How to Make Salt & Pepper Shakers Out of a Cow's Horns

Recycle cow horns into salt and pepper shakers.

Cow horns have a natural shape and size ideal for making salt and pepper shakers. Though horns are tough and bony on the surface, they contain a spongy inner core that can be easily removed to make the horns hollow. With a few simple hardware tools, you can make sets of rustic salt and pepper shakers to give as gifts or sell at a craft fair.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cow's horns
• Measuring tape
• Hacksaw
• Pocketknife
• Dremel tool
• Sandpaper
• Drill
• Varnish
• Paintbrush
• 1/4-inch thick wood board
• Keyhole saw
• Acrylic glue
• 2 small corks
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Measure and mark each cow horn from the tip down to the desired height of the shaker. Saw the horn at these markings, using a hacksaw.

2. Boil the horns for an hour to soften the spongy inner surface. Take the horns out of the water and use a pocketknife to pry out the insides. If the horns are already hollow, boil them anyway, since they will toughen up after drying. Allow the horns to dry thoroughly before proceeding.

3. Remove large bumps and imperfections from the insides and outsides of the horns, using a dremel tool.

4. Sand and polish the horns inside and out, using coarse sandpaper first and working to finer-grit paper until the horns are buffed and shiny.

5. Drill small holes in the pointed ends of the horns. Drill two holes in the salt shaker and three holes in the pepper shaker.

6. Paint the shakers with varnish for a shinier appearance. Allow the varnish to dry before proceeding.

7. Trace the bases of the shakers onto a piece of wood board. Cut out the shapes with a keyhole saw and sand the edges of the board until they fit snugly into the horns. Trace corks in the centers of these pieces and cut out the circles with a keyhole saw.

8. Apply acrylic glue around the edges of the board and stick the pieces into the bases of the salt and pepper shakers. Allow the glue to dry before proceeding.

9. Fill the shakers with salt and pepper and plug the bases with corks.

References

• Profit Frog: Sooner Shaker Maker