How to Make a Water Fountain Out of a Steer Skull

Transform an old steer skull into a lively water fountain.

Water features can provide a unique ambiance to any backyard setting. Building your own water feature allows you to create a product that fits into your backyard or home, letting you use materials you have on hand to make the fountain purely your own. Although you are free to take poetic licence, the following instructions are for a terra cotta water fountain, where the steer skull sits on the edge of the pot, spitting water into its center.

Things You'll Need

• Steer skull
• Water-tight terra cotta pot
• Water fountain pump
• Flexible plastic tube
• Brick or weight
• Heavy duty rubber band
• Chicken wire
• Metal snips
• Stones

Instructions

1. Move the water-tight terra cotta pot to the location where you want the skull water fountain. Make sure that it is reasonably close to a power outlet, because you will have to plug in the pump. Once you assemble and fill the fountain, it will be difficult to move.

2. Insert the plastic tube into the pump, as the pump's instructions indicate. Press until the plastic tube is securely fastened to the pump.

3. Attach a brick or weight to the bottom of the water pump using a rubber band. This will prevent the pump from moving or floating to the surface. Place the weighted water pump in the bottom of the terra cotta pot.

4. Use metal snips to cut out a portion of chicken wire that fits the width of the terra cotta pot just above where you placed the pump. Place the piece of chicken wire over the pump, threading the plastic water tube and the power cord through the gaps in the chicken wire. Drape them over the edges of the pot.

5. Cover the chicken wire with a thin layer of rocks to hide the water pump.

6. Decide where you would like to place the skull on the edge of the terra cotta water fountain. Using metal snips, cut a piece of chicken wire that will sit underneath the skull, holding it up. Make sure it is just long enough to fit around the edge of the pot so that it will be secure.

7. Place the steer skull onto the bed of chicken wire. Thread the water fountain tube up through the chicken wire, and out the steer skull's mouth. Cover the wire mesh with stones or wood.

8. Fill the terra cotta pot 3/4 full with water. Plug the power cord into an outlet.

References

• Guide4Home: Build a Fountain
• BHG: How to Make a Spherical Water Fountain