Antler Envy: Boho-Inspired Projects

I'd like to welcome Olivia Berg of  The Wannabe Cowgirl Blog as a guest author today! She's going to be sharing with you a couple spectacular antler home decor projects: boho-inspired European mount antler art  and a beautiful antler and gold flake jewelry holder. You're going to love these ideas! ~ Christina

Howdy DIY-ers!

I’m so excited to be at the DIY Mommy sharing TWO amazing projects with you today. As you might have noticed, incorporating horns in to interior décor is a huge trend right now. Both my husband and I are avid hunters, so you better believe I’m excited that antlers aren’t just for the cabin anymore! However, even if you aren’t a hunter, you can purchase antlers/mounts on sites like eBay, or head out to the woods and “shed hunt” (searching for antlers that deer and elk naturally shed each season… in most areas April-May is a great time to start getting out and looking!)

I wanted to show you a few things that I’ve done with some of my deer antlers. With a single, painted naturally-shed deer antler going for $75+, creating your own unique antler décor can save you a good chunk of change. Plus, it’s fun!

Let’s get started. These projects are fairly simple and easy to personalize with your own colors and design elements. I’ll show you how to paint a full European mount, and how to use smaller sheds as a chic bracelet/watch holder. Ready, GO!

For this project, you can use a full European mount, or just a set of sheds! I think painted antlers are beautiful on the wall, but also add a unique element to entry tables, or mantles (to name a few).

You’ll Need:

• 3 colors of paint. I used an antique white acrylic, Rustoleum metallic gold spray paint, and Valspar interior eggshell in Aqua Glow
• A roll of thin ribbon (I selected this adorable pink chevron…any ribbon will work, just try to avoid sheer or satin varieties
• Hot glue gun
• Wood putty + sandpaper (optional, but have these on hand if your antlers are very rough)
• Thin paintbrush and small foam brush
• Painters tape (I’ve found the Frog brand works best for this type of project)

Let’s Create!

Prep: If you have a rough section of antler, smooth the wood putty over it, let it set up, and then sand down. Repeat as needed until you have a semi-smooth surface to work with. Make sure your antlers are clean (wipe down with a damp towel, or scrub with an abrasive sponge and dish soap) beforehand.

1. The entire concept of this project is tape, paint, repeat…color blocking if you will. I started at the tips, taping off a section of antler and spray painting two coats of the metallic gold. I let it dry, and then taped off another section below it for my second color.
2. I did not follow the same color pattern on each antler…my best advice is to alternate colors and the size of the color block on each antler, so that the piece looks unique.
3. Use the fine paintbrush to touch up areas that bled through, OR to define the line between colors when you can’t tape (I didn’t put tape over the spray paint, because it seemed to come off a bit)
4. Once I had finished all of my color blocks, I went back and added a section of pink chevron ribbon between some of the colors. Again, just use your creative eye and make it your own!

There, that was easy, right!? The biggest part is being PATIENT and METICULOUS. Press down your tape several times, and wait for each coat to dry, and the antlers to absorb the paint. A steady hand helps when using a tiny paintbrush to touch lines to one another. This truly is a project anyone can do, though! Now that you’ve conquered antler painting, let’s move on:

I love using smaller sheds as a chic bracelet holder. These sheds are mounted to a gold-striped stump round for an understated, classic look.

You’ll Need:

• 1 small stump/branch round, about ½ in. thick (you can also buy stump rounds in most craft stores)
• Gold spray paint (or color of your choice…I re-used the Rustoleum paint from project #1!)
• Painters tape
• Two sheds (smaller sizes work best so they aren’t overpowering on a dresser or vanity)
• Drill, super-glue, or hot-glue (depending on the size of your antlers and weight of the jewelry you’ll be putting on it!)

Let’s Create!

1. Tape off various thicknesses of stripes on the stump, and then spray paint it with the gold paint.
2. Make an even base on each shed. This is easily done with a hacksaw (if your sheds don’t have an even base already).
3. Using a drill, super glue, or hot glue, adhere the base of the shed to the stump. Antlers look great when they are arranged facing slightly inwards, towards each other.

So simple…I love the unique look of this very functional piece! I hope you’ve enjoyed these affordable, unique antler décor projects as much as I have! Thanks so much to Christina for having me on her fantastic blog, it’s been such a pleasure! I look forward to catching up with ya’ll soon!

Olivia Berg is a career-woman-turned-country-gal, and author of The Wannabe Cowgirl Blog, where she writes about her adventures in rural living. She loves riding her horses, being a momma, hunting, and renovating her old farmhouse. Olivia encourages readers to find the beauty in a simple, creative, and self-sufficient lifestyle.