Up Cycled Menagerie - DIY Faux Animal Taxidermy. How To Make Taxidermy Using Recyclables

Using simple recyclables you too can create faux taxidermy heads.

Take a long hard look in your recycling bin.  It's crawling with creatures great and small.  Hopefully, not real ones, but fun future faux ones.  With a little imagination, and some easy DIY instructions, you can create a zoo of animals out of common recyclables.

Welcome to my latest craft DIY brought to you by my friends at Rosenberry Rooms Very Rosenberry Blog.

Common recyclables like laundry detergent bottles, toilet tissue rolls yogurt cups, styrofoam meat packing trays and cardboard are great components for your own faux taxidermy.

When I design kid's spaces, for my clients, I want them to be filled with personality and some of their child's own handy work.  Often, I'll lead them in a craft project to create something unique.  These friendly taxidermy mounts would be a great project for them and would make wonderful room decor.  They would also be fun school auction projects or a DIY craft for parties.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.  You can follow along to make your own deer, rhino or circus giraffe version or experiment with the items in your recycling bin to create your own.

Two folded sour cream container lids make perfect ears.

A whimsical circus giraffe can be crafted by creating a hat from a disposable drinking cup, some chenille pipe cleaners and a few feathers.

By cutting the handle off of a bleach bottle and taping it to the spout you have a fun filled rhino.

Getting started....

1)  Assemble your recyclables and decide upon the type of animal you want to create.  Remember, the materials can be cut, moved, folded and altered with tape, cardboard or things like bottle caps, straws and craft supplies.

2)  Using scissors or a blade knife, cut or trim your recyclables into the shapes and dimensions you need.  Also consider scoring and folding pieces to create new shapes. Always observe safety precautions when using tools.

3) Utilize masking tape and hot glue to assemble your creation.  Masking tape can be used to bridge voids, cover seams and close open ends.

Folding sour cream lids over and gluing them into a hole creates ears perfect for a deer. The handle of the bottle was covered with masking tape.

With plastic spoons for tufts and folded tissue rolls for ears, the circus giraffe takes shape.

The rhino's ears are corners off of a styrofoam meat packing tray. His horn is a cut and turned around handle from the bleach bottle.

4) Decide upon the type of mount you'd like to use.  Here I've provided three shapes to download.  You may have to adjust your printer settings to a size greater than 100% to create large ones.

Download the templates for the mount and cut them from cardboard.

 5)  Cut two copies of your mount out of cardboard.  Also cut enough inch or two inch strips to line the outside.  Pre-creasing or shaping the strips will make it easier to follow curves.

Drag cardboard across the edge of a table or counter to soften it into curves.

 5) 6) Using hot glue, attach the pre-creased shapes to follow the outside edge of your mount.  Let it cool.

Hot Glue and Cardboard Trophy Mounts

Apply multiple layers of paper mache over your sculpture.

9)  Mix water, flour and a pinch of salt into a paste.  Dip scrap paper, newspaper or tissue into the paste and paper mache the outside of your animal shape.  The more layers you apply the stronger your piece will become.  Although the salt inhibits mold growth, you'll want to make sure your piece dries thoroughly before painting.

10)  Paint and decorate your piece.  Consider painting it in a solid fun color, decoupaging it with images and text or painting it like the original animal.

Your sculpture can be inspired by a jungle, farm, forest or sea.  There are unlimited animal combinations.  Or for something different you can consider making robots, friendly monsters or mythological creatures like unicorns and dragons.

Are there animals in your recycling bin?  You better find them before your trash service hauls away your craft supplies.      Create your own designs and send me a photo.  I'd love to share it on social media.  If you post it tag me with @aaronchristensenart.

Have fun!
Aaron