You can also get more than 1 mushroom to extract more spores or make different designs. If you’re planning on growing the mushrooms to eat, make sure you get a type you know is safe and edible. It’s best to buy mushrooms from the store if you want to eat them, since eating wild mushrooms can be dangerous.
Don’t worry if you damage the gills a bit while you’re removing the stem. You can still get the spores out. If you want to keep the stem attached to the mushroom, you can still extract the spores. Cut a hole in an index card and place it over a bowl, then insert the stem into the hole so the cap rests on the paper.
Watch your fingers while you’re trimming! Wear gloves to protect your hands if you have to. Don’t slice too deep or you might pull out some of the gills. You don’t have to trim the top of the cap. Only get rid of any parts that are covering the gills on the bottom.
You could also use an index card or piece of aluminum foil. It all works. If you’re doing this project for a decoration, then try putting a few mushrooms on paper of all different colors. White and black are good choices, since these are the most common colors for mushroom spores. [5] X Research source
Don’t press the mushroom down or you might crush it. You can put more than one mushroom on the same piece of paper, or just follow the same steps for a different piece.
Don’t soak the mushroom or you might ruin the spores. Dry the cap off if you accidentally add too much water.
Make sure the bowl or cup doesn’t press on the top of the mushroom. This might damage it. [7] X Research source
If you’re trying to do an art project, then try leaving multiple mushrooms out for different lengths of time. That way, you can create a cool mosaic of different designs.
Spores usually just look like dirt or dust on the paper. The main difference is that there are a range of colors. They could be brown, black, white, red, yellow, and a few other shades. If you want to collect more spores, you can always leave the mushroom out a little longer.
Try not to scrape the paper on the opening of the bag when you’re putting it in or you might rub off some of the spores. If you’re saving spores on multiple pieces of paper, use a different bag for each piece.
Kept in good conditions, the spores can last about a year. You can’t really tell if they’re still fresh with a visual check, though the color might start fading as they dry out.
Mushrooms don’t need a lot of care, but keep the soil moist. Spritz it with some water if it’s dry. The mushrooms should start sprouting in 3-4 weeks. If you don’t see any by then, then the spores may have gone bad. [12] X Research source
Try experimenting with different mushroom types to get different spore designs. You can make all kinds of great posters with the prints.
