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Spun cotton is one of our favorite materials for making ornaments because it can be customized in countless ways and is a great base for achieving a wide variety of looks. In this tutorial we explore a variety of simple painting techniques paired with a mix of glitters and snow to create several different woodland ornaments.
Supplies: Spun Cotton Mushroom and Pine Cone Ornaments, Pine Sprigs, Deco Beads, Snow, or Glass Glitter, 24 Gauge Wire, "Liner" and "Flat" Paint Brushes, Paints, Clear Drying Craft Glue like Alleen's, Scissors, Skewers or Pipe Cleaners, Straw, Cling Wrap
Step 1: Paint your Spun Cotton Pieces.
1a.) Add color to mushroom caps and pine cones. Let dry.
Use paint straight from the bottle; metallic or pearl colors add extra shimmer and dimensionality.
Mix colors together for a custom look. We mixed a little "Chipotle" with a lot of "Purple Gerbera" to get a deep magenta hue that matches nicely with both shades when used unmixed on other pieces.
To make pieces look vintage, water down paint and apply in varying intensity. The goal is to achieve a tinted look, not solidly painted, so pieces look like color has faded in sections over time. Keep in mind, you can add more color, but can't take it away. We recommend starting at the top of the mushroom near the hole and working downward to get a feel for how this technique works -- the color spreads out as it's absorbed into the spun cotton depending on watery-ness.
1b.) Add snow to pine cones. Let dry.
Use a small flat brush to add snow to pine cones. Dip into opaque white paint, wipe brush off and dab paint onto pine cones as though snow has fallen: more at the top and some on "scales". We prefer a dabbing and pressing motion as opposed to making a brush stroke. You can think of it as scraping the paint off the brush to deposit it.
1d.) Add gills and grass to mushrooms. This step is optional; mushrooms look perfectly charming if this step is skipped.
Gills: Use a light grey or pale brown (we used "Rose Chrome") and water paint down to almost "tinted water" thickness. Make several long, quick strokes under the cap and shorter dashes around the stem.
Grass: Use watered-down paint to make a subtle suggestion of grass on the base of a mushroom. Blend color upward onto stem in an irregular way for a vintage look. Alternatively, use long strokes to make grass blades of varying heights.
Paint Note: The colors we used are shown below right. Top row L-R: Chipotle, Habanero, Purple Gerbera, Pink Taffeta, Scallion, Summer Linen. Bottom row L-R: Rose Copper, Rose Chrome, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, Rust, Gold Mother of Pearl.
Step 2: Embellish with Textured Snow, Glitter, Deco Beads, or Shimmery Paint.
2a.) Apply textured snow. Textured snow gives a retro and dimensional look to mushroom caps and pine cones. It can be used to enhance the look of an Amanita Muscaria, add dimension to spots or highlight snow on pine cones. Here's how to apply it:
-- Carefully pour a small amount into a paper lunch bag (or other semi-closed vessel). This stuff is ultra lightweight and will want to fly everywhere.
-- Apply glue to mushroom cap and dip it into the snow.
-- Place a piece of cling wrap (or other thin plastic) across the palm of your hand. Press the freshly glued snow into the cling wrap to make it adhere closely to the mushroom cap. Press edges as needed.
-- Use the handle-end of a paint brush to "move" the snow into its desired positioning. Let dry.
-- If needed, pluck and press to refine any loosely adhered snow pieces.
-- Optional: Repeat for stem and gills.
Use the same method to add snow to pine cones.
A tip: To keep the edges of mushroom spots crisp and defined, apply glue slightly within the edges of the spots and make sure any applied snow stays within the lines.