April 30, 2014. 1pm in German time. The place: Dublin airport. The food: mediocre. The wait: LONG.
Nothing brings you back to reality quite like ending a vacation filling out customs forms and removing your belt and shoes for the 4th time in one day. Dublin-to-USA airport security is tight.
And nothing sends a chill down your spine quite like having an ARMED SOLDIER escort you from the waiting room to a “holding pen” filled with other ARMED SOLDIERS.
I knew those antlers would be trouble the moment I started haggling for them at a Dresden flea market a month before. But was it worth it?
Hell yes.
I am now the proud hipster owner of my very own antler shed. Or I guess I should say ambivalent hipster owner, since hipsters aren’t supposed to care?
On a side note, I think blue hydrangea + copper + bone white is my new favorite thing ever.
Want to use this look in your own decor? Please say yes, and then keep reading.
How to Clean and Display Antler Sheds
Skill Level: Easy Peasy
Time: 1 hour active, 2-3 hours drying time
What You Need:
- an antler shed! Try looking on Etsy and at flea markets (the one in Dresden had TONS if you’re ever in Germany). Or if you’re really dedicated, you can search for one in the wild (this is probably the only time a vegan will ever direct you to a hunting website).
- old toothbrush, soft scrubby sponge, bristle brush (the kind for heavier bathtub cleaning)
- 1/4 C. baking soda, mixed with just enough water until it forms a paste
- 1 C. warm water mixed with 1 C. hydrogen peroxide
- elbow grease
- old towel
- 12-gauge wire* for decorating and hanging
- wire cutters* or strong scissors
Note: these cleaning instructions do NOT apply to very fresh sheds that still have velvet or blood on them! That’s a more intense process that I leave to other DIYers to explain, sorry folks!
*Affiliate links. This means if you purchase, I will earn a small commission at no extra charge to you, which is pretty sweet because it helps me pay blogging bills, so thank you! I will only link to products I have used or would use myself, pinky promise!
What You Do:
Step One – Using a combination of sponge, brush, and toothbrush, thoroughly scrub the shed down with the baking soda paste. Really get into all the nooks and crannies, paying special attention to the base—mine had a couple bits of fur attached (ew).
A. hand-modeled for me! Didn’t he do a good job?
Step Two – Repeat the entire cleaning with the water/peroxide mixture. The peroxide helps to lighten up the darker stains a bit.
Step Three – Rinse off all that gunky water. A hose is helpful if you have access to one, plus then you can make rainbows.
Step Four – Towel off the antler and stick it in a sunny spot to dry for a few hours. (Not pictured because boring).
Step Five – Decorate! Grab that wire and start wrapping it around the antler wherever you want. A thick 12-gauge really works best as it’s less springy and will stay wrapped up better. Make sure the clipped ends all face the “back” side of the antler.
Step Six – If you’ll be hanging your antler shed, you can make a hanger using the same wire. Cut a long piece, 8 or so inches longer than the drop length. Wrap both ends tightly around the antler, leaving a 3″ tail on each end.
My hand model went to go take a nap. Poop.
Then coil the tails around the “hanger” part of the wire, like so:
And that’s it! Now you’re a hipster too.
I’m in love with the way the aluminum and copper wire contrast against the bone white of the antler. Sadly I don’t know what species of deer this guy is from! The Customs Inspector’s best guess was something Eastern European. Any readers have a guess?
And in case my Customs drama scared you away from importing your own antlers on your next international trip, as of this writing, bones and antlers can be brought into the U.S., as long as they are clean and dry, and are NOT from an endangered species.
Which was really good news for me, because I didn’t bother to find out until after I had schlepped that gargantuan 26″ antler across Germany in my luggage for 3 weeks. Still worth it.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever brought back from a trip?
Pssst…did anybody notice that pretty white wall? It’s true, I’m finally. done. painting. Reveal coming soon!
Ahhhh! This looks so good. I love the way you did the wire wrapping. Also, I would have been TERRIFIED getting escorted by an army guy into a room of other army guys. Any time anything goes remotely wrong at the airport I’m convinced I’m going to get arrested or something even though I’m completely innocent. Sheesh.
Congratulations on finishing your painting project! From what I’ve seen so far it looks great!
XOXO
Becca | Ladyface Blog
Thank you girl! You sound like me, looking guilty around authority figures for absolutely no reason! One time a police dog barked at my suitcase (because of an apple), and I almost fainted with fright! Ok not quite, but it felt close. 🙂
Yup, 100% worth it! Looks great, especially hanging and with the copper. Those white walls too– can’t wait for the big reveal!
Yay, I’m so glad you think so! I have to say I am enjoying the finished project—both the antler AND the gleaming white walls. So excited to share the whole room, thanks for your support!
I looooooooove iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Not my typical kind of decor but I love the way you styled it, copper, hydrangeas, white walls and all (CONGRATS on being done with that!)
Good thing you cleared up that you were using a hand model, otherwise I would have left here thinking that you had very hairy arms.
Thank you thank you Amy! Also you crack me up. 🙂
Totally worth it!!!
Thank you! I think so too. 🙂
I was lucky to find 9 point antlers (complete with a skull) in my own back yard! I love the way you have used the wire and plan on doing something similar.
Thanks for the cleaning information.
You must have some backyard! That antler set sounds stunning. Would love to see a picture when you’ve got it ready, just tag me on Instagram or Facebook! (Email works too 🙂 So glad the cleaning info was helpful, thank you for stopping by! xoxo
i was a little worried this wont work but seriously amazing how well this cleans. i needed to do 12 sets of antlers for my wedding and shed that were outside for years!! i didn’t think it was working till i put uncleaned ones next to the clean ones… amazing
i precleaned mine with a pressure washer before and after but im so glad it worked !!
thank you for letting us know this amazing trick, this Canadian girl is one happy camper!!
Oh YAY, I am so happy that my cleaning method worked for you! I bet the antlers looked just gorgeous at your wedding, I love antlers so much. Thank you so much for letting me know how this worked for you, it’s always great to know when people use my tips! 😀 xoxo
Hi,
Your antler looks great, just to say it’s from a Red deer Stag, very common throughout Europe.
Oh that is so great to know, thank you so much for the tip! I’ve been wondering for ages! Thanks for visiting!!
Personally I wouldn’t use peroxide on antler sheds because it takes bleaches away the tannins on the antler from where the deer rub their antlers on trees etc. Iv’e found a bunch of (fallow) antler sheds over the years, and the tannin staining seems to give them a lot of character. Maybe a coating of rosin or beeswax (or both) would work well to bring out the best in the deer antlers.. I found a small antler today which appears to be sika deer from what I can gather, although there doesn’t seem to be any sightings of sika where I live. It’s about half the size of adult fallow deer antlers.
The antler you have is an Axis… I have been making jewelry, wall art and other hand crafts for many years. My neighbor gave me some sheds, he has live Axis and doesn’t do anything with them. Thank you for your ideas!
“Note: these cleaning instructions do NOT apply to very fresh sheds that still have velvet or blood on them! ” Lol…antlers don’t get shed when they are in velvet…. that’s when they are growing! If you have antlers in velvet, you also have a dead deer, elk or antelope.