16 May How to Make a Clay Model of a Mushroom

Are you ready to tackle our next homeschool handicraft project? Today, we are making a clay model of a mushroom. We’ll be making it lying upside down, on a slab. This project was great practice into creating a three-dimensional feel with lots of detail. It is model #37 from the book, A Manual of Clay-Modelling by Hermione Unwin and it’s part of our clay modelling series.

We may have cheated a little. Instead of mushroom hunting in the forest, we ran over to our neighborhood grocery store and got a package of mushrooms. We used one for our clay modelling project, and the rest for dinner!

Materials Needed

• The book, A Manual of Clay Modelling by Hermione Unwin (or free online HERE)
• Modeling Clay (the book suggests red terra cotta clay)
• Clay modeling tools (this kit includes many tools, along with a sponge and wire to cut the clay)
• An modelling board with an armature – hopefully you’ve made this with us already
• A bowl of water
• An apron or paint shirt to protect your clothing
• Newspaper, or plastic covering to protect your table
• A mushroom

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make a Clay Model of a Mushroom

The Process

The mushroom is meant to be copied as it lies on the table with the stalk upwards. We will not be using the armature, as the support of it is not needed. We therefore began by making a square slab away from the armature.

Once the slab is made, we sketched the outline of the top of the mushroom onto it, then built up the shape of the top inside the outline. We began in the middle and worked our way to the edges, leaving a slight depression in the middle for the stalk.

Next, we modelled the upper surface of the mushroom, taking into account the natural undulations of the plant. We worked up the edges with our fingers and the tool.

The gills of the mushroom are the star of this show, so this is where you want to spend time. Using the tool, we drew in the gills.

To complete our model, we rolled up a small piece of clay for the stalk. After shaping it properly, we wet the end and put it in its place in the middle.

We made some finishing touches, including carving out underneath the model with the tool and smoothing the surfaces.

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