Oh Deer: DIY Cruelty-free Taxidermy

For the past little while, I have had a need desire burning like the strength of a thousand suns to own a deer head.   This need has gone so far that I had almost bought one at an antique fair a few weeks back.

But I thought better of it.  Why would I want the head of a long dead animal hanging in the house?  I probably just wanted it because it would be a quirky thing that we could all talk about,
"Steph has a deer head hanging in her house!"  "I know, its so weird." "Just like Steph.."

Cue crazy laughter.  End scene.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make something to commemorate my love of animals heads hanging on the wall, and wasn't a cruel reminder about how humans kill things for "sport."  Looking around online, I found these at Cardboard Safari.  Loved them.  However, I do not have 50 bucks to spend on a cardboard, um, buck.   So I kept looking around and found this tutorial.

Bingo.  I made one.  I pretty much followed the directions from the site, but here are the few things I changed to make it easier:

• I glued the wrapping paper to the foam core before I cut out the template pieces.  That way it has a nicer edge.
• I used the same width foam core for the head and the mount.  Looks fine to me.
• When cutting out your pieces, use a sharp knife (I went through 3 blades making this!) and glide your knife through to get a nice edge.  If you "saw" your knife back and forth, you will get a jagged edge that doesn't look good.
• I used light adhesive tape to tape my templates down, it was so worth it.
• I used small beads of hot glue to glue my pieces together, it made the whole thing sturdier
• Instead of using picture wire to hang the finished product, I used some invisible thread.  Works just as well.  

So instead of spending 100 or so dollars on a gross, real head, or 50 or so dollars on a cardboard head (which I still may do) I spent:

Foam core- $2.00 at DeSerres Art Supply

Spray adhesive-  had on hand 

(Pro tip: I bought the adhesive at Home Depot.  SO much cheaper than a craft store.)

Tape- had on hand

Wrapping paper- $2.00 for two colors at Dollarama

Knife and blades- had on hand

Used a needle and thread instead of an Awl and Picture wire

Glue gun- had on hand

__________________________________________________

Total= $4.00 

to satisfy my deer head lust without harming a single, cute deer.

And it sits above my favorite print, in what D calls my quirky wall in the living room.  

And now with such a trophy,  it looks like instead of killing animals for sport (which I don't do), I kill craft supplies and foam core for sport (which I totally do). 

Do you have any design quirks that you need to fill?  Any other animal head lusters?