Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Make a Concrete Mushroom
How to Make a Concrete Mushroom. Concrete sculptures are popular outdoor decorations. They can be found online, at home stores and at local nurseries. Purchased sculptures can be expensive or the wrong size for your needs, but if you are looking for a concrete mushroom, you can make your own at home, for little cost and with little effort.
Concrete sculptures are popular outdoor decorations. They can be found online, at home stores and at local nurseries. Purchased sculptures can be expensive or the wrong size for your needs, but if you are looking for a concrete mushroom, you can make your own at home, for little cost and with little effort.
Things You'll Need
Shovel
Garbage bag
Concrete
Two-by-four wood board
Two-liter bottle
Box cutter
Use a shovel to dig a smooth, well-rounded hole. The depth and width of the hole depends on the size you want your mushroom cap. Place a plastic garbage bag or piece of plastic sheeting in the hole, and spread it out to the surrounding ground.
Mix concrete according to the package's directions. Pour the concrete into the hole, on top of the plastic, and fill it until it is almost level with the ground.
Use a two-by-four, or other piece of wood, to tap the top of the concrete. This will push out any air bubbles, press the concrete into all the crevices of the bag and make the top layer smooth.
Use a box cutter to cut off the top of a two-liter bottle below the start of the neck and the bottom curves, creating a straight tube. Make sure the bottle is clean and completely dry. For a different-sized mushroom stem, use any other plastic tube.
Place the tube in the center of your concrete filled hole. Let it rest on the surface -- if it is pressed in, you will not be able to remove it once it dries. Fill the tube with concrete.
Allow all the concrete to dry according to the package's directions. Drying times will vary, but in general, overnight should be sufficient.
You may need to run a box cutter down the length of the bottle to be able to remove it. Flip the mushroom over and remove the garbage bag. Display it on a flat, even surface.
Tips & Warnings
If desired, you could paint the mushroom in different colors or create several mushrooms of different sizes.
Because the garbage bag will have creases in it, your mushroom's cap will be textured. If you want a smoother, more uniform shape, you can use a large plastic bowl instead.
