DIY How to Paint Antlers WITH Mount!
Have some dusty old antlers to refurbish? Painted antlers are a unique way to refresh any room or make a bold statement. Although I stuck with white and black, don’t be afraid of color! I’d love to see your finished product! Post your project below! Also, this project was A LOT easier than I thought-and this was my first time doing it!
supply list:
1 set of antlers (or other horns)
Spray Paint Colors
Masking tape
Face Mask
Trash bags (or masking paper)
2 screws (Thick enough for what you need for your mount)
Mount (I used a wood square ½ inch thick & 10x10 Inch)
Gorilla Glue (Clear)
Pencil
Gloves
Mounting bracket set
Hammer
Screw Gun (1 drill bit and Philips for your screws)
Measuring tape or ruler
Sand Paper (optional*)
Wood scrapes (optional*)
Project Prep
Clean the antlers from any flesh or debris. I used an antiviral spray, you could also soak in bleach if necessary, or simple water and washcloth could work.
The Mount: If you do not already have one, it’s easy to do if you are handy with a saw and you can make a custom shape like a heart, or star, or whatever you what! I did not have a saw, so instead I went to Home Depot and found a piece of wood in their scrap pile (70% off whohoo!) and had an employee make 2 cuts for me. I decided on my mount to be 10x10-inches, however keep in mind your specific antler set, you might want the mount larger or smaller depending on your personal preference.
Prep your project area. You should do this project outside or in a well-ventilated room. Also keep in mind possible wind and rain, you don’t want a sudden gust of wind to spray dirt and dust on your freshly painted antlers!
Visualize the product! No project will be alike!
Step By Step:
Step 1. Drill holes through the antlers with the screw driver and drill bit. In my photo, my set of antlers broke apart at the base. If yours are intact, that’s great the stronger it will be. Also using your pencil and tape measure, locate where you want to drill on your wood mount and drill two small holes where the screws will go through the bone of the antlers and into the wood mount. I tried to center the holes as much as possible and looking at the bone where the best places the screws could go through. *Optional to sand paper any ruff areas of the wood mount.
Step 2. Screw and glue the antlers to your mount. My antlers where slightly uneven, so I stuffed some bark scrapes I gathered from around my backyard underneath the bone. I used glue to make the bond between the mount, wood scrapes, and bone to make it much stronger. Follow the directions on the glue and be modest in not using too much because the glue can expand! I waited 24 hours for it to dry, and kept a close eye on it for the first few hours to remove any unwanted expanded glue.
Step 3. Paint the base. First mask any unwanted area. Using gloves and face mask in a safe area, follow the spray paint’s instructions and paint the base. I decided to paint the wood mount and the skull base both white. I waited another 24 hours for the base to fully dry.
Step 4. Mask the base and any unwanted area. This is where you can get creative. I choose to mask the base and most of the antlers, but left evenly spaced stripes of 1-inch and 2-inch-thick (like a king cobra stripes).
Step 5. Spray paint your first color choice. I waited 24 hours to dry.
Step 6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 if you are doing multiple colors (I only did black)
Step 7. Install Mounting hardware on back of mount. Along with the nails I also applied glue to bond the mounting hardware to the back of the wood mount. I also waited another 24 hours for it to dry before hanging.
That’s all! It does take some time between layers of paint and drying, but it’s simple and fun to do! If not a statement piece, the antlers can also make a great jewelry display! Enjoy and I’d love to see your projects below!
