A couple of years ago, we'd been for a long walk in the woods, not too far from home. At the time I was always on the look-out for things to salvage and as luck would have it we found a deer skull! The plan all along has been to mount it - and finally he is on the wall.
Some people may not be a fan but I have always found skulls fascinating to look at.
The first thing to do is give the skull a good clean. The best way to do this is to soak it overnight in soapy water and gently scrub away any dirt. Be careful of any fragile parts like the teeth that may feel very loose. You can also soak the skull in water and bleach to help whiten it (one part bleach to 10 parts water) but make sure not to emerge the antlers in the water. The skull will then need to be left to thoroughly dry out - give it a day or two.
Whilst I am out walking I am always on the look out for chunks of wood, I often find broken fence panels which I use for sign making. I happened to find a good chunky plank that was the perfect size (35cm-20cm and 5cm thick) and it was starting to flake away in places adding to its rustic charm.
I painted the wood with a wash of turquoise acrylic paint, I watered it down a lot to just give it an aged, washed appearance. I also added touches of gold acrylic and dark wax to give it a slight patina look.
This was then left to dry fully over night. When it came to hanging the skull, I wasn't exactly sure how this would work, but a large hook (2 inches) worked perfectly. At the back of the skull bone is a hole so it hooked on securely.
Once this had been tested out two holes were drilled in the middle section of the wood. We then marked out the wall where the deer skull would hang and drilled 2 holes and added raw plugs. Washers were added before the screws and wooden board were screwed to the wall.
The skull could then be hung and we chose some of my other hand-painted pieces to hang around it including the other antlers and a hand-painted sign.
It feels so good to complete these projects that have been rattling around in my brain.