How to Stain Deer Antlers

How to Preserve Deer Antlers & Skull Caps
Written By
Cynthia Measom
Cynthia Measom
Published: May 23, 2010
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
1 minute read

Whether you are preparing a pair of fresh antlers for mounting or you have a pair of shed antlers that has been bleached by time in the sun, you can alter the color to improve the aesthetic value of the antlers. If covering up a repair is your goal, staining will work well for this purpose also. The color of the stain can vary according to your personal preference.

Wipe the antlers clean with a damp cloth and dry them with another cloth.

Brush white primer onto the antlers with an artist's brush to prepare the surface for stain. Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours in a well-ventilated area before proceeding.

Pour 2 tsp. of antler paint into a small container and apply it to the horns with an artist's paintbrush.

Work in sections. As you finish applying antler paint to one section, wipe it off with a clean, dry cloth.

Inspect the antlers and determine whether or not you want the color to be darker. If so, reapply paint to the section and wipe it off again until you reach the desired color.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Damp, clean cloth
  • Dry cloth
  • White primer
  • Artist brush
  • Deer antler stain
  • Clean cloths
  • Warnings:

    • Practice applying different colors of paint on an inconspicuous part of the antlers at first. You can avoid undesired mistakes this way.
    Cynthia Measom

    Based in Texas, Cynthia Measom has been writing various parenting, business and finance and education articles since 2011. Her articles have appeared on websites such as The Bump and Motley Fool. Measom received a Bachelor of Arts in…

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