How to Make Antler Crafts

Using antlers to make crafts is fun and creates a recycled use for them. The following two crafts make perfect decorations for a hunter’s house and are also great gift ideas.

Clean the antlers well with warm water and soap. Sand any rough spots with sandpaper. Place in the sun to dry.

Hold the base of two antlers together. The widest parts of the antlers should be overlapping each other. Half of a bowl shape will be naturally formed with the antlers. If it is not taking shape naturally, move the antlers around to create this half-bowl shape. Wire the ends of the antlers together; if there are long pieces of antler sticking out, saw these pieces off.

Add two more antlers, one at a time in the same fashion, to complete the bowl shape. Continue to wire the antlers together as you add them. Wire overlapping parts of the antlers on the sides to secure the form.

Place the bowl on newspaper, face-down. Spray with metallic-gold spray paint; cover every area of the bowl that is showing. Make sure to paint all sides of the antlers. Let the bowl dry.

Flip the bowl over and paint the areas that have not been painted. Let dry and use the bowl as a decorative element for a table.

Follow the same cleaning techniques for the antlers as listed above.

Lay the wire wreath base flat on a table. Lay one antler on top of the base; the base of the antler should be parallel to the curve of the wreath. Wire the antler to the base with floral wire.

Overlap another antler on the base of the wreath; it should be facing the same direction. Wire the antler base to the wreath base. Continue to do this around the entire wreath until the wreath is covered with antlers.

Lay the wreath on a piece of newspaper. Spray paint the antlers and wreath base with metallic-gold spray paint. Make sure to paint all sides of the antlers. Let the paint dry.

Hang the antler wreath on a wall or door. You may need additional support for the door or wall because of weight from the antlers.