How to Make 3D Paper Mushrooms

Crafting can be a transformative experience. Not only are you making something for yourself or someone you love, but it requires presence. A quiet mind. If you love crafting, you know the sense of flow that comes with a good DIY.

Not all crafts are created equal. Some use unsustainable materials - does the world really need more glitter? Some are incredibly hard, which end up blocking the state of flow. If you’re looking for an easy and meditative tutorial to create some origami mushrooms, look no further than this template.

You can turn these 3D papercraft mushrooms into Christmas tree ornaments or use them instead as home decor for any time of year. This an easy papercraft idea to share with kids or add a touch of cottagecore to your room decor.

Zero-waste materials

• Sheets of paper cut into equal squares
• Scissors
• String or yarn
• Glue

The mushroom template and paper choice

Each DIY paper mushroom will use 12 mini mushroom paper cutouts. You’ll need about 60 sheets for 5 total mini mushrooms. This tutorial used 4 in. x 4 in. squares of leftover brown wrapping paper. It’s not too stiff for this paper mushroom craft. You can also use easy origami paper designed for folding and fanning.

How tall you want your DIY mushrooms to be will influence the size of your paper squares. You can use construction paper, brown wrapping paper, or even tissue paper. Get creative with your pick, and most importantly, try to use zero-waste materials! Even that Amazon wrapping paper or break out the leftover Cricut.

The length of your string or yarn will depend on the height your ornament will hang. If you’re not going to hang your mushrooms, you can snip away the excess string after it’s glued.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Fold the paper in half and cut a mushroom shape.

Use the template above or freehand your own shape! Again, each mushroom 3D paper art will use 12 mushroom cutouts.

I recommend cutting out the printable template and folding it in half where the page is folded in half. This way, you don’t need to trace a shape on each square, and your sizes will be equal.

2. Fold each mushroom cutout in half and stack.

Fold one mushroom cutout in half, forming a fan shape. Take the second mushroom cutout and fold it in half so it also creates a fan shape. Place the two mushroom cutouts together, so each edge opens toward you.

Continue placing the folded mushroom cutouts together in a fan shape. This is how you’ll create the easy DIY 3D effect. The mushroom shapes should want to expand and “pop up” - that’s how you know you’ve stacked them correctly.

3. Glue a piece of string in the center of the fan shape.

Find the center of the mushroom fanned shape where the folded centers of the mushrooms meet. Grab your glue and a piece of string. Lay the string in the center of the folded mushrooms and glue along the line on the outside edge of one mushroom. Next, glue the connecting outside edge of the mushroom beside it.

Fan out the mushrooms around the string. Viola! You should have a free-standing mushroom. If you want to create a wall hanging or Christmas decoration from your mushroom, tie a small loop at the top of your string at your desired length. If you don’t want a visible string, snip the excess off.

Decoration ideas for your mushrooms

Use these as wall hangings, Christmas ornaments, or even desk pals. They make cozy, zero-waste gifts for your favorite fungi-obsessed friends, and you can create a set using different papers and colors.

You can even create a garland of wall decor from these fungi friends. This simple paper craft is easy enough to make decorations for each season, like the Valentine’s Day garland could use red and pink tissue paper.

For funky fungi, DIY paper crafts, and DIY mushroom tutorials, check back for new craft ideas. We even have a mushroom house tutorial coming soon.