Fantasy Curly Top Mushrooms and Crescent Moon Wreath

The moon has always held a deep fascination for me. I guess that makes me either a lunatic or a Selenophile. Hubby would say it’s the former 😉 Be that as it may, I’ve shared quite a few moon crafts on the blog. Everything from this beaded dreamcatcher to a ping pong ball moon casting an eery glow over a fairy graveyard. There are a few crafty mushrooms hanging around, too, like these cotton-baked ones and this gorgeous planter. But I’ve never combined the two. So today, I’d like to show you how easy it is to make a crescent moon wreath with curly top mushrooms.

It takes a little time to put together if you have to make your moon wreath form from scratch (that would be me). But if you can find a ready-made form, you’ll be done in a morning.

To add a little magic to the crescent moon wreath, I made two fantasy-inspired curly top mushrooms.   

And added small flowers and moss to complete the picture.

Feel free to use whatever you have on hand to make yours unique and special. Be sure to include some fairy lights, though.

Because when you switch those babies on, it looks like the wee folk are dancing around a mystical moon.

Talking about mystical, this month’s IBC challenge is “Mystical Makes,” and I’m hoping the moon qualifies 😀 You can see how my friends interpreted the challenge at the end of the post. Okay, before I show you how I made this crescent moon wreath and those curly top mushrooms, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

To make the crescent moon wreath

Wreaths aren’t a big thing here in South Africa, so finding a pre-made one was just not on the cards for me. If you can find one in your area, you’re welcome to use that instead. To make this one from scratch, I used the following:

• Softwood vines, stems, or branches (willow, mulberry, various creepers, grape vines)
• Galvanised wire
• Wire cutters
• Twine

To make the curly top mushrooms

• Modeling clay (air dry or baked will both work)
• Jewelry wire
• Craft Paint
• Moss

Making a crescent moon wreath

Figure out how big you want your finished crescent moon to be. Mine is 35 cm x 20 cm. Cut two pieces of wire, one a little longer than the other.

Tie the edges together with more wire.

Trim away any excess.

Wander around the garden collecting long, thin, supple branches and vines. I used branches from our weeping mulberry, St john’s creeper, and Boston Ivy.  Look for branches or stems that don’t break when you bend them. Freshly cut stems are the easiest to work with. If they do dry out while you’re making the wreath, you can soak them in water for a week or so to make them flexible again.

 

Remove all the leaves.

Starting at one end of the wire moon, weave the vines around and across the wire form.

Slowly build up the form by weaving vines in and around each other.

As more vines get added, you can tie the ends together with twine or fishing line, so they don’t pop loose and poke you in the eye. Ask me how I know 😀

Continue adding vines until the crescent moon is full and the wire form is hidden.

Try to twist the vines in different directions and spread them evenly to cover up large gaps. Once you’re happy, cut any protruding bits with pruning shears and leave the wreath to dry flat for a few days. I left mine outside for two weeks.

Making the fantasy curly top mushrooms

On a large piece of paper, trace around the crescent moon.

Using the crescent moon outline as a guide, sketch the mushroom shapes. A rough sketch makes it easier to judge how big or small the curly top mushrooms should be. They’re the stars of the show, after all 😉

If you want to add mushrooms that are more traditional, we have a tutorial for that too. To make the mushrooms, I used white Sculpey clay, which needs to be baked. Air-dry clay will work too. Knead the clay to condition it and make it easier to work with.

Both the clay mushroom top and stalk start as balls. This quick video will show you how I made them.

Be sure to push some craft wire inside the mushroom stalks before baking or air drying so they can be attached to the crescent moon wreath later.

If you’re baking your curly top mushrooms, let them cool down completely before gluing the top to the stalk and painting them. You can use craft paint or shimmery eyeshadow. 

I gave my curly top mushrooms a base coat of teal and them streaked on multiple shades of blue and purple.  

Putting it all together

I am by no means a wreath decorating expert, so I won’t even attempt to tell you how to do this part. The main attraction on the crescent moon wreath are those curly top mushrooms, so they went on first. The wire in the stalk made them easy to attach.

Simply insert the wire between the vines and then twist to secure.

Once the mushrooms are in on the wreath, fill the gaps between the vines with green stuff and flowers.

My flowers are a mixture of faux hydrangeas…….

…. and dried baby’s breath (Gypsophila Elegans).

Since the crescent moon wreath can be seen from all angles, double-check that it looks good no matter where you stand.

Finish off by wrapping the fairy lights around the moon. Hide the battery pack behind the moon.

And that’s it.

So easy. Hang and enjoy.

If you like the idea of making a crescent moon wreath with fantasy curly top mushrooms, don’t forget to pin it for later.

Sharing is caring

Want to see some more “Mystical Makes?”

1. Anita made another unique creation with this Buddha in a globe planter.
2. Crescent moon wreath by yours truly.
3. A novel idea from Sara over at Birdz of a Feather, using playing cards as earring storage.

Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.