In this DIY Boho Mixed Media Cow Skull Wall Art Tutorial, I got a Facebook message one day from a friend asking if I could breathe new life into a couple of sun‑dried cow skulls. It sounded odd until I remembered the Instagram‑worthy painted skulls I’d seen on Pinterest. As much as I love painting walls and furniture, detailed skull art was new territory—yet my knack for mixed media transformed a rustic skull into a fashion‑forward statement perfect for a boho‑style home.

Whether you opt for a genuine dried skull or a resin replica, this step‑by‑step guide covers cleaning, texturing, embellishing and finishing touches. I wanted this project to be truly unique, so I added a custom vinyl design to the leather. Since my friend who gifted me the skull is a cattle farmer, a farm‑themed motif felt like the perfect gift.

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DIY Boho Mixed Media Cow Skull Wall Art Tutorial

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Materials Needed

• Real sun‑dried cow skull or resin skull replica
• Pliers
• Epoxy glue and super glue
• White gesso primer
• Faux leather off-cuts
• Multipurpose glue or tacky glue
• Mylar stencils and texture paste
• Spatula or palette knife
• Dried peas or small beads
• Cricut machine (or vinyl cutter) with mylar film to make a stencil
• Oracle 651 permanent vinyl and transfer tape
• Hot glue gun
• Burlap fabric scraps, corrugated cardboard, buttons
• Mixed charms, old keys, studs, filagree charms
• Epoxy resin feathers and a hairdryer
• Black gesso
• Bronze wax paste– store bought or handmade
• Aluminium foil and paper towel
• Polymorph plastic beads
• Wooden dowels and a cone drill bit

Step 1: Clean and Prepare the Skull

I had to do some research (yes, I googled it) on how to prepare these cow skulls, and I was genuinely surprised by how little information was available. Here’s how I prepped mine: according to my friend, the cow died years ago, so the skull had already been naturally sun‑dried. If working with a real cow skull isn’t your cup of tea, resin skull replicas are readily available.

First, put on gloves and eye protection. Use pliers to pull out any dried tissue and clear away spider webs or nests. Fill your tub with water and add bleach, then submerge the skull for several hours—turn it over halfway to reach hidden pockets. Rinse thoroughly and leave it to dry in the sun for two to three days. Once bone‑dry, reattach any loose nasal bones with epoxy glue and secure teeth with super glue.

Step 2: Add Texture with Leather and Stencils

Prime the entire skull with a coat of white gesso to create a smooth, neutral canvas and tone down the natural bone colour. Cut faux snakeskin leather to fit your chosen area—typically the forehead or centre panel—and adhere it with multipurpose glue.

Position stencils randomly and apply texture paste with a spatula knife, then flatten peaks slightly with your fingertip for an organic, handcrafted look.

Once dry, frame the leather’s edge by gluing dried peas around the seam. I used dried peas because I did not have any half pearl beads at the time.

Step 3: Create and Transfer Vinyl Design

Open Cricut Design Space and import free SVG images of cows, barns and farmhouse silhouettes from sites like Pixabay. Adjust sizes, rotate elements and duplicate until you achieve a balanced composition.

Cut your design from Oracle 651 permanent vinyl and apply it to transfer tape.

For best results, adhere vinyl to flat leather first, then glue the leather panel onto the skull. Press firmly with a scraper tool, then peel off the tape carefully to reveal crisp lines. I had used this technique to create my Halloween Shadow boxes.

Step 4: Embellish with Mixed Media Layers

Browse your craft stash for vintage keys, metal charms, studs and broken jewellery. Layer these embellishments over your textured leather using hot glue for heavier pieces and E6000 for smaller items. This tutorial will inspire you with creative ways to add texture to your mixed media art.

Add scraps of burlap and corrugated cardboard beneath charms for extra depth.

If you look closely, you’ll spot everyday items: I glued buttons onto scraps of corrugated cardboard, decorated the nose with workshop studs, and finished it off with a thumbtack on top.

Add a variety of shapes and textures, and layer them generously for a richer, more engaging finish.

Fill eye sockets with burlap scraps and trimmed thumbtacks to soften the skull’s expression.

Don’t forget to decorate the back, cover every surface. I’d made some epoxy resin feathers earlier, so I gently warmed them with a hairdryer to soften the resin and then moulded them to follow the skull’s contours.

Step 5: Paint and Highlight with Wax Paste

Once you’re happy with your embellishments, coat the entire piece in black gesso. Don’t worry if you spot areas that need more detail after painting—you can always add extra embellishments and touch up with another layer of gesso.

Cover the entire skull—including leather, vinyl and embellishments—with black gesso, working paint into every crevice. Use a hairdryer to speed drying between coats.

This is where the magic truly shines: use your fingertip to gently sweep bronze wax paste across the raised details. Leave some of the recesses bare—overfilling them will flatten the texture and dull the effect.

If you don’t have bronze wax paste on hand, you might already have the ingredients to make your own—this tutorial will show you how.

Here’s a close‑up of the embellishments as you apply the bronze wax paste. When you wax the vinyl decal, be generous—cover every inch so the design pops against the leather. At this point, I realised I wanted to craft horns to complete the cow skull.

I have included some close-up photos so you can see all the details.

Step 6: Sculpt and Attach Polymorph Horns

To start, roll tin foil into the size you want your horn to be, crushing it tightly so it holds its bend. Next, wrap the foil in layers of tissue paper or newspaper—taping as you go—to build up a thicker shape. Finally, bend the horn to your desired curve and secure everything with a final strip of tape.

Begin by tightly rolling a length of aluminium foil into your desired horn core. Wrap the foil in layers of paper towel—securing each layer with tape—to build up the horn’s thickness. Bend the wrapped core into a natural curve. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil and add Polymorph beads; once they turn clear and pliable, fish them out with tongs. Carefully press the soft Polymorph over your foil-and-paper base, then smooth the surface with a damp fingertip.

Using long‑nose pliers, I pulled away a bit of the foil core to create a hole for the wooden dowel. I then inserted the dowel and packed the gap solidly with Polymorph to secure it.

Apply the same mixed‑media textures and embellishments to the horns, then coat them in black gesso and swipe bronze wax paste over the raised details to make them pop.

Use a cone drill bit to bore into the skull, gradually widening each hole until the dowel fits snugly and securely.

To secure the horns in place, I used the polymorph again.

To make sure the horns were not going to move at all, I added more Polymorph to the outside, pushing it firmly into the cow skull. I then painted it with gesso to hide the white. The horns were by no means perfect in shape or size, but they were better than nothing. And that was the cow skull complete.

Up close view of the farm scene.

I was so excited when my friend returned with a cow skull still bearing its horns, and I decorated this one in a steampunk theme. You can apply this technique to just about any item—here are some more mixed media art projects for inspiration.

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