Mushroom home decor at Christmastime isn’t new. Fungi thrive in the yuletide, from a lucky mushroom hanging in a Christmas tree to wreaths with felt boletes. Like disco balls, mushrooms and Christmas are a natural pairing. The humble mushroom, associated with decay and death in British and American cultures, is really at the root of our winter festivities.
Mushrooms and Christmas at a glance
Christmas traditions and the myth of Santa Claus are holdover beliefs in Nordic cultures from winter solstice celebrations. Mushrooms grow at the bases of evergreen trees, the very ones we bring inside to mark the start of the holiday season. What do we place under our Christmas trees? Red and white gifts.
The iconic toadstool with hallucinogenic properties, Amanita muscaria, has a beautiful red top with white dots. Arctic shamans, clad in red and white, gave psychedelic mushrooms to participants as part of winter solstice festivities around December 21. They would descend into homes through the roof because the doorways were packed with snow. Reindeer also love eating mushrooms, even the fly agaric varieties.
As the tradition migrated to countries like Germany and Switzerland, mushrooms became synonymous with good luck. The rest is history in Western Europe. In the U.S., mushrooms are just now seeing their day in the winter sun.
Unique mushroom Christmas ornaments
If you want to add some mushrooms to your Christmas tree for luck, here are the unique mushroom ornaments from around the web, including Amazon and Etsy.
Pottery Mushroom Ornaments
Image Source: Murdeko via Etsy
This beautiful Christmas tree ornament set includes red fly agaric, chanterelle, and penny bun mushrooms. The handmade ceramic set from Etsy Star Seller Murdeko includes gold filigree-style hooks for hanging ornaments.
Velvet Mushroom Ornaments
Image Source: WonderObjects via Etsy
Switch out the standard mushroom glass ornaments this year with something softer from Etsy seller WonderObjects. These velvet mushrooms come in 12 colors and add trending luxury to your Christmas decor.
Crystal Mushroom Ornaments
Image Source: WildYamCo via Etsy
These handmade mushroom ornaments come with quartz points for stems. Charge your crystal Christmas tree decorations from Etsy seller WildYamCo with love and light for a sweet yuletide.
Needle Felt Mushroom Ornaments
Image Source: ROOKandRAVENCo via Etsy
Skip the glass Christmas ornaments and embrace the softness of winter. This set of six felt fungi will become heirloom holiday decor. The mushrooms come in warm tones and are about two to five inches tall from ROOKandRAVENCO on Etsy.
Wooden Mushroom Ornament
Image Source: GielishWoodSculpture via Etsy
This subtly beautiful Christmas ornament has a cap made from Oregon driftwood. You can also pick another cap made from redwood, western red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, Port Orford cedar, and Oregon Coast driftwood. Etsy Star Seller GielishWoodSculpture even touts that each has a unique aromatic scent.
Pottery Pastel Mushroom Ornaments
Image Source: Murdeko via Etsy
These handpainted pastel mushroom beauties deserve to be out all year. Imagine them in a bowl on your countertop around Valentine’s Day, on a mantle with pine cones and gnome figurines in the spring, and even in a bowl of spiders for Halloween. Who said you had to put these beauties away after winter?
The Lucky Mushroom Ornament
Image Source: Old World Christmas via Amazon
Old World Christmas has sold the Lucky Mushroom ornament since 2017, and it’s on its way to becoming a best seller. This little mushroom decoration is small enough to sit on your desk or tabletop after the holiday season.
The Morel Mushroom Ornament
Image Source: Old World Christmas via Amazon
The Morel Mushroom ornament from Old World Christmas will be a favorite bauble of any forager on your list. Maybe it’ll even become a lucky talisman during morel season.
How to make a fabric mushroom ornament
Image Source: Pillar Box Blue
You can make mushroom ornaments from so many different materials: felt, yarn, polymer clay, and even glass if you’re into glass blowing. The best DIY for mushroom ornaments I’ve found is this tutorial from Pillar Box Blue.
You can make luxurious beaded shrooms with velvety soft caps or embrace cottagecore with burlap and straw. The tutorial even includes tips for making denim mushrooms. These make great wall decor for floating shelves; you could even turn one into a Christmas tree topper. Happy crafting!
