These colourful toadstools made out of modelling clay decorate our potted plants. Not only do they look pretty, but we believe they might actually provide our fairy friends with a nice place to rest.

What you’ll need:
• Two or three different colours of modelling clay, one of which should be white. We used Sculpey that we bought at Michaels.*
• Glass baking dish
• Parchment paper
• Toothpick or sharp needle

* Please refer to manufacturer’s instructions and warnings when using Sculpey.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven.

2. Knead the clay for a few minutes to make it more pliable.

3. Roll a few small balls of coloured clay in various sizes. Use your finger to press in one side of each ball to form the shape of a toadstool cap. Don’t make it too thick or it won’t bake evenly. (Do note that the Sculpey colour can transfer onto skin and fabrics. The red Sculpey was particularly bad for this, so make sure you wash your hands before handling any other colours.)

4. Using the white clay, make tiny circles and press them randomly into the top of the caps to decorate.

5. Make the stems using cylindrical shapes that are slightly narrower on one end. (Remember that you’re going to sink it into the soil, so you need to make it longer than you normally would.)

6. Use a “scratch and join” technique to join the cap and the stem. Use the toothpick to make a few scratches on the underside of the cap as well as the top of the stem. Press the two pieces together firmly.

7. Place on the parchment paper-lined dish and bake according to directions. Do not over-bake! We baked ours for 20 minutes, checking after 15. (Hint: If the white clay is turning brown you’ve baked it too long.) You can use a toothpick to see if the Sculpey has hardened.

That’s it! Now all you need to do is arrange your toadstools around the base of your houseplants to create a pleasing rest stop for any wandering fairies.

For more fun weekend craft ideas, check out this cute “owly” bowling pin set and these DIY juggling balls.

Andrea Tomkins is a mother of two imps, and wife of one. You can follow her adventures on her blog, a peek inside the fishbowl, where she’s been writing about family life since 1999. She’ll be sharing a great new craft idea here at CF.ca every Friday.