Can we talk about how much I loathe the taxidermy trend? Never mind, let’s not go there. Suffice it to say that as far as I’m concerned, nothing ruins an otherwise stunning decor more than death on display. Yeesh! Who decided that this was attractive?!
It’s hard to ignore a fad so rampant, so rude. And anyways I’m a do-er, not a stew-er! When something bothers me I’m compelled to respond. And nothing says “that’s ridiculous” better than good old fashioned irony. I prefer to poke fun over getting irate . . . much better on the psyche.
So that was the catalyst for this little project, a joint venture between Damian and I. We had a blast working on this and it’s super easy too. We’re planning on making a ton more, if we can just hunt down the heads . . . we may have to go on a stuffed animal safari, ha!
How To Make Vegan Taxidermy
You’ll need:
one stuffed animal (thrift stores are excellent for this)
scissors or exacto knife
staple gun
plywood
wood stain
jig saw
sander/sand paper
or you can buy a pre-made mounting plaque, available at craft or trophy stores
1) If you’re making your own mounting plaque, that comes first. The shape is up to you – you can do anything from an oval to a more fancy design. Damian drew this up in Illustrator, but you can Google around for various templates.
Stencil It.
2) Saw It.
3) Sand It.
4) Stain It.
Voila! A plaque! And now, you’ve got your stuffie . . .
5) Decapitate, leaving as much ‘neck’ as possible.
6) Staple it. Begin by securing the lowermost point. Staple from the inside so that it won’t be visible. You’ll be able to do this for the side staples as well, though it may take some finagling and finesse.
The top will have to be stapled from the outside, however the top is above eye level when hung, plus the ‘fur’ hides the staple. Most likely it will not be noticeable.
And that’s it! We went for a more literal look because I couldn’t resist this guy’s horns. It was just too good to pass up! But I think this would be super awesome with pink elephants, Care Bears, and all manner of magical imaginary beasts. A unicorn would be seriously rad.
Quick and easy and just in time for Christmas, this would make a perfect gift!
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