Let’s make a pearl-accented mushroom

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Everything in this tutorial comes in the kit

Containing pre-cut felt, the chipboard structure, stuffing, two sizes of pearls, and printed instructions, our Pearl-Accented Mushroom Kit (Fungi Specimen 001) ships from our Colorado studio for $23.

Already have your kit? Skip ahead. Everything below matches your printed instructions.

Before you begin

This page walks you through the full construction, start to finish. You’ll learn to cut and gather a felt circle into a dome, create structure with an internal chipboard base, and roll and glue a tidy felt stem.

Pattern pieces are included in your kit or downloadable pattern — if you don’t have them yet, the kit lives here. If you purchased the pattern, your materials list is on page 2. Either way: grab scissors, find a clean spot to work, and set your vibe (movie? music? coffee?).

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Making the mushroom

1Assemble the stem

Roll the felt rectangle loosely along the short side until it forms a tube, adjusting until the opening roughly matches the small felt circle. Run a thin line of glue along the overlapping edge and press to hold. Glue the small felt circle to the bottom of the tube to finish the end neatly, then set the whole thing aside to dry.

2Shape the mushroom cap

Hold the wedge template against the cap with the curved edges aligned and cut along it to remove a triangular wedge from the cap piece. Slightly overlap the cut edges and glue together. You’ll see the circle start to become a dome!

3Stitch and stuff the cap

Thread your needle and sew a running stitch around the open bottom edge of the cap, leaving a long tail rather than knotting the end. You can work from the inside or outside of the cap. We find outside is easiest, just keep your stitches an even distance from the edge so they can hide in step 5.

Once your running stitch is complete, gently pull both ends of the thread to begin gathering the opening, then add stuffing. You’re looking for firmly packed, not bursting. Kit makers: you have more stuffing than you need, so don’t stress about using it all, just focus on a nice, even dome. Pull the thread again until the opening narrows enough that stuffing won’t spill out.

4Shape the inside

Gently insert the brown chipboard circle into the cap (this is what gives your mushroom its flat, tidy underside). The stuffing should sit above the chipboard, with the gathered edge pulling in underneath. Use the gill piece (the scalloped circle) as a guide: the opening should be tight enough that the gathering stitches can be fully covered by it. Adjust until you’re happy, then tie off the thread securely.

5Finish and assemble

Glue the scalloped circle to the bottom of the cap to create the gills, covering the running stitches. Then apply glue to the open end of the stem, press it firmly to the center of the gills, and hold. This is your mushroom taking its final shape.

6Decorate

Add the pearls with a small dot of glue for each one. Your kit includes two sizes (6mm & 8mm). Use all of one size for a uniform look, or mix and match depending on your mood. We like to dot the glue evenly around the cap first, then gently press a pearl into each dot so the spacing stays neat. Seven pearls feels right to us, but follow your heart.

7Let dry and enjoy

Give your mushroom time to dry fully before handling. Find it a good home, and if you feel like sharing, a photo tagged @darilyndesigns on Instagram is always welcome.