How to Tan Hides and Stuff Them at Home

Animal hides can showcase the beauty of a creature, especially when this natural material is sewn into a stuffed item. Yet before the animal fur and skin can be transformed into a decoration, you must tan the hide to prepare it for human use. Tanning an animal hide at home takes a few weeks. When the hide has been tanned, use the material to create any pattern you desire, including stuffed pillows or blankets.

Things You'll Need

  • Raw animal hide
  • Knife
  • Unionized salt
  • 1 lb alum chemical compound
  • Water
  • Bucket
  • Barrel
  • Plywood
  • Oil
  • Cloth or rag
  • Scissors
  • Glover's needle
  • Artificial sinew waxed thread
  • Stuffing
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove any flesh chunks, meat and fat from the back of the hide by scraping it with a knife. Be careful not to cut through to the other side.

    • 2

      Place the hide on a flat surface in a shaded area. The fur-side of the hide should be facing down. Cover the flesh with unionized salt as soon as it's cool to the touch. Liberally layer salt to completely cover the skin. For example, use 3 to 5 lbs. of salt to cover a deer hide. This step will help remove liquids from the pelt and stop it from decomposing.

      Let the hide sit with the salt until it is completely dry, which might take only a few days to a couple of weeks. While it's drying, ensure the hide is out of reach of scavengers.

    • 3

      Mix 1 lb. of alum with 1 gallon of warm water inside a bucket. In a larger barrel, add 2.5 lbs. of salt with 4 gallons of cold water. Pour the small bucket's mixture into the large barrel and stir it together. Place the hide in the barrel and let it sit underwater for a week. Ensure the hide is always fully immersed. Stir the hide in the mixture every few days. Remove the hide and rinse it with fresh water.

    • 4

      Hang the hide upright on a piece of flat plywood with the flesh-side facing outward. Keep the hide out of direct sunlight. Rub an oil on the hide to soften it as it dries. Remove any excess oils with a clean rag or cloth.

    • 5

      Rub the hide with a fine-grain sandpaper to smooth the surface and remove any tool marks.

    • 6

      Cut the hide into the pattern of the item you will sew and stuff. For example, if you're creating a pillow, cut the hide into two squares, adding about an inch all around to account for the seam.

    • 7

      Place the pattern pieces on top of each other with the fur sides on the inside. Using a glover's needle -- which is specially designed to pierce leather -- and an artificial sinew waxed thread, sew the hide together with a whip stitch. Leave one spot along the perimeter of the hide open for stuffing.

    • 8

      Turn the hide right-side out. Stuff the item with fiberfill or any other stuffing material you choose. Sew the last hole shut to complete the project.