If you love soft colors, artsy details, and a room that feels creative instead of perfect, indie room decor might be your dream aesthetic. Indie spaces are all about personality—mixing thrifted finds, handmade art, natural textures, and playful color palettes.
One of the easiest ways to add a unique indie touch is with painted antlers. Whether you use naturally shed antlers or faux craft antlers, painting them transforms a rustic piece into a modern statement that fits perfectly into the indie aesthetic.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to paint antlers step-by-step, plus how to style them so they blend beautifully into your indie room decor.
What Is Indie Room Decor?
Indie room decor is inspired by creativity, individuality, and a slightly vintage artistic vibe. Think:
- Soft pastels mixed with bold accents
- Handmade crafts and DIY projects
- Nature-inspired elements
- Layered textures (crochet, macrame, dried flowers)
- Art prints and photo collages
- Thrifted or upcycled pieces
You’ll often see inspiration for indie spaces on platforms like Pinterest and handmade marketplaces like Etsy because the aesthetic focuses heavily on creative expression.
Painted antlers fit perfectly into this look because they combine nature + DIY + artistic color.
Why Painted Antlers Work for Indie Decor
Traditional antlers often feel rustic or cabin-style, but painting them gives them a totally different vibe.
When styled the indie way, painted antlers become:
- Soft wall accents
- Jewelry holders
- Fairy-light displays
- Gallery wall centerpieces
Best of all, they’re easy to customize to match your room colors. And yes, bright colors allowed. We call that 'Indie Kid' - equally cool.
Quick 1,2,3 How-to: DIY Painted Antlers
- 1. Clean antlers from dust, etc., if you want to refashion real antlers.
- 2. Paint white and let dry. White gives a good ground and makes all the colors pop later.
- 3. Paint with color. Use designs that complement the shape, and oh well, use colors to match your sofa,… unless it is art.
Tips to paint stripes
- Hold your breath for a steadier hand. Keep your brush flat, parallel to the object. Then, slowly turn the object away from your brush. Practice a few times and you'll have perfect stripes, every time. (Yes, you could use masking tape instead to make perfect color blocks and very straight lines, but we're not after perfection here.)
- Let big color blocks or lines dry first before adding small detail.
Hang up when dry!
What You'll Need for this Faux Taxidermy Project
- Antlers, also called horns, skulls or trophy/trophies.
- Acrylic paints- try some bright colors! Make sure you have a decent amount of white too.
- A few small brushes
- Cup of water, and a few recycled plastic trays and containers to hold some water and function as your painting pallet.
- work surface cover.
Where to find Antlers?
Check out Goodwill, your mom’s attic, garage sales, or Craigslist if you want animal antlers.
You can actually find a wide range of real and faux taxidermy antlers here at Amazon. Check these resin antlers
What Type of Paint to Use to Paint Your Antlers?
Acrylics paint
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Creative brain child and antler image credit: designed by Judd Demaline and Jessa McClintick, who used to write at PearlLovesEarl.com (site is now a Chinese s p a m URL, unfortunately. We miss them!).
How to Style Painted Antlers for Indie Room Decor
Once your antlers are painted, you can style them in several cute ways:
Gallery Wall Accent
Place them in the center of a gallery wall with:
- Art prints
- Polaroid photos
- Crochet pieces
Fairy Light Display
Wrap soft warm fairy lights around the antlers for a cozy indie glow.
Jewelry Holder
Hang necklaces or rings from the antler branches for functional decor.
Shelf Styling Piece
Lean painted antlers against books, candles, and small plants.
Indie Room Decor Color Palette Ideas
If you're designing your full room aesthetic, here are some trending indie color combos:
- Sage green + cream + gold
- Dusty pink + terracotta + white
- Lavender + soft gray + natural wood
- Peach + beige + warm neutrals
Painted antlers are perfect for tying your palette together.
Where to Find Antlers for DIY Projects
You don’t need to spend a lot.
Try:
- Thrift stores
- Craft stores (faux antlers)
- Online handmade shops
- Natural shed antlers (ethically collected)
Faux antlers are often easiest for beginners.
Why DIY Decor Makes Indie Rooms Feel More Personal
The indie aesthetic is less about buying decor and more about creating it.
When you paint your own decor:
- Your space feels more unique
- Colors match perfectly
- The room reflects your personality
Painted antlers are a simple project, but they instantly make a space feel artistic and intentional.
Final Thoughts: Indie Style Is All About You
There’s no single rule for indie room decor—that’s what makes it fun.
Whether you choose soft florals, bold color blocking, or minimalist neutrals, painted antlers are an easy way to add a creative focal point to your room.
Start simple, experiment with color, and let your personality guide your design.
Other wild, bold Indie Room Decor ideas
This easy DiY Bottle Vase Centerpiece. It can hold flowers - a very rustic way to bring nature and vintage into your home.
DIY Leather Easter Eggs - Mobile These are made with scraps of leather. Paint the eggs in the same colors as the antlers. You can use other shapes as well.
Toy horse book-ends - another really fun DIY kids home decor project. Again, style it Indie and attune the color palette for this project with your painted antlers and other Indie room decor.
First published August 10, 2012. Updated April 14, 2025.
