• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Life is a Party
  • Recipe Index
  • Parties & Entertaining
  • Spring and Easter
  • Subscribe
  • Free Resource Library
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Parties & Entertaining
  • Spring and Easter
  • Subscribe
  • Free Resource Library
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Parties & Entertaining
  • Spring and Easter
  • Subscribe
  • Free Resource Library
×
Home » DIY & Crafts

How To Mount A Staghorn Fern

Modified: Aug 24, 2024 · Published: May 17, 2017 by Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to How-To

How To Mount A Stag Horn Fern: great tutorial to take a potted stag horn fern and mount it onto wood so it can hang. Beautiful addition to any home.

How to mount a stag horn fern on wood.
Jump to:
  • Materials:
  • How To Mount A Staghorn Fern:
  • More DIY Craft Project Inspiration

These mounted Staghorn Ferns add a little green to any room, look great in a grouping, and are easy to make.  I made these for my Rustic Scandinavian Living Room Makeover Reveal last week -see it here if you missed it,  and I wanted to share How To Mount a Staghorn Fern.  I think this unique fern adds a rustic feel, and are a great way to create the feel of a deer head, in a more updated way.

How To Mount A Stag Horn Fern

Materials:

  • Staghorn Fern
  • wooden tree slice
  • picture hanger
  • green wire
  • four screws
  • screwdriver
  • moss
How To Mount A Stag Horn Fern

How To Mount A Staghorn Fern:

1.  Add A Hanger To A Wood Slice

These Stag Horn Ferns are called this because their beautiful fonds remind people of deer horns.  They look great mounted on a wall growing from wood plaques or any mounting board, or even a piece of driftwood.  It’s easy to take them from a potted fern to a mounted fern.  The first step is adding a hanger to the back of the mount or wooden plaque so that you can easily hang it somewhere when you’re finished.  I used a couple of picture hangers that screwed into the back.

Mounting A Stag Horn Fern

2.  Add Screws To The Front

Next, you want to add the screws to the front of the wood base.  These will hold the base of the fern in place so you want them to be placed in the piece of wood to create an area a little larger than the base of the plant.  Screw them into the wood, but make sure about a ½ inch is exposed, so you can wrap the wire around it easily.

How To Hang A Stag Horn Fern

3. Remove Excess Dirt

The first thing to do to the plant is to remove the loose soil from the roots of the stag head fern.  Use your fingers to gently pull away any extra dirt, without damaging the root ball.  You want to leave just a small amount of dirt around the roots.  The roots will be wrapped up in moss to keep them from drying out.

Looking after A Stag Horn Fern

4.  Position The Staghorn Fern

You must determine the top of the fern.  Each plant will have a small rounded leaf at the top -this are the basal fronds and they resemble a small flat shield.  The fern will survive best if these leaves is are at the top when it’s hanging.  This most closely resembles its natural habitat.  These tropical plants grow in tree trunks of the oak tree in South America.

They prefer a warm growing season, since they're from a tropical climate, but do well indoors as a houseplant just about anywhere.  The stag horn fern naturally grow in partial shade on the sides of trees and don't like direct sunlight.

The mature larger plant has three different types of leaves in total, the basal rounded shield fronds, these are sterile leaves.  Then the stag horn type antler fronds that grow upward, and then the less jagged flat leaves  that grow facing down.

How To Mount A Stag Horn Fern

5.  Attach To The Wood

Wrap the surface area of the roots of the plant in sheet moss, including the back of the plant that will be right against the wooden tree slice.  Then set the plant in place against the wooden base and use wire to tightly attach the plant to the backing, wrapping it around the screws to secure it.  You could also use a strong fishing line for this step instead.

How To Hang A Stag Horn Fern

6.  Hide Screws With Moss

Use a little extra moss as the best way to cover the screws with a mound of moss.

7.  How To Water

To water the mounted staghorn fern, it’s recommended that you take the fern down and submerge the top of the moss and entire plant in a kitchen sink, bucket of water, or tub of luke warm water for about half and hour and then let it drip dry awhile before hanging it back up.  They'd be even happier with rain water, if you have any available.  These plants are naturally grown in high humidity and indirect light,  They don't like to dry out.  You may find that the best place for a staghorn fern is in a room like a bathroom with a shower where there are more humid conditions.

Hanging A Stag Horn Fern
How to mount a stag horn fern on wood.

How To Mount A Staghorn Fern

No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

  • screwdriver

Materials

  • Staghorn Fern
  • wooden tree slice
  • picture hanger
  • green wire
  • four screws
  • moss

Instructions

  • Prepare your wood piece by adding a hanger to the back of it, so that you can easily hang it when you’re finished. Use a two picture hangers and screw them into the back of the wood.
  • Next, you want to add screws to the front. These will hold the base of the fern in place so you want them to be placed in the piece of wood to create an area a little larger than the base of the plant. Screw them into the wood, making sure that about a ½ inch is exposed, so you can wrap the wire around it easily.
  • Next remove the loose soil from the roots of the stag head fern. Use your fingers to gently pull away any extra dirt, without damaging the root ball.
  • Determine the top of the fern, which has small rounded leaves called the basal fronds. The fern will survive best if these leaves is are at the top when it’s hanging.
  • Wrap the roots of the plant in sheet moss, including the back of the plant that will be right against the wooden tree slice. Then set the plant in place against the wooden base and use wire to tightly attach the plant to the backing, wrapping it around the screws to secure it.
  • Use a little extra moss as the best way to cover the screws with a mound of moss.
  • To water the mounted staghorn fern, it’s recommended that you take the fern down and submerge the entire plant in lukewarm water for about half and hour. Then let it drip dry before hanging it back up

The staghorn fern are quite slow growers and should last a long time if they're properly cared for.  The care is similar to air plants.  The biggest challenge to keeping a healthy staghorn fern is to keep it moist since they prefer a humid climate.  Some people like to mist their ferns with water in a spray bottle between watering.  This helps keep the plant from drying out.

I’m really pleased my staghorn fern mount.  This is the first time I’ve tried to grow them, and I'm not sure how easy they are to keep alive.  Mine here inexpensive -around $7 each at my local nursery, so they weren’t a huge investment. Look for them at a big box store too, where they should also be quite inexpensive.  I thought they were comparable to cut flowers, so if they last longer than cut flowers, we've got our money's worth.  I’ll try my best to the keep the little guys alive. 😉  I love the way they look, especially all grouped together.  They're like wall art.  I love their natural and rustic look.

With easy Mounted Staghorn Ferns, life really is a party.

More DIY Craft Project Inspiration

You might also like How To Make Wood Garland with Yarn Tassels here.

You might also enjoy our Twig Houses here.  They're made with simple materials and are a great addition to your home decor.

Twig Houses

You might also enjoy our Mason Jar Oil Lamps here.  Made with simple materials, these are a great addition to your home decor.  Use them anywhere you  would use candles.

Mason Jar Oil Lamps

More DIY and Craft Project Ideas

  • Everlasting gingerbread houses made from gingerbread salt dough.
    Easy Gingerbread Salt Dough Recipe for Houses and Ornaments
  • Cricut gingerbread decor felt gingerbread house banner and gingerbread canister with vinyl gingerbread houses
    DIY Gingerbread Decor Ideas To Make With Your Cricut
  • DIY paper Christmas cloche cricut
    DIY Paper Christmas Cloche Lantern with Free Cricut Pattern
  • DIY velvet acorn
    How To Make DIY Velvet Acorns

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Life is a Party is all about helping you celebrate everyday with great food, entertaining and party inspiration, and seasonal crafts and home decor inspired by the holidays.

More About Dannyelle

Trending Recipes

  • Mac and cheese with panko breadcrumb topping.
    Best Homemade Mac and Cheese with Panko Breadcrumb Topping

  • Homemade iced capps in glasses on a wood table.
    Tim Hortons Copycat Iced Capp Recipe

  • Dirt Pudding no cream cheese in glasses with candy rocks, and fresh mint that looks like a little plant.
    Easy Dirt Pudding Recipe without Cream Cheese

  • Easy 3 ingredient coconut milkshake recipe.
    Easy Coconut Milkshake Recipe

  • Easy food processor scones on a plate with jam.
    Easy Food Processor Scones

  • Small batch pancakes for two.
    Easy Small Batch Pancakes For Two Recipe

Spring Ideas

  • rainbow Easter table
    Rainbow Easter Table

  • easter bunny banner Cricut free cut file
    Free DIY Cricut Easter Bunny Banner

  • bunny treat box Cricut free cut file
    Cricut Bunny Treat Box Free Cut File

  • free printable Easter jokes
    Free Printable Easter Jokes

  • vintage Easter card free printables
    Free Vintage Easter Printables

  • Easter table ideas
    Easter Table Ideas

  • Subscribe
  • Recipe Index
  • Parties & Entertaining
  • Spring and Easter
  • Free Resource Library

Footer

back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • About

Subscribe

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Life is a Party

Share48
Pin3K
Post
Share48
Pin3K
Post

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required