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How to Cure a Fish Skin

The curing of animal skins is a practice dating back thousands of years. Animal skins have been cured and tanned for different purposes, from making leather to stuffing and preserving the hide of the animal for display. Though usually done by a professional taxidermist or leather worker, curing a fish skin is a job that you can do at home relatively inexpensively.

Things You'll Need

Dish detergent
Large glass container
Wooden spoon
Knife
Glycerin
Acetone
Denatured alcohol
Baby powder
Freezer bags

Instructions

- 1
  Wash the fish. Isolate the skin by gutting the fish with a knife and shaving the meat off the skin.
- 2
  Remove the scales with a knife by gently scraping them from the skin. Remove all the muscle and fat.
- 3
  Mix 1/3 cup dishwashing detergent in a gallon of water. Soak the fish in the solution for three hours.
- 4
  Mix 1/3 cup glycerin, 1/3 cup acetone and 1/3 cup denatured alcohol in a large glass container. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
- 5
  Apply the solution to the fish skin. You can be liberal in your application, using a thick brush or wooden spoon.
- 6
  Hang the skin in a cool place. Let the skin dry for upwards of two to three weeks. When it is dry, lightly apply baby powder to the skin and place it in a freezer bag. Store the skin in a cool area.

Animals & Science