Inspired by the beauty of autumn, we also decided to post a master class on autumn themes. True, we didn’t calculate the time to create it, but better late than never :)
We present to your attention a master class on creating a composition with magic mushrooms! They seem to be ordinary toadstools, but as soon as the autumn twilight falls, they begin to glow invitingly in the dark. This is good magic, which is designed to give warmth and a smile. But the main thing is not to try to eat them :)
What do we need to create.
Basic materials and tools:
- cold porcelain;
- oil paints;
- floral wire;
- stacks for modeling;
- wooden egg for shaping the caps;
- natural moss and bark.
Electronic components and glow tools:
- battery compartment for 4 batteries;
- fine wires;
- resistors;
- switch;
- soldering iron;
- auxiliary tools (electrical tape, wire cutters, tweezers, pliers, etc.).
Accessories:
- glue (PVA, epoxy);
- glue gun;
- drill or screwdriver;
- cling film;
- scissors;
- threads;
- cream.
Let's get started. First, you need to stock up on inspiration and decide what kind of mushrooms you want to create. For some reason I was drawn to toadstools :) I like their sophistication, translucency and the ability to create mass appeal.
Approximate view chosen, we begin to sculpt.
First of all, you can prepare the caps, since the legs will not be easy - you will need to mount the “electronics” in them. And with the hats everything is clear :) Take a small piece of cold porcelain and mix oil paint of a suitable color into it. In my case it's burnt umber. We must not forget that after drying the shade will be darker. Therefore, it is better to mix a little less than you want - in any case, then we will tint on top, and we can achieve the desired shade.
We form a fairly thin pancake with our fingers and give it a convex shape using a wooden egg. I think you can find some other suitable shape - I first walked around the apartment looking for it and came to the conclusion that an egg is most suitable for me. We gave the layer a convex shape, thinned it a little more, and you can carefully remove it from the egg.
Now we take a stack with two round pieces at the ends. Using it you can push through the convex center of the mushroom, characteristic of toadstools.
Next, take a stack suitable for creating plates on the inside of the cap. We pass it along the entire perimeter, creating uneven, naturalistic plates. They may be slightly visible from the outside - this can often be observed in toadstools. And when we are satisfied with the result, we set the hat aside to dry.
The hat is dry.
Now we need to “revive” it - tint it a little with oil paint. I used two colors - natural umber to darken the middle and edges, and lemon yellow to give a slight tint to the middle part. I applied the paint with cotton swabs, blurring the edges of the application.
This picture shows the difference between the original hat and the “revived” one.
Some mushrooms can be deliberately flawed; nothing is perfect in nature.
The set of hats is ready, let's move on to the legs. All the electronics will be hidden in them, so first an introductory note on how to create the magic :)
Let's take a closer look at the components. For me, for example, this part of the work is the most difficult, because I don’t understand anything about it. Therefore, there are two options - either figure it out properly, or ask someone who knows how. If you manage to ask, skip the next few paragraphs. If the second option didn’t work out, then read on :)
LEDs. What to look for when choosing.
1. Firstly, it is the color and temperature of the light. You can choose green or blue for an interesting effect. And if the choice fell on simply white, then it is characterized by 3 main gradations on the Kelvin temperature scale:
- from 2700 to 3500 K - warm white;
- from 3500 to 5000 K - neutral white or natural;
- from 5000 to 7000 K - cold white or daylight white.
In our case, cold light is used, but it will pass through the cap and in any case “warm up”.
2. Secondly, luminous intensity, which is measured in Candelas (Cd). For LEDs, the gradation is approximately 2000-10,000. Accordingly, the more, the brighter it is. We have 10,000 Kd.
4. Well, and finally the size. In our case, 3 mm is small enough to fit under the cap. And there are 4, 5, 10 mm...
At the LED feet different lengths- this is necessary to immediately understand where its anode and cathode are. The longer leg and small “piece of hardware” inside the LED (in case you’ve already bitten off the legs) are the anode, the shorter leg and larger “piece of hardware” are the cathode.
Battery compartment. Everything is simple here - some are open, some are closed with a switch. You can take 2,3,4, etc. batteries (depending on the operating voltage of the LEDs). We have an open one for 4 batteries.
Switch. You can choose according to your taste. There are different types: toggle switches, push-button, slide. We have an engine one.
Resistors (resistance). Here we need to do a little math.
The resistor reduces the amount of current that comes from the power supply (the LED has almost no resistance, so if there is no resistor, the current will be too high).
R = (Vs - VL) / I
R denotes the resistance of the resistor, Vs the voltage value of the power supply (6 V in our case with 4 batteries) and VL- LED supply voltage value. Finally, I LED supply current.
Our LED operates from 2.8 to 3.2 V (see the Forward Voltage technical documentation) and consumes 20 mA.
Thus, Vs=6, VL=3 (take the average) and I=0.02
- R = (6 - 3)/0.02;
- R = 3/0.02;
- R = 150.
Therefore, a 150 Ohm resistor is needed. When purchasing, do not forget to look at the size of the resistor: the resistance may be the same, but the dimensions may be different. The smallest ones are made of metal film.
Wires. For such miniature work, we take thin acoustic cables 2x0.25 mm2.
Everything is collected! We take out another soldering iron with solder and get started.
First, let's prepare everything for work: cut off the excess length of the LED legs, expose the wires, select a suitable surface for work, and heat up the soldering iron. Let's start collecting. First you need to attach a resistor to the red wire and solder the connection.
Hello everyone, DIY lovers!
This article will talk about an interesting lamp that will delight a child with its design, namely: the Magic Mushroom.
We will need:
- Cardboard;
- LED strip kit;
- Wood glue/PVA;
- Gravel for the aquarium (pink and yellow);
- Plants for the aquarium;
- Acrylic paint(white and red);
- Vata;
- 2.5 m of stranded wire;
- 1 m of single-core wire;
- Heat shrink;
- 5 textured pieces of paper towel;
- Hot glue gun;
- Scissors;
- Typesetting scalpel;
- Ruler;
- Pencil;
- Artistic brush;
- Wire cutters;
- Soldering iron and solder.
Stage 1. Templates and blanks.
First, the author prints and cuts out the templates, and then cuts them out on cardboard.
Next, I rounded the edges using a ruler.
And he did the same with other parts.
The template can be downloaded:
(downloads: 52)
Stage 2. Gluing parts into one shape.
To begin with, the author took two pieces of legs from the blanks and glued their lower parts from the inside. I waited until the glue dried, and then continued gluing little by little until I reached the sixth fragment (inclusive). He then set the first half aside and began gluing the second half together.
When both halves were ready, the author glued them together.
Later the author repeated the same thing for the hat.
Stage 3. Holes
First, the author printed out several templates and traced their holes on the mushroom cap, and cut them out with a scalpel.
Then I chose a place for the power cord on the mushroom stem and cut a hole for it.
Stage 4. Texture
The author traced the hat template on a paper towel and cut it out 12 times. Then I mixed wood glue with a small amount of water and applied a large number of this “composition” onto the cap, and then secured the cut out fragments with a paper towel.
Once all the pieces were in place, I waited half an hour and then applied a generous amount of glue over the towel.
Then the author repeated the same steps for the leg.
Later, the author applied glue to the inner surface of the leg and the outer cap. I made sure that the glue soaked through all the folds.
Afterwards, the author left the mushroom to dry overnight.
When the paint had dried, the author painted the outer surface of the cap red (2-3 times).
Then I cut out the previously taped holes.
I traced the frill on a paper towel, cut it out and attached it to the leg.
Stage 6. Backlight
First the author secured LED strip in the form of a spiral. I cut the strip with scissors at the nearest “cut point.”
Attention: Be careful when bending the strip so as not to damage its conductors.
Then I cut the stranded wire into four pieces of 30-40 cm each and glued them together. I stripped and tinned the ends of the wires and soldered them to the LED strip. Then I applied hot melt glue to the joint. Marked negative and positive findings with a marker. After that, I applied hot glue to the LED strip for additional fixation on the cardboard.
Next, I glued the power socket of the LED strip controller to the leg from the inside. I cut 4 pieces of single-core wire, soldered them into the holes for the controller pins and insulated the soldering area. I cut out a small rectangular window for the controller's IR receiver and attached it to the inside of the case.
Let's pull the wires through the leg and glue it to the cap.
Stage 7. Base
Then I traced the base on cardboard and cut it out. I glued both parts together and laid the template on top of the glued blank. Using a scalpel, I traced the lines on the template and cut out grooves for the LED strip.
I attached LEDs around the base. I cut grooves wherever necessary. From the remaining stranded wire, I cut four more pieces of 10-15 cm each, stripping/tinning them, and soldered them to the end of the strip. I applied glue to the soldering area and attached the remaining part of the wire to the base. I noted the pinout of the wires.
I put heat shrink on the wires. I soldered the wires coming from the controller to the wires of the base tape. I connected it in an arbitrary way, but the power goes to power! The author wanted the lighting of the hat to be different from the lighting of the base. Slided the heat shrink over the joints and settled it.
I turned on the night light and made sure that the base illumination was working. I soldered the wires coming from the LED strip in the header to the LED strip of the base.
After everything worked as it should, the author glued the leg to the base.
Stage 8. Decoration
I glued the pebbles to the base one by one, as close to each other as possible. Completely sealed the surface and ends.
I trimmed the plants and pasted them over the mushroom. I glued more stones where they were attached to the base. I cut some plants into smaller pieces and glued them on as well.
We suggest you get a new one indoor plant. Moreover, it does not require any maintenance at all, but it looks fabulous. It’s like something straight out of the screen, from the movie “Avatar.” Remember there were glowing mushrooms In the woods? So in the Mister Geek store there is such a miracle: Night Light Magic Mushrooms.
This is an LED lamp designed like a pot of plants and mushrooms. Or rather, you can decorate it yourself. “Plant” the plants however you like by placing them on artificial moss. Bend the mushrooms - they have flexible legs. It turns out very believable, as if this is all a real piece of forest. But the main magic happens later.
If the night light is plugged in, nothing will happen at first. But if you turn off the light, the mushrooms will light up. The two palest ones will shine evenly, and the pink one, with a wide cap, consistently changes color illumination. And just like that, it really is a fantastic sight. And an amazing gift that can be given, for example, to a woman on February 14th.
Technical Features of LED Magic Mushroom Lamp
The wire that needs to be connected to the network comes out directly from the ceramic pot, closer to its bottom. And just above is the light sensor. Accordingly, if you cover or seal it with something, the lamp will turn on immediately when connected to the outlet. You can check the performance of the night light this way: just cover the sensor with your finger, and the mushrooms should start to glow. Even if it's a bright sunny day. But in the dark they still look completely special.
Initially you receive a pot of mushrooms, and artificial plants are attached to it. They need to be stuck into the moss, and you will have to use additional tools - a suitable sharp object. You can distribute the plants as you wish, creating the illusion of their natural growth. And among them are beautifully curved mushrooms on thin stalks.
For the lamp to work, it must be connected to the network. The night light is flat american plug, but the kit includes an adapter. Insert the plug into it, and then calmly use any European socket.
But if you want to have real ones on the table, edible mushrooms, then you will be interested in the Mushroom Growing Kit Mushroom Box.
Video
Characteristics
- 2 monochromatic mushrooms, the third one changes color;
- works in the dark (there is a light sensor);
- power supply: 230 V mains, American flat socket, included adapter for a standard European socket;
- material: ceramics, plastic, silicone;
- color: white pot, green moss and plants, porcini and pink mushrooms;
- placement: desktop;
- size (L*W*H): 10*10*19 cm;
- weight: 400 g;
- packaging: cardboard box;
- package size (L*W*H): 12*12*15 cm;
- brand: Love Your Life.
A short review of a night light in the form of several toadstools.
About six months ago, my child needed a night light. Previously, I made a homemade LED night light, but then it turned out to be just a rectangular block in a socket, but I wanted it to be not just a light bulb, even a multi-colored one, but something more interesting, so that the child would be at least a little interested.
I didn’t particularly like anything in our stores, so I decided to look at the Chinese ones.
The search was carried out using the code word “night light” and then filtered by price.
Of the various options that came up, I somehow liked this model and the night light in the shape of one large mushroom.
Since I had already seen a large mushroom in an offline store, and I didn’t really like its workmanship, I decided to try this particular night light. The store was selected based on the number of sales and customer reviews. The seller stated that the night light changes the color of the mushrooms and automatically adjusts the brightness of the night light. I was wondering if this was true at a price of just over 1ue.
I decided to give it a try, with the idea that if it didn’t work, it would be the basis for making a homemade night light.
An order was placed and a month later I received a package with a night light. An ordinary paper bag, inside of which this night light was wrapped in bubble wrap. There are no photographs preserved, and they are unlikely to be of interest to anyone.
The night light itself:
Back view
The body of the night light is made of white glossy plastic, most likely ABS.
Case dimensions: width 45 mm, height 35 mm, thickness (without fork) 20 mm.
The quality of workmanship is not satisfactory.
The body is screwed together with 2 screws, on one of them there is a label-seal of the QCD output control.
At the bottom of the case there is a transparent window for the light sensor (more on how the sensor works below).
Bottom view
From the upper part of the base emerge three thin plastic stems with a diameter of 1.2 mm and a length of about 60 mm, on which a round leaf is placed on top. The leaves are also plastic, glossy on top, and the underside has a fabric-like texture. On one of the leaves, a flash is visible on the edge of the leaf, but it looks as if the leaf is withering a little, and in general it does not spoil the appearance of the night light. Traces of glue are visible at the junction of the stem and leaf, but if you don’t look closely, it doesn’t catch your eye. The leaf stems are rigid and do not bend.
View from above
There are also mushroom stems coming out of the top of the base. Apparently, a white heat-shrink tube was put on the wires with soldered LEDs. The stems of the mushrooms bend freely, so the mushrooms can be bent within certain limits at your discretion. The LEDs are covered with mushroom caps made of thin silicone. The hats are multi-colored (my copy has yellow, green and pink). The height of the mushrooms including the cap is 50-55 mm. The mushrooms are done quite neatly.
So, what's inside? Unscrewed 2 screws.
Inside one-sided printed circuit board, the installation is quite neat, the board is not particularly filled with flux (or washed).
Expected capacitive power supply. The capacitor is 0.1 uF for a voltage of 400 V, therefore the night light consumes no more than 7 mA and 1.5 W. It was unexpected to see a full-fledged rectifier bridge; usually the Chinese are satisfied with 1-2 diodes. Photo below
Mushroom filling
Night light work
When I plugged it in for the first time, the night light did not turn on. It turned out that the room was too bright. When I covered the light sensor with my hand, the mushrooms started to glow.
The darker the room, the brighter light night light During the day, the night light does not turn on. The light is soft, pleasant, enough to not get lost in the darkness of a 15m2 room. The two outermost mushrooms (yellow and green) glow constantly, and the central one (with a pink cap) smoothly changes color (red\green\blue and their combinations).
In the dark
The night light has been working properly for six months in 24/7 mode. The leaves and mushroom caps did not fade or turn yellow (during the day, the outlet where the night light is installed receives direct sunlight). The children of my friends liked it, I know that they ordered such night lights for themselves (not from this seller).
My child likes the night light.
To summarize, I can say that for such a ridiculous price it’s quite a decent night light.
To be honest, I expected a slightly worse performance.
Yes, the capacitor of the power supply raises some doubts; perhaps it is better not to leave the night light unattended.
And yes, if anyone decides to buy such a night light (from any seller), please note that Ali has similar night lights, but without changing the color of the glow of the central mushroom. You need to carefully read the product description and customer comments.
I hope that this review will be useful to someone
Today we will talk about mushrooms. No, we will not cook them, distinguish them as edible, or poison them with hallucinogenic ones. We will make a night light. Something like this:
Introduction
It all started when I was intrigued by these Japanese lamps with mushrooms (Apparently, these are the ones - translator's note), but I didn’t like the on/off button and was scared by the prospect of making mushrooms out of glass. So I decided to create my own version. Using the materials I had on hand.
I wanted the mushrooms to look like real ones and glow for some time after the lamp was turned off.
Step one. Preparation of driftwood
At first I thought of using a piece from our birch tree, which was partially rotten, but when I started sawing it, two spiders and an earwig came out, I changed my mind and began to look for other options.
I found a smooth stick in a strawberry patch, but it had cracks in it that were guaranteed to be full of all sorts of bugs:
From this snag, cut from our tree a few weeks ago, it’s unlikely that something could crawl out and bite me, but it looks terribly boring:
Finally, I decided to settle on a piece of the root of an evergreen shrub. There were no holes or cracks in it where beetles could hide:
I cut off the extra branches and washed it with a hose:
And baked it for several hours in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (~93 Celsius). So if some insects were hiding there, then they ended happily:
After that, I drilled holes in the places where the mushrooms will grow:
I decided that the wires and all that stuff would be in the back and wouldn’t spoil natural look my lamp.
Step two. Making mushroom stems and caps
I used polymer clay two types - transparent and glowing in the dark.
Cap making process:
Pinch off a piece of polymer clay:
Roll into thin sausages:
Assemble this way, alternating colors:
Divide into portions and roll into sausages again:
We put the resulting sausages together again:
As soon as I got a color that satisfied me, I started shaping the hat:
To make the mushroom caps look natural, they had to be painted a little. You can use the dry brush and paint technique.
I decided to experiment, went outside, scooped up some real dirt and pressed some of it into the clay.
The caps are then baked at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (~135 Celsius) for 15 minutes.
Now let's move on to the legs of our mushrooms:
Step three. Assembling the lamp
We pass the long ends of the wires into the prepared holes in the driftwood:
Trouble happened with the detailed photographs of this stage - the iPhone on which everything was filmed crashed half an hour after we finished making the lamp. So you will have to describe most of the stage in words.
We stripped the insulation from the ends of the wires and soldered an LED to each stem. Since we were using wires of the same color, we had to figure out which was positive and which was negative. We then connected a resistor to each positive wire (three red stripes, one brown. I don't remember the number, but when you buy LEDs, they will tell you which resistor you need).
Because the solar panels We didn't have any, we just connected two AAA batteries to our lamp.
After the LEDs were soldered into place, I dropped a drop of hot glue into each cap, waited a little for it to stop flowing, and pressed the cap tightly to the stem.
Step four. Let's turn on and admire!
Since we used batteries, we were able to admire the glowing mushrooms as soon as we finished:
Eventually we'll connect solar panel, Certainly. It's also a good idea to coat the entire piece with a clear sealant to protect the wood. I haven't done this yet. I also looked at the glow-in-the-dark rotten wood and now I’m thinking about applying touches of luminous paint to the wood.
Unfortunately, my iPhone is not able to convey the beauty of the glow after the diodes are turned off. One can only guess how beautiful it really is:
