Garden Accessory: DIY Mushroom

I have a small balcony garden and just love to add a lot of characters and drama to it. Garden accessories perk up the space and something handmade can add life to any place. Today I am going to share an idea that I had made around before two years when I moved to my present home. Before few days I have made it again only to share the idea with you all. It's a very simple and inexpensive DIY i.e. to make small small cute cute mushrooms to enhance the beauty of your garden using Plaster of Paris. So let's make it. :) :)

Items required:

1- Plaster of Paris 

2- Egg shells (If you are vegetarian can use any other thing that will give a half circle shape or can go for appam pan having small small circles or chocolate moulds)

3- Acrylic Paint 

4- Paint Brush

5- Some pens (I used some use and through pens that I never threw after using ;) or you can use normal sticks)  

6- A pot and a spoon for mixing Plaster of Paris 

7- Water

Step-1

Mix POP and water in 2:1 ratio and make a mixture like this. 

Step-2

Fill the egg shells with the POP mixture by gently tapping it. So that no air bubble is left.

Step-3

Then immediately put the pen in it. (Don't allow the POP mixture to stand for some time as it dries very fast.)

Step-4

Allow it to dry completely under sun for one whole day. Then slowly take out the egg shells. Some time they may not come out very easily, then try to remove the shell slowly by breaking it with fingers from one side. Do it just as you peel the boiled eggs. 

Step-5

First apply one coat of white colour from all sides. 

Step-6

Then paint it with whatever patterns you want using colours of your own choice. I kept it simple with the polka dots and colours according to the colours of the pen I used.

Tada its ready.. :) :)

The best thing about these mushrooms are that they are very inexpensive, looks beautiful and are water resistant so can keep it in the outdoor without worrying about sun and rain :) :). My garden looks so happy with these mushrooms. I think you all must love to bring that happiness to your place too. I have also made a hanging bird bath for my garden, you can find the tutorial here. 

I have made a full one dozen of it, some are in my garden and some are packed as gifts for some of my plant loving friends.

Hope you will find this tutorial useful.

Keep smiling :) :)

DIY Hanging Bird Bath

A famous quote says " It's nice to be important but more important to be nice", let's begin to be nice. The scotching summers...scarcity of water takes away the life of many living beings not just humans, but animals, birds and plants also lose their lives. With this rise in mercury level a kind effort from us can save these innocent creatures. The life saving H2O, that's water can be kept in our garden or terrace or balcony or near windows or on any place in our house where birds can visit easily and have water. These speechless physiology of our planets are helpless and are in continuous search of survival, we can join hands to save them and our planet. 

With a small effort towards this, I have made a bird bath in my balcony. I thought I'll keep it simple. But finally ended up doing this, which is neither too simple nor too complex. All my DIY works are my weekend projects :) and every weekend comes with a long To-do-list. This is a result of last weekend which was made in a hurry, as summer has already set in. All was done in a very unsystematic manner :(, along with a surprise visit of some guests :), sudden outing plans and many such interrupting things. But finally I am sharing the idea with you all. 

So here it is without strings and pebbles;

Items required :1. A flat clay pot (If clay pot is not available any other pot will do)
2. Acrylic Paint (Any colour of your choice)
3. Paint Brush
4. Twine
5. Some pebbles (Optional)
6. M-Seal
7. A big piece of cloth (I used an old cloth)
8. Talcum powder
9. Some plastic leaves (Optional)
(Unlike earlier DIYs this time don't have a picture of items required)

Step-1

Take a big piece of cloth and keep it in a round shape like the following image. Circumference of the cloth should be according to the circumference of the clay pot. First roughly tie it with a twine, then again tie it tightly and thoroughly. Then take three long twines and tie those to hang this. Length according to the length of hanging bird bath.

Step-2

Dust your hand with some talcum powder and take equal portions of both mixtures of M-seal. Mix them well and give shape to your desired object. To my surprise when I opened the M-Seal packet there was only half of the mixture. On questioning my husband teasingly he replied with a smile "I did some real M-seal work :)." I was determined to complete this DIY on the same day so I made the body of birds with whatever M-seal I had and it's tail was made with plastic leaves. Insert the leaves when the M-seal is wet.

Step- 3
Paint the clay pot according to your choice and hang it this way.

Step-4
Then stick the M-seal birds on it and paint it.

It's now done and ready to move to its final place.
Here it is in my balcony garden with some pebbles.

So let us all keep some water for birds this summer and if this can be done with some personal touch like this it will enhance the beauty of the place along with a noble cause as the primary focus. This can also serve as a bird feeder.
Looking for your feedbacks and suggestions.