Making With Mycelium
Mycelium is a sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable material with a wide range of potential applications - from building materials to fashion and design. It is also strong, lightweight, and mouldable, making it a viable alternative to traditional materials. In this kit you will be creating a mycelium composite material which you can use to create a wide variety of objects.
Step 1: Finding or making your mould
Deciding what to make with your mycelium composite is perhaps the most difficult part of the making process! Here are some ideas to get you started:
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Lampshade
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Coasters
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Bowl
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Plant pot
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Flight case or other packaging
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Decorative sculpture
Mycelium lamp shades by Ninela Ivanova
Mycelium plant pot by Mediamatic.
Mycelium sculpture by PLP labs.
The biggest requirements are the following:
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The size of your item or items should be achievable with the amount of mycelium composite your have.
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Your mould should be made from glass or plastic or should be covered with cellophane wrap to keep out any contamination.
See our videos below for examples of how to make a flight case and plant pot:
Step 2: Breaking up your mycelium composite
If your sawdust-mycelium composite has started to turn white or stick together, you'll need to break it up as well as possible so that you can fit it into a mould. Start by breaking up the composite throughly in the bag WITHOUT opening it.
Step 3: Sanitising and cleaning
The most important part of making a successful mycelium object is making sure that you work in the cleanest way possible. You'll want to first spray down your work area with antibacterial cleaner and then wash your hands and arms up to your elbows. Then spray your gloved hands, the outside of the bag and your mould with isopropyl alcohol or antibacterial cleaner or hand sanitiser. Be sure to continue spraying down anything you come into concontact with as you work. For extra protection agains airborne contaminants consider wearing a face mask and working in an area with very little airflow.
Step 4: Filling mould
The best way to fill your mould is to pour your mycelium composite directly from the bag. If you find this too messy, however, you can spoon it out with a metal spoon or ladle. Just be sure your spoon has been throughly washed and sanatised.
Work in layers, pushing down the composite and breaking up any chunks you might find as you work.
Step 5: Incubation
When your mould is completely filled, store it in a warm, dark place (20-25 degrees is best). Do not store them near a heat source as this will overheat and dry out the mycelium Check it once a week for 1-3 weeks or until the composite material has turned white, or white with red patches. This is a sign the mycelium has bound together all of the sawdust and it is ready for dehydration.
Step 6: 'Skinning' Your Object (optional)
If you want your object to be white and fluffy, you’ll need to ‘skin’ it. If you’d prefer it to develop a red shell, leave it incubating up to 4 weeks.
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For a white skin: place in a large tupperware (unclipped) for 1 week.
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If you want it to develop a red shell: leave your candle holder incubating for longer (up to 4 weeks) before moving on to the dehydrating step.
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If you want your object to produce fruit: place in a large tupperware with one spray of water. Keep the tupperware lid unclipped and place the container in a location with access to indirect light until it has produced the reishi fruiting bodies. These will start out as small lumps and bumps and gradually extend to look like Reishi fingers!
Step 6: Dehydration
Once your composite material is colonised with mycelium, it's time to dehydrate. Remove it from its mould carefully and pop it in the over at 100 degrees for 30 minutes. If you have access to a food dehydrator, 10 hours on the lowest setting will yield optimum results.
Once it’s hard and moisture-free, it’s ready. For extra assurance, store it in an airtight container with silica gel packets to absorb any remaining moisture.
Candle holder made with reishi mycelium composite material that has been allowed to develop a red skin and fruit.
This candle holder (at the bottom of the photo) has been made with the same material but it was skinned and dehydrated whilst still white.
We hope you've enjoyed your mycomaterials kit!!
We're passionate about sharing the diversity of the fungi kingdom & making more of its edible & medicinal delights easy to grow. Want to try another strain or learn how to cultivate mushrooms? See our full range of mushroom growing kits and cultivation workshops!