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:

Lampshade
Coasters
Bowl
Candle holder
Plant pot
Flight case or other packaging
Decorative sculpture

Mycelium lamp shades by Ninela Ivanova

Mycelium plant pot by Mediamatic.

Mycelium sculpture by PLP labs.

Requirements for your mould:

The material must not be porous.
Your mould needs to retain moisture, otherwise the mycelium composite will dry out before it has time to grow into the shape of your mould. In addition, porous materials that cannot be sanitised will harbour contaminants such as bacteria and mould spores which will compromise your project. Mycelium also has the ability to penetrate into moulds which are porous. That is why plastic, metal or glass works well, otherwise the mould should be covered with plastic cling film.
Allow for Airflow
Mycelium needs to breathe - it takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. If your mould is completely sealed, the mycelium won’t be able to survive and grow! To provide controlled airflow, leave small holes or gaps in the mould and cover them with breathable filters, such as micropore tape, to keep contaminants out while still allowing gas exchange.
Keep Mould Size Manageable
Avoid making your mould very large. After the mycelium has colonised and taken shape, the object must be thoroughly dehydrated to stop growth and preserve it. Very large moulds are harder to dry evenly without specialised equipment, which increases the risk of spoilage or structural failure. If you have a large project in mind, consider creating several smaller, moulds that can be assembled into a larger final structure. This makes the process more manageable and ensures better results. Also bear in mind that the size of your item or items should be achievable with the amount of mycelium composite your have.

See our videos below for examples of how to make a flight case and plant pot:

Introduction

When making an object from mycelium, the first things to consider are how quickly the mycelium will colonise the growing medium (substrate) and the density of the mycelium. Typically, you want a species that colonises quickly and forms a dense, robust mycelial structure.

Mycomaterials (a general term for mycelium-based materials) can be made using a variety of different species. The easiest and most common to use are Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum) and Blue Oyster (Pleurotus Ostreatus). Both species are known for their fast colonisation rates and dense mycelial growth. Reishi, in particular, stands out for its unique properties. As it matures, it forms a hard, glossy red outer layer that adds structural strength and a visually striking finish—something Blue Oyster does not do.

The mycelium in our "Making With Mycelium" bundle is Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum). The instructions on this page are tailored to that kit and include guidance on encouraging the red outer shell to form.

Don’t have the kit yet? Purchase the "Making With Mycelium" bundle here.

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. You want it to be as uniformly broken up as possible, so try to break up any lumps.

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. If your environment or tools are not clean, competing organisms (mould and bacteria) can start to grow on your sawdust-mycelium composite, which can stunt mycelium growth, compromise the structural integrity of your object, and cause it to develop odours and discolouration.

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 contact with as you work. Every time your gloved hands come into contact with the other object, clean them again with isopropyl alcohol / antibacterial cleaner / hand sanitiser.

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 sanitised.

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 (between 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.

For a white skin: place in a large tupperware (unclipped) for 1 week.
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.
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!

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