieces.  And as for realism, check out this comparison to a shot from CBS Sunday Morning my husband found hauntingly familiar.

Where do you imagine these spores popping up at your haunt?

101 days till Halloween...

Pantry Potion: Stained Glass Jars

Officially my new favorite DIY project, these stained glass jars are easy, cheap and full of opportunities to personalize.  I'm in the middle of making a new Halloween prop that calls for a lantern type jar.  I wanted something a little different than my Witch's Jars, something a bit more Enchanted Forest Fairy and less bloody & muck.  YouTube proffered a fantastic & short how-to on staining glass that seemed perfect and everything you need is likely already in your pantry.

Here's what you need:
Glass jars - Mason or rinsed spaghetti, salsa, jelly, etc.  Use Goo Gone to remove any label glue
Modge Podge
Food Coloring
(Bake at 215° for 1-2 hours, until all glue is clear)

I followed the YouTube instructions for my first 2 jars and while I think the overall, consistent color is cool (see the green jars below), it wasn't quite right for my project.   Rather than pre-mixing the food coloring & Modge Podge, I decided to coat the jar with MP first and then add drops of food coloring, working the color around by rolling and tipping the jar.  I also upped the cooking temp to 215° as I felt it cooked a little faster without "burning" the glue.

So far the results are killer.  I think it could still use a bit of tweaking, getting the glue to food coloring ratio just right changes the results.  For now though, I'm in love with my new Fairy Jars.

***Bloody Valentine Votive seekers, scroll down to the end of the post for more details!***

Tips:

• The food coloring will almost run right over the Modge Podge at first, different densities and all.  Eventually they will combine, something you may or may not desire.  The more you work the MP around, the more it will mix.  Too many colors & swirling, the more muddled it will get.  Get it just right and combine two complimentary colors for a fabulous 3 color finish (ie., red & yellow swirls with orange, red & blue with purple, etc.)

• Start with the lightest color.  The darker colors dominate and you don't need nearly as much so add a little at a time.

• Try to avoid excess Modge Podge.  It collects in the bottom and takes forever to dry.  Adding the food coloring adds liquid so you can go a bit light on the MP, even leaving blank areas.  Once you add to food coloring,  you'll have enough to cover the blanks.  (Or leave them clear, up to you.)

• If you do wind up with a pool of Modge Podge, don't despair! You can coat the jar with it again to expedite the drying process.  Using hot pads, take the jar out of the oven and tilt it slightly to one side.  Tilt & roll the jar around, working the VERY HOT, lava-like colored MP around the sides.  Please note this will tend to cause a more even, constant color.  So if you have some good swirly whirly areas, you may want to dodge them as you work the VERY HOT MP around.  BE VERY CAREFUL.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled, random globs of VERY HOT MP may gather and fall if you're not paying attention.

• You can avoid the previous tip by just using as little Modge Podge as possible.  I wish I could tell you a perfect MP to food coloring ratio but it's really all trial and error and what sort of look you want.  Dig into your Haunt Hoard of glass jars to experiment with color combinations and MP.  It's endlessly fun.

Finally, like most of my projects that involve candles, I recommend using flameless LED. Safety first and it adds to the longevity of your art.

Share your Fairy Jars in the comments!

311 days till Halloween...

Even and light coating of Modge Podge with
6 drops of yellow food coloring

Swirled and whirled yellow food coloring

4 drops of green, swirled and whirled

Few drops of blue. Mid jar you can see where
the color and MP have begun to mix

Last looks before putting it in the oven

Drum roll...

While not my favorite it's a nice view of how the colors work with Modge Podge - mixing, not mixing, etc.  More results from the craft laboratory below...

Yellow, Green & Red food coloring

Blue & Purple food coloring

Yellow, green, blue & red food coloring

This was my first attempt at the new technique. It's muddled a bit but also pretty cool & will work well in my new prop.

I followed the YouTube video for these, using green & yellow food coloring and pre-mixing it in the Modge Podge

MY BLOODY VALENTINE:

For these bad boys, I premixed the food coloring (red) and MP, put a small amount in the bottom and coated just the lower inch or so.  I then carefully dripped the mixture along the upper rim of the jar, varying quantity for different drip lengths.  I used the same knife I had used for mixing color and MP like a spatula for the drips - scooping up a bit and pouring it gently over the rim.

After it baked for about 15 minutes, I swirled the hot lava MP around the bottom for another coating and also added more drips, laying the color in some places and creating new drips in others.  Repeat this process until you get the color and look you like and finish baking until all the MP is dry.  Bloody great candle holders for Valentine's day...

Pantry Potion: Antiquing Wood - Steel Wool vs. SOS Pads

There's a lot of information and how-to's on antiquing wood using vinegar and steel wool.  It's a really cool trick that's cheap and easy with simple household items - the perfect DIY project.

All the info out there concurs one critical point - SOS Pads don't work as well. Some will straight up tell you they DON'T work and not to use them.

Funny thing, SOS Pads are all I had ever used.  I guess the first tutorial I used years ago didn't mention this fact or I overlooked it.  If memory serves - which it often doesn't - they may have actually used an SOS Pad as I have vague memories of a picture of that easily identifiable blue pad sitting in a jar of vinegar.

Regardless, I needed to antique some wood for my Gothic Window and that's when I came upon all the SOS Pad warnings and chuckled.  All my crates look rad if you ask me.  Could there really be that much of a difference?  Time for an experiment.

Before we begin, the basic antiquing recipe:   Fill a jar with white vinegar and plop steel wool inside.  Let it sit.  An hour or weeks, whatever.  The longer the murkier the liquid will get but honestly this works after a few hours, too.  Then you just "paint" the liquid on using either a paint brush or the pad itself.  Wear gloves, this stuff gets messy.

The recipes all call for some tea as well.  I let loads of bags sit for a long time in a separate container, sometimes even adding coffee grounds.  Since I'm going for creepy crate vs wine crate it doesn't have to be perfect.

One note of caution with the SOS Pad: the blue soap can clump and stick to spot leaving blue stains.  Use the tea/coffee solution to water these areas down and disperse/diminish the blue.

I like to do a base of the vinegar/pad solution and let that dry.  After that, it's the perfect science of slop a little of either or both, just let it go and feel it.  Become one with the crate.

On the left, we have the SOS Pad crate and on the right, the Steel Wool Crate.  Here we are after the first coat of solution.  Having never done a pure steel wool one I was blown away with how fast it works!  It gets dark FAST.  Which is cool especially if you're going for more of a wine crate look.  I did the SOS Pad one first so it's been sitting for about 20 minutes when I took this photo:

Pretty crazy, right?  Almost looks like I haven't done anything to the one on the left.  I meant to take a "before" picture but my 3 year old daughter made a mad dash from her bedroom, out the backdoor and then down the driveway which, big surprise, distracted me every so slightly.  My apologies, would have been nice to have a baseline.  Next time.

After a while I came back and did another coat to the SOS pad as well as some tea to both.  The Steel Wool crate was pretty well stained at that point so I wasn't able to have as much fun creating irregularities with it.  I probably should have gone back and forth between tea and vinegar solution on the first coat.  

I did one final coat on the SOS pad one, just finishing off the liquid and added tea as well.  I did another round on the steel wool one as well trying to layer it up in some areas to create greater depth.

Left them overnight and the final result....?

You can absolutely antique wood with an SOS pad.  They're almost identical with the SOS pad leaving the crate a greyish brown and the steel wool creating a deep reddish brown.

I prefer the look of the SOS Pad.  I think it works far better for a haunted house as it's less "winery wedding" and more "witch's storage."  Whatever you wind up using at least now you know you have options and an SOS pad isn't steel wool's less crafty sibling.

Which crate do you prefer?

(in this light you can hardly tell them apart)

(Such a subtle difference)

(the end of the SOS crate didn't take the solution as well this time, but who can tell at night?)

UPDATE!!!

It's now been 3 days and the difference is even more pronounced.  The SOS Pad has deepened it's grey/brown color all over while the steel wool one is more red toned than ever.  Perhaps it's an illusion but there you go, can we just admit that and SOS pad not only works but also looks killer?!?

The difference is crazy! (SOS on left, Steel Wool on right)