DIY Mushroom Garland from Egg Cartons – Easy Fall Craft for Kids

4 hours ago

3 min read

Turn an empty egg carton, a few little twigs and some acrylic paint into a charming mushroom garland — a simple upcycling craft for cozy autumn afternoons with children.

Sometimes, it takes very little to bring a touch of autumn magic into our home.

An empty egg carton.

A few twigs collected on a walk.

Some paint, string and a little time together.

That's how we made our own little toadstools, which now hang together as a handmade mushroom garland in our home.

The loveliest part? Every mushroom can look a little different. One might have extra white spots, another a slightly crooked cap. And perhaps, somewhere along the way, a little story begins about the woodland gnomes who might live beneath them.

What You'll Need for Your DIY Mushroom Garland

An empty, clean egg carton
Red and white acrylic paint, or your favorite colors
Paintbrushes and scissors
Small twigs for the mushroom stems
String or twine
A hot glue gun (for adults only)
A protective surface for your craft table

Egg carton painted with red acrylic paint and white spots to create handmade toadstool mushrooms.

How to Make a Mushroom Garland from Egg Cartons

1. Paint the Egg Carton

First, we painted the raised sections of the egg carton with acrylic paint.

Classic red with little white spots makes them look like tiny fly agaric mushrooms. But of course, pink, yellow or wonderfully colorful imaginary mushrooms are just as lovely.

Children can have so much fun creating their own designs.

2. Cut Out the Mushroom Caps

Once the paint has dried, carefully cut the painted shapes out of the egg carton.

These little rounded pieces become your mushroom caps.

And don't worry about perfectly even edges. A little unevenness only makes them more charming.

3. Attach the Hanging Loops

Now each mushroom cap needs a small loop of string at the top.

Make a little hole in the top of the cap, thread a piece of string through it and secure it on the inside with a little hot glue.

These loops will later allow us to thread the mushrooms onto the garland.

4. Glue on the Twig Stems

For the stems, we used small twigs collected outdoors.

Depending on the color of the wood, you can leave them natural or give them a light coat of white acrylic paint. Then glue each twig inside its mushroom cap using hot glue. An adult should handle the hot glue gun.

5. Thread the Mushrooms onto Your Garland

Once the glue has completely cooled, thread all the mushrooms onto a longer piece of string using their little hanging loops. Arrange them next to one another, leaving a little space between each mushroom. Perhaps some hang a little lower and others a little higher.

And just like that, you have created a playful fall garland from recycled egg cartons and natural materials.

All that's left is to find a cozy spot by a window, along a shelf or on a wall.

(Make sure the garland is securely hung and kept out of reach of young children, as hanging strings can be hazardous.)

Three Little Ideas for Your Mushroom World

Create a cozy autumn corner

Add a few colorful leaves, chestnuts and small branches beside your mushroom garland. Suddenly, a little corner of your home feels like an autumn woodland.

Invent a gnome story

Perhaps your garland belongs to a tiny gnome village. Who lives beneath those red mushroom caps? And what happens there when nobody is watching?

Sometimes, the simplest craft becomes the beginning of a whole imaginary world.

Make a little autumn gift

Your handmade mushroom garland also makes a lovely personal gift. Add a handwritten card and you have a thoughtful autumn surprise for Grandma, a friend or someone special.

Discover More Little Autumn Worlds

Mushrooms, gnomes and woodland stories also find their way into my frifri illustrations.

If you'd like to pair your handmade fall decoration with a little note from the heart, have a look at my Autumn Gnome Card Set. Perhaps one of these tiny woodland characters would feel right at home beside your handmade mushrooms.

And perhaps the most beautiful part of this little mushroom garland isn't even the finished decoration. It's the afternoon spent making it. The colorful fingers. The little twigs scattered across the table. The quiet conversations while painting. And that lovely feeling of turning something so simple into something special, together.

A hug and see you soon,