Antlers Necklace Display

When I lived at home I kept my necklaces on this guitar neck hanger I made, but now that I live in a rented flat I needed something else to display my jewellery on that wasn't such a permanent fixture on the wall.

So I came up with a papier mache deer head with gold antlers!

Most tutorials that I saw online used a shop bought head but I wanted to make mine from scratch (and not spend any money). I started by cutting out the profile of a deer head from corrugated card and an oval shape for the back of the head; the part that would go against the wall.  

I then started packing scrunched up newspaper around the card, securing it with masking tape, to start making the shape of the head.

I papier mached a few layers of newspaper all over the head and added details like lips and nostrils on the final layer. I also did a couple of layers of kitchen towel, channeling my inner Neil Buchanan.

For the antlers I used some thick wire which I put through the head and out each side. 

I then covered the wire in aluminium foil because I'd seen someone do that on one of the tutorials and it seemed like a good idea. I papier mached over the foil, paying particular attention to where the antlers meet the head as this part needed to be very strong to keep the antlers up.

I decided to spray the antlers gold and paint the head white for a sleek, modern look.

I hung the finished product on the wall by wrapping fishing wire around the base of the antlers and hanging it on an existing nail in the wall of my living room. 

This photo was taken a few days after I put my necklaces on and the antlers have dipped a bit under the weight of the jewellery but I don't mind because at least they haven't fallen off completely. I'm just happy that it looks like what it's supposed to.

I'm really please with how this turned and it adds a bit of character to the room whilst still being a functional piece.

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