Faux, taxidermy is a lot of fun and almost like a metaphor for the real thing. It’s void of any cruelty and only preserves the beauty and the symbolism associated with the idea of putting animals on display. It’s a way of bringing wildlife into space in a creative and ingenious way. With that in mind, we’re very excited to share with you a bunch of really cool and inspiring taxidermy decor ideas that show new and original ways of approaching this subject.

Moths may not be as colorful and as gracious as butterflies but they’re really cute in their own way. If you have a few fabric scraps what you could do is create a moth display frame similar to what’s suggested on pillarboxblue. You can use denim for the body and the wings and various types of colorful and patterned fabric for the inner wings. Don’t forget the antennas. You can then pin them all onto a piece of foam board and add a frame.

If you want to stick with something more classic like a trophy deer head, the easiest option would probably be to use a paper mache head. You can spray paint it all the same color or you can try different combinations. Perhaps the antlers could contrast with the rest of the head or maybe you could take a more artistic approach. Either way, it would look cool on the wall once complete. If you want to find out more details about this, check out overtheappletree.

On a similar note, you can make a paper mache deer head look like it’s made of concrete without actually using any concrete at all. It’s all about the finishes and the tutorial featured on cherishedbliss gives you all the details you need. Follow these instructions to paint the paper mache head and once you’re happy with the way it looks go ahead and attach it to a wooden plaque which you’ve previously distressed and customized as well.

A really cute idea is to crochet a little something like a fox head for example and to use that as a decoration in your home. It’s a type of faux taxidermy that can look lovely in a lot of different types of spaces and which can be customized in many different ways. The design doesn’t need to be super detailed or very realistic in order to look good. Check out letsdosomethingcrafty for more tips and suggestions.

Antlers look beautiful just laying around without being decorated or customized in any way. However, if you take the time to include them into one of your DIY projects or to find a way to repurpose them, they can become even better. Here’s a way in which you can turn antlers into a cool-looking coat hanger or an organizer for some of your accessories like scarves, hats or jewelry. You can find out more about it on kristimurphy.

If you like the idea of a faux trophy taxidermy but you would prefer something a bit more imposing than a classic deer head, consider a bison’s head instead. It’s big and definitely has a strong presence and you can decorate it in a way that also makes it look gentle and beautiful. The flower backdrop and gold glitter antlers look lovely here. If you’d like to find out more details about how this was made, there’s a more detailed description of the entire project on skunkboyblog that you can check out.

The kids could make some really cute faux taxidermy using a few child-friendly supplies. These fun ornaments are made from plastic shopping bags, thin cardboard, masking tape and acrylic paints and they’re attached to wood slices which makes them look like miniature trophies. There’s a tutorial for them on jacksandkate. An alternative could be to use play-dough or clay to make something a bit more refined and detailed.

Another really cool idea is to repurpose a bunch of plastic insects like beetles, scarabs and so on and so make beautiful insect taxidermy. You can spray paint them to make them look more elegant and simple and then attach them to a wooden board or a plaque. These right here look exquisite. They’re covered in gold spray paint and they contrast beautifully with their dark backdrop.

You can make really cool and beautiful taxidermy decorations using very basic and cheap materials. For example, you could go outside and find a couple of branches that look like antlers and you can attach them to a wooden plaque to create an abstract decoration for your wall. Spray paint the branches white so they contrast with the wood and also so they look more suggestive. This idea is inspired by a project featured on historiasdecasa.

There are also a few taxidermy decorations that you can make for special occasions, like the insects for Halloween or this Rudolph head for Christmas. This Rudolph head is surprisingly easy to put together. You need some scrap fabric for the filling, leftover wood pieces, a few nails, a wall hook, plain fabric for the main head and patterned pieces for the nose and the inner ear, string and two branches for the antlers. Check out sewdifferent for details on how to assemble everything.

These trophy heads are very sculptural as well but in a very different way. They’re made of cardboard and they’re designed in slices which gives each one a unique and very interesting and beautiful look. There’s a whole collection of them from Cardboard Safari and you can find all sorts of things like bear, elephant or even unicorn heads ready to be displayed on your walls.

These abstract sculptures are made of paper which makes them very delicate but at the same time very special as well. They have these origami-inspired designs and they’re simple and lack any small details but they also look very suggestive. They’re made by studio Assembli and they’re defined by a modern geometry which gives them a very refined and sophisticated look.

A lot of taxidermy-inspired decorations only focus on specific parts of the animals like the heads for example. However, there’s one project by artist Jose Granell which showcases the animals in their entirely. Although they look very real, they’re made of various polished metals and other materials using a combination of different techniques such as sculpting, casting, welding and leather working. This gorgeous collection is called Grazing.

Artist Anne Orlowska does real taxidermy, but not in the traditional sense. She works with various animals that die from natural causes and come from zoos, circuses or animal parks and she transforms them and poses them in unique ways to create beautiful art. They’re posed in scenes which makes them look alive and gives them character and they’re displayed alongside objects which complement them and emphasize their natural beauty.