Tuesday, September 3, 2013

How to Mount Antlers

 If you saw my last post, it was all about the antlers I bought in South Dakota this summer. I showed what I did with a single antler. You can take a peek HERE. Today, I am excited to show you what I did with a full mount!


First step: Wash your antlers. I just put mine in a soapy sink full of water, and rinsed and dried them.


Decide what you want to do with your skull. If you want to cover the skull, you will need to cut it down.


Use a Sawzall with a fine tooth blade. I am not going to lie. This was a little sick, and I felt a weird amount of guilt, cutting the skull of something that used to be living.


If your husband is a hunter, you can have him do this.


You need to cut off both sides.


Cut the bottom so it lies flat.


Next, drill two to three holes with a drill bit that will work with whatever screws you decide to use.


Position the skull on the wood mount you plan to use. I got mine from Hobby Lobby for $2.33.


Drill the screws into the wooden board.


You will need a filler , and a styrofoam ball is perfect for this. You can cut off whatever you need to cut off, and then you cover the whole thing with Crayola Air Dry Clay. I got mine at Hobby Lobby. It was $5.99 for a whole tub, and it went a long way.


Cover the whole thing. It will be a little lumpy.


After you have covered the whole thing with clay, get a container of water. Dip your finger in the water, and start to smooth out the clay. The whole thing will be shiny. 


After you have done this, let it dry for about two days. You may see some small cracks where the clay shrunk during drying. You will just need to get small amounts of clay, and lots of water, and fill the cracks. This step will only take a few hours to dry.


After it is dry, you can paint it however you like. I sprayed mine with primer, and then gold paint.

I hung mine in my guest room.


I love them! I love the way they add that little bit of unexpected masculinity to an otherwise feminine space. I might even hang some jewelry on them!


Thanks for stopping by. Come back to see the full guest room reveal! Most of it is thrifted!

Happy and Creative Day!

Risa



4 comments:

Tausha said...

You are awesome! I think that you are a genius!! I am going to show my husband your post and see if he would attempt to do the mount he wants himself. My guess is no, but it would save us SO much money! It looks great! You are a rock star!!

Stacie said...

Do you still have any antlers left?

restlessrisa said...

Stacie, I have a couple singles, but have 2 people coming to look at them. I can let you know.

Anonymous said...

Your gold ones would make a good hat rack. Bythe way--- They are upside down compared to how the animal wore them

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