DIY faux real

It's amazing what you can whip up with some foam core, spray adhesives and pretty paper. That said, making this stag head was a mission of epic proportions. If we lived in the States, it would have been a piece of cake. We could have popped into craft supply megastore in some suburban stripmall, walked out with everything we needed 20 minutes later, and probably stopped at a Dairy Queen for a Reese's Pieces Blizzard on the way home.

But since we live in New Zealand, this afternoon project became a four month hunting and gathering expedition. After months of searching, we finally tracked down the right foam core. Having scoured gift shops across the lower South Island for weeks, we managed to forage some chic papers. Eventually, the spray adhesive and other bits and pieces fell into place. And then the real fun (cutting curvy pieces out of foam core with craft knives) began.

It's not a project for the faint of heart. And were it not for my studly knight in shining armour, I can guarantee this could have ended in tears, and perhaps a severed finger or two. But thanks to his patience and mad skills with the craft knife, we have a faux trophy to commemorate our real hunt...

Should you wish to embark on such a journey yourself, find the instructions and templates here. Just a note; we improvised and decided to mount the head on a plaque with contrasting paper by drawing a template ourselves and cutting the foam core to size. So feel free to heed the call of the wild and get creative with your...uhm, mounting.