Stretched Pikachu Pelt

I had no choice, it was rabid!

When I was younger my dad was a trapper/hunter. I remember him showing me the method featured above on a bobcat hide. As an adult I don't hunt alot but my kids are avid Pokemon hunters. So I figured why not?

Taking a scrap piece of leather and a couple pictures of Pikachu I sketched out with a white colored pencil what I thought the Pokemon would look like if skinned. With the pencil being white it didn't mark too dark a line and if i messed up i could rub the mistake out with my finger. Remember to draw spread eagle as the leather won't pull real well on the small stick you use later on.

Using a pair of snips (Career Phoneman). I went around the sketched image. Once it was cut out I used a jewelry punch to place holes where I was wanting to attach my strings the feet and hands and ears being priority since the were the most extended parts. A leather punch would have probably worked better but I used what I had. I opted not to punch holes in the tail since traditionally (lol) it is left dangling or cut off.

Using acrylic paints I painted about 3 coats of yellow on piece. It dried fairly quick and the leather soaked up a little so one coat just wasn't enough. The tail and back stripes were a metallic brown and ear tips black.

I went outside and found a small green limb to make the stretcher. Took off the small branches just leaving the main part of the branch. It being green aloud it to bend into a circle. (If i remember right dad used tree saplings on the bobcat). I made sure the hide would fit inside and using a piece of 28ga copper wire overlapped the branch ends and wrapped it up tight.

Using red fishing line I started at the top right looping the string over the stretcher,through the first leather hole, under the stretcher, and over through the next and so on lacing all the way around until i was back up top. These loops need not be tight just yet until you know you have an adequate amount to go around. Once you know you're good on string you can tie a knot up top at the beginning string and start working out your slack and spacing of the hide. I wrapped the end line around the stretcher a few times to not loose my tension as i was working. When you are satisfied you can knot up the end string and you are done.

and there you go your very own Pikachu pelt! Hope y'all enjoyed the Instructable and have fun creating!