SWEET!!! LOVE IT! I sooo wanna make one asap! Down to my last 40pcs on the peacock and then This is what I'm gonna do! Ya did good!!!

Well it was sure less cuts on my hands than the darting method, I'm just not sure how large a size it will work on, but will find out soon. I just remembered I didn't pick up the tiny snippets of screen, gotta go do that before they get picked up by the bike tires!

WOO HOO!!!! excellent - anything to avoid the sewing is a good thang!

I'll have to get the mesh, you can't shape the hardware cloth like that at all...

They both look really great, I wish my DH was a creative type that enjoyed these things with me... you're lucky!

Oh that is cool. I will have to try that this summer.

Panther, your shroom looks great. I like your creative ideas. So basically, you're molding the lath (I don't know what that is but will find out) with the rubber mallet, right? Can you crimp the edges with your hands?I'm not real clear as to how you connect the stem and top. Sorry, I'm a kindergartner in this arena.

There is a thread titled "The recipe" I think, that tells more about this way of making cement forms. Some of the members here went to a workshop and brought back the "Rhianna Method" (spelling?) to us.

I don't have that one bookmarked, but did bookmark the one that got me going on these. (PS.. I just realized I have it in my clippings if you want to read it) I'll put the link on here for you, from Nicethyme's mushroom, her's was much nicer than mine, but I'm trying.

Yes we used a rubber mallet for these two (the 1st one I made I cut and overlapped to shape, and will probably do that for the biggest ones still). Metal lath is used to plaster walls I think, I found it next to the cement/mortar/etc. It is in sheets, I'm guessing 30"x8'? I'm not sure of that. You have to cut it with tin snips, its' heavy duty stuff.

One thing, use heavy gloves, I forget to put them on and it will cut you after you cut it with the tin snips. I used my hands to start the bends on the edges, then used pliers to crimp it tight, I didn't ask my DH how he did his, but his hands are stronger than mine anyway.
The first one I made was quite large & we left it in two pieces, and used a bolt cemented to the bottom of the top, and that fit in a piece of pvc that we cemented into the inside of the stem. This one I used wire to tie the stem to the top, and put a piece of pvc into the bottom of the stem. We'll hammer a metal stake into the ground, then put the pvc in the 'shroom on it to hold it from falling over.
If that doesn't make sense, I think I have some pictures. I'm sure there are various ways you can secure it, this is what my DH came up with for us.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nicethyme's mushroom thread

Well, this is sooo waaaaay beyond what I can do! I sure admire your creativity and your mushroom is just darling!

Well, congratulations on a job very well done. What a novel idea to just mold the wire. I did that w/the eye sockets, it's quite do-able. Y'all have done a fabulous job w/the original idea. It's absolutely perfect. W/you mosaic any that you make?

I'm planning on doing mine with glass, at least one of them, and if that goes well, all of them. Since I've yet to glue a thing down on anything, I'm trying not to get too carried away with plans until I know I like doing it. I'm hoping for a grouping of at least 3 in different sizes, we'll see what I end up getting.

oh man, I so want to do this too!! Will look for the thread! Did you make your own concrete mix?

That is one great looking shroom! What a good idea. It's pretty right now, can't wait to see the others and covered in glass.

eklypz, I was going to, but they were out of sand & I bought premixed. I have since bought the separate bags to mix my own, and am waiting to get the correct proportions, see The Recipe thread, I just bumped it up to the 1st page again.

Panther, thanks for the expanded details.