DIY Skull Mount With Reclaimed Materials

Have you ever been to a museum and thought to yourself, Wow that skull is really cool! I wish I had one at my house.Using this Instructable now you can. I will take you step by step as you build your very own skull mount using things from around the house. Now I know what you are thinking... Where am i going to get a skull from? Don't worry they are available for sale online, just do a quick google search. If you are like me and want to do every step yourself, look in bushy wilderness areas where animals would drag their kill or go to die... Butcher shops often sell skulls for soup or different meals so you could also try there.

You will need:

• A knife
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Epoxy putty
• A saw
• A piece of thick tree branch
• A wire hanger
• Pliers and wire cutters

Now I know what you are thinking... Where am i going to get a skull from? Don't worry they are available for sale online, just do a quick google search. If you are like me and want to do every step yourself, look in bushy wilderness areas where animals would drag their kill or go to die. Sometimes you just get lucky and find them on a nice hike with the family.. Butcher shops often sell skulls for soup or different meals so you could also try there.

One convenient thing about buying a skull online is that they should come pre-cleaned and whitened.

If you found or bought the skull from the butcher you will have to get the funky mess (A.K.A. skin and flesh) off. A flensing knife works best to get the big stuff off. If you don't have a flensing knife a butcher knife or box cutter, razor blade will work just fine.

(Best)If you have Dermestid beetles, place the skull in with them.

(Good)Maggots will also work if you happen to know where to find them.

(Ok)If you cant do either of these bug treatments just try to get as much of the flesh off as possible and let the skull dry as much as possible.

After the skull is cleaned of as much gunky stuck on flesh and sinew as possible Whiten and disinfect the skull by putting it into a peroxide bath. (Hydrogen peroxide from the store works just fine)

I usually put the skull into the peroxide for a week and it comes out looking like the skulls and bones from scinece class.

Now that the skull is nice and clean and your comfortable holding it we can begin making the mount for it.

Take the skull and find a branch thats thick enough to hold the skull up ( I like the circumference to be a little smaller than the skull)

Using a saw cut the piece big enough to be a nice weighted base for the skull to be mounted onto without being able to tip over. It either needs to be wide enough or heavy enough.

paint it black or the color of your choice.

Now that you have decided where and how you want to place the skull on the mount Cut and bend the hanger wire to lengths needed for your design using wire cutters and pliers.

prepare your epoxy putty and attach the wires to key places like the jaw bone and auditory meatus (which are the ear hole in the back bottom of the skull)

Drill holes in your mount in accordance with where the wires have been placed on the skull

you can drill a support wire hole if you think your skull will be wiggly, or just for piece of mind.

at this point you can decide weather you want to attach the skull permanently to the mount or not.

If you choose to you can use the epoxy putty by placing it into the holes you drilled and then placing the hanger wires into the holes. the epoxy will harden quickly and cure in a day.

here are pictures of painted and unpainted mounts.

Now go show off you skull to all your friends or just place it into your cabinet of curiosities for all to see.

you can also put it into your yearly Halloween decoration lineup!!