Making DIY fabric mushrooms is fun and addictive. I know I say that about all my crafts! But with these fabric mushrooms, I couldn’t stop making them.

I finally had to stop at 25! When I only meant to make 2 or 3.

Initially, I made them with just some sofa/couch fabric swatches, but soon I was hunting out other fabric scraps. Naturally, I made some out of upcycled denim, my favourite fabric to craft with. I also used some patterned cotton scraps I had too.

Then, when I finally managed to stop making fabric mushrooms/fungi, I decorated them. I raided my craft stash for ribbons and trimmings, seed beads and glitter to jazz up the mushrooms.

What to do with the fabric mushrooms?

• Glue a couple of them onto a wood slice to make a cute ornament for the mantle.
• Add twine to the top and decorate them to make a lovely Christmas ornament.
• Use them as a fun present topper.
• Like me, you can make a fabulous seasonal garland if you have lots of them.

I made these mushrooms by hand sewing them, but they can just as easily be made with a hot glue gun. It takes about 20 mins to complete each fabric mushroom.

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(There is a printable how-to card for this craft at the end of the post.)

What You Need For DIY Fabric Mushrooms

Getting a new sofa/couch inspired me to make these mushrooms. Whilst trying to decide on the fabric for my sofa, I picked up a few swatches. I wanted a velvet sofa, so had collected a lot of coloured velvet squares.

Coincidently my sister-in-law had also been looking for a new sofa. She also passed me on her extra fabric swatches, challenging me to find something to make with them. I rose to that challenge and came up with these DIY fabric mushrooms.

I used the velvet swatches for the tops of the mushrooms and then an old linen tea towel for the underside and stalk.

• Fabric scraps for the top of the mushroom – large enough to make a 3.5″ (9cm) circle. Sofa swatches are a perfect size, but you can use any fabric, such as old denim.
• Linen lighter fabric for the underside and stalk.
• Fabric circle cutter – you can use a compass cutter or a Fiskers circle cutter. Failing that, scissors will do.
• Scrap cardboard – about the thickness of a cereal box.
• Fiberfill – I use old pillows for this.
• Fray stop glue
• Grey pen

• Needle and thread
• Tweezers and chopsticks or similar-sized tools. (Needed to turn the fabric right side out).
• Free DIY fabric mushroom sewing pattern (download here)

How To Make The Fabric Fungi

Step 1: Cut the fabric swatch for the top of the mushroom into a 3.5″ (9cm) circle. I find this easy with a compass cutter or a fabric circle cutter, especially if you make more than one mushroom.

Step 2: Next, cut out two 2.5″ (6.5m) circles of the linen fabric and a then 2″ (5cm) cardboard circle. If your fabric frays easily, dab the edges of the material with fray-stop glue.

Step 3: Sew the smaller linen circles together. Then snip a hole into the centre and turn them right-sides out.

Step 4: Fold the cardboard circle into quarters and snip a hole into the centre. The cardboard will help the finished mushroom/fungi to hold its shape.

Step 5: Next, with a needle and thread, tie a knot at the end of the thread so that it will not pass through the velvet. Then stitch a running stitch around the circle’s edge (about 3mm from the edge). Pulling and gathering the fabric as you go. (like with these sweater balls).

Then stuff the top with fiberfill and insert the cardboard disc so it sits on top of the fiberfill while keeping the pulled thread taught.

Step 6: Next, pin the linen circle onto the underside of the velvet and stitch it in place. Then, through the hole in the middle, add more fiberfill until the mushroom top is nice and plump.

Step 7: Draw around the mushroom stalk template. Cut out two pieces. Pin and sew them together. Then turn the stalk right sides out.

This is probably the most tricky bit of this DIY fabric mushroom craft. It can be very fiddly turning out the fabric; this is where the tweezers and chopsticks come in handy.

Next, stuff the stalk with fiberfill. The chopstick will be handy to ensure the fiberfill reaches the end of the stem. Make sure it is stuffed firmly; this will help the fabric mushroom stand up.

Step 8: Stitch the stalk to the underside of the mushroom, covering the hole. Use a thread the same colour as the linen fabric to help hide the stitches.

Step 9: This step is optional, but with a grey pen, you can draw lines on the underside of the mushroom/fungi to look like gills.

Ideas For Decorating And Displaying the Fabric Mushrooms/fungi

As you can see, I got a bit carried away with making these fabric fungi! I made over 25 of them and tried other fabrics, including denim.

I even ended up with a rainbow of velvet mushrooms. These will look great in a garland; I love a bit of rainbow home decor.

Displaying and Decorating the mushrooms

• Wood slice
• Hot glue gun
• Coloured flax thread
• Assorted ribbons and small pom pom trim
• Assorted seed beads
• Glitter in various colours
• Hi-tack trim it glue

Making Denim Mushrooms/Fungi

These were made in the same way as the fabric swatch mushrooms. The main difference is I used denim fabric from old jeans. If making a double denim mushroom, use denim in shades of indigo. Or use a patterned fabric for the top and denim for the base.

It’s best to use soft, worn denim from old jeans. The mushrooms will be harder to make if the fabric is too stiff. However, They look good on the mantle with my DIY denim bunnies.

Standing the Mushrooms Up on A Wood slice

To display the fabric mushrooms on a mantle, add them to a wood slice. All you need to do is use hot glue to fix them to the top of the wood slice. They look best when displayed at an angle or use fabric mushrooms of different heights.

And yes, I have a mushroom to match my sofa/couch. I went with the Paprika (orange) velvet for the sofa, and I love it. The mushrooms on the wood slice will sit on my mantle as they match.

I also made a denim wood slice version to match my denim moths and denim pear that sit on the mantle.

Decorate the Fabric Mushrooms to Make Christmas ornaments

The first thing to do to make these fabric mushrooms into an ornament is to add twine to the top to hang them from. The decorations will look better if you match the cord to the mushroom colour fabric.

I almost enjoyed decorating the DIY fabric mushrooms as much as I did making them in the first place.

Next, give the mushroom ornaments a bit of Christmas bling. Add trim, seed beads on the top and glitter on the base.

Use the trim glue to stick the ribbon around the edge. Use pins to keep the trim in place as the glue dries.

Then use the same glue to add seed beads to the top of the fungi.

Finally, add a bit of glitter to the base of the stalk. Cover the last 1cm of the stem in the glue. Then either sprinkle the stalk with glitter or dip it into a pot of glitter.

The mushrooms can be hung individually as Christmas ornaments for the tree or pegged to the twine to make a festive garland. Check out these other Christmas sewing crafts.

I made so many fabric mushroom decorations that I had enough to make a fun garland for my mantle.

Other Fungi & Crafts

Not surprisingly, these aren’t my first mushroom/fungi craft. I made a gorgeous mushroom display by printing vintage fungi images onto old bedsheets. If you like these mushrooms, you’ll love my free pattern for fabric fig ornaments. Both would make a lovely gift idea for friends.

These mushroom drawings are a great resource if you want to design your mushroom patterns.

I’ve also noticed that mushrooms are a popular theme with home decor. I’ve seen vintage mushrooms and fungi printed on plates and fabrics for wall decor. Because fungi are so popular, these mushrooms are a good craft for making, selling and gifting.

There are some gorgeous free vintage prints of the mushroom and fungi drawings of James Sowerby and a collection of vintage mushroom charts here.

Don’t forget to check out my other easy hand sewing projects, cool adult craft ideas and other ideas for upcycling fabrics and velvet crafts. Including these quirky beetroot brooches.

These mushrooms will look good on the mantle with these hen and duck embroidered figures.

If you like these mushrooms, you’ll love the pattern for these denim thistles and fabric poppy seed heads.