Purple Rain | Mushroom Water Fountain

Hello! In this instructable, I will show how I made a mushroom on a log water fountain out of oven bake clay.

I have wanted to try a water fountain made of oven bake scupty clay for a while and now I finally jumped in and completed the project.

I do not know how well it will hold up to the water; It says it is water proof after baking and this will definitely put it to the test. Unfortunately, I just finished this project and do not have the results for this experiment.

For this project, I used 4 bricks of sculpy oven bake clay, wire, the box from my families favorite flavor of ritz crackers, seriously if you have not tried them you should add them to your grocery list, acrylic paint, and foil.

I also used jars, a small glass bowl, a wooden disk and a wooden rod for the forms, but they were removed after I baked the shells.

To deliver the water to the cap of the mushroom, I used a mini water pump and the smallest clear tubing from home depot.

I started with a small glass bowl and put foil over it.

Using my wooden rod, I rolled out some clay and laid over the dome of the dish and then baked in the oven according to the instructions on the package.

Recently, I moved and while I tried to keep my crafts organized through the move, I somehow lost my rolling pin. For months it has been driving me nuts as to where it could have gone. About half way through this project I stumbled across it while looking for something else. It seems like, that is how lost things are found, when you have long since given up hope of finding it. It ended up in a random basket with random clay tools that I had no idea I was even missing and I don't remember putting my tools in the basket, but I am thankful the rolling pin is back. I have moved only a couple times in my lifetime and twice it has been a whirlwind and packing was not as organized as I would have liked it to be and this was one of those times.

My husband and I have a theory about moving that something that you want will get lost during the move never to be seen again. I was sure the rolling pin was one of these "moving tax" items The first home we purchased together we did not have a ton of processions and plenty of time to pack while we waited for closing. I carefully placed my favorite pair of shoes in a big cardboard box. When we arrived at our new home, I quickly opened the box labeled favorite shoes and much to my surprise, only one of the pair was in the box. I drove myself and my husband crazy looking for it and even asked the next renter of our old place if it was still inside. The moving tax cost me my favorite pair of shoes. My husband laughs every time he tells this story and I frown and declare, "I still miss my favorite shoes and even though I kept that lone shoe for years the other never showed up. Even after I threw it away." Have you ever moved and had to pay the "moving tax"? If so, what did you lose?

This past move was my camera charger and just like the lost favorite shoe, I know where I packed it, but that doesn't mean it made it to the new home. With a trip to best buy, the charger has been replaced and as we paid for it we both laughed and agreed that we will either find when we get home or it was the victim of the moving tax. It still has not showed up.

Using a wooden disk covered in foil, I rolled out a ball of clay the size of the disk. I poked holes all around the disk. I must have forgotten to turn my camera on before cutting out the hole in the center so I have no picture of that being done before baking it.

Using card board I cut out a circle the size of the wooden disk used in the previous step.

I cut a slip to the middle of the cardboard circle and overlapped the cut ends, pulling them tightly around the cone until I had the shape I wanted. I used painter's tape to secure the ends.

After covering it in foil, I use a snake of clay to form the opening that the water tube would stick through. Then I wrapped a strip of rolled out clay around it, forming a small funnel of clay. I bake it before assembling in the next step.

The third picture shows the hole I cut out of the disk.

I placed the funnel over the hole in the disk and used a snake of clay to secure it to the disk. The hole in the funnel is barely big enough for the water tube to fit through it, so it holds it in place well after it is in installed.

I place the disk and funnel combo inside the shell of the mushroom cap and secure it in place with a snake of clay. Being sure to seal all the edges so the water does not get out.

Next I roll out a big sheet of clay and lay it over the caps shells and secure it to the disk, making sure not to plug any of the holes around the edge. I again bake this according to the packages directions.

Using my make shift rolling pin aka my wooden rod, I cover it with foil before using a rolled out sheet of clay to cover the outer edges of the stem, leaving both ends open for the water tube to go through it, at the end of the build.

I used my silicone clay tool to etch lines in the stem. Bake it.

And then I added wire around the bottom for attaching inside the log later.

Side story: Wrapping the wooden rod, brought back memories of camping with my family when my kids were younger. A friend showed us her new treat cooked over the fire and we have since shown many other families.

The recipe started with Mom in camper preparing boxes of instant pudding in zip-lock bags. Outside at the fire we used big wooden doll rods covered neatly in foil. Using a triangle of crescent dough from the scary pop open tube, we covered the end of the wooden rod and then roasted it over the fire. After it was golden brown and cooled enough to touch, we snipped a corner of the pudding bag and filled the crescent roll tube before carefully spreading store bought frosting over the length of the tube. My kids always asked for campfire eclairs before we set off on camping trips to ensure that I remembered the ingredients.

I used a canning jar covered in foil and not so neatly spread clay over it, forming my cup. Baked it and then leaving the foil inside spread clay inside before baking it again.

When my daughter was little, there was no such thing as too many pickles in the house. Sam's club jars were commonly seen in our fridge and pantry and lucky for me I kept a few, mainly for soaking my beef jerky on the rare occasion I make some. But the large jar came in handy for making the shell of my log.

There was nothing neat about the clay on this shell and quite frankly it really doesn't matter after the project is complete. This was baked before removing it from the jar.

This project took some time, there was so much baking and letting it cool, and then adding a bit more and more baking and cooling and when it came time to make this shell, I was in a hurry needing to get my evening meal prepared and a few chores done before our busy evening of changing fish water and going to the nearest pet store that sells fish supplies which is about an hour away. My husband always wanted a big fish aquarium and we bit the bullet after seeing a sale on the tank and stand, and brought home a 75 gallon tank. If you ever want to be a fish owner, wait patiently for the water to cycle before buying fish. This is advice from two people who ran out after having this tank set up for a week and bought a few too many fish. We have only lost a couple due to our uneducated impatient selves, but after a few weeks of panic shopping (for anything to help with ammonia) and many water changes we finally have algae. And we are a lot smarter, but just on fish ownership.

But back to the shell and regret: In my hurry up and who cares if it neat build session, I completely spaced out the fact that I wanted the bottom open so it would sit over the cup and I wanted it to have a slit for the cord to come out the back of the log. Luckily I remember as I was pulling out of the oven and the clay is not completely set until cooled. With it a little too warm, I broke out the bottom and put a bead of clay around the broken edges and baked it once again. It seems to me this past month has been a lesson on being patient and slowing down, a little more thought and planning would have gone a long way in both situations.

Using my shell and the other side of my cracker box, I made the template for the top of the log.

I started out with only going to put the stem through and cut out a small hole in the center, but after a few minutes of thinking about the how the water was going to get back to the cup, I made the hole bigger and in the next step I made another funnel.

I left the cardboard inside for add strength and covered both sides and waited to bake this until I had the funnel ready.

Same little bowl as last time and more foil and more clay with a bigger hole left in the top for the stem to go through and gaps on the sides of the stem for water to get back to the cup. I baked this before moving on to the next step.

Using a snake of clay I attached to two parts and baked according to the package's directions.

Using wire and my husband's old rusty cutter from his many years of being an electrician, I created stems for my little mushrooms.

I folded and gathered the edges of the foil to create a mushroom cap to attach to the wire and then covered them completely in clay, adding lines done the stems to give the little mushrooms some texture.

And then bake.

I flipped my log top with the funnel attached upside down over the big pickle jar. Inserted the stem and secured the wires down with clay. I baked this piece on top of the pickle jar.

I trimmed the wires on the little mushrooms and used little lumps of clay to secure them.

I put a snake of clay around the top edge of the logs shell and placed the top on it. Then I applied another snake of clay around the edge and pressed and smoothed it into the top and sides, securing the top piece.

I rolled out clay and put sheets of it around the entire shell of the log. It did not need to be neat, as all the carvings in the clay would cover any imperfections.

Using my clay tool I made little slice marks in the clay that were close together. This job was painfully boring and lasted way longer than I wanted it to.

After the entire log was covered in little marks, I drug the took from the base up to the top in some straight lines and some criss-crossing.

I bought these white rocks at dollar tree and painted them eggplant with metallic amethyst over the top.

I watered down Apple barrel, burnt umber and covered the entire log.

I covered the mushroom in eggplant.

I covered the caps in perfect purple mixed with black.

I put little dots of Apple barrel wild iris on the cap and then blended it in using circular motions. I repeated the process with perfect purple.

Using a small brush I put little dots of first folk art lavender and then folk art metallic amethyst.

The little caps I applied little dots of amethyst.

I dry brushed four colors on the trunk and went over those with the same Burnt umber as the base to help blend and complete the look.

Folk art, old ivy

Apple barrel, yellow

Apple Barrel, white

Apple barrel, burnt umber

I filled the funnel with purple rocks.

I used mod podge to attach my green turf.

I used a black wash on the rocks and a little on the stem.

You can make any color wash by mixing paint or ink with water and a few drops of jet dry.

I add a lighter green clump foliage in a couple spots. And then to wait for the glue to dry before starting up the water pump.