How to Build a Hobby Horse With Wheels
The word hobby comes from the term hobby horse, which is used to designate a small toy riding horse. Whether you want to make a hobby horse for a parade, a cowboy-themed party, a toy for your child or this is your newly found hobby, you can use a few materials from your home to create a brand new item. To simplify the project and avoid carving into wood, use paper-mache for the horse head.
Things You'll Need
- Chicken wire
- Wire cutters
- Tape
- Broomstick
- Saw (optional)
- Sandpaper
- Drill
- 3/8 drill bit
- Newspapers
- Scissors
- White glue
- Paintbrushes
- Paints
- Varnish
- Sewing needle
- Knitting yarn
- Cardboard
- 3/8-inch hex bolt and nut
- Wooden wheels
Instructions
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1
Make an armature for the horse's head using chicken wire. Shape the wire into an oval and tape the ends of the wire together. Make a cylinder out of wire and join it with the head using tape. This will be the neck of the horse. Make two small wire triangles and tape them to the top of the head as the ears of the horse.
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2
Sand the ends of the broomstick and if needed, cut it to fit the size of your child. Drill a 3/8-inch hole through one end of the broomstick. You will use this hole when you add the wheels. Insert the other end of the stick into the wire cylinder you created. Wind the wire twice around the base of the cylinder and the broomstick.
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3
Make papier-mache paste. Use white glue and mix it with equal amounts of water. Stir thoroughly.
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4
Shred the newspapers into 1-inch wide strips. Dip each strip into the paste and apply it to the armature. Cover the wire armature in two layers of paper and allow to dry.
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5
Apply two to five more layers of paper dipped in papier mache paste and allow to dry.
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6
Paint the horse head and after the paints dry, varnish it.
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7
Make the mane for the horse using knitting yarn. Wind the yarn 20 times around a 5 inch to 6 inch wide piece of cardboard to obtain a loop. Create four to six loops and sew these to the papier-mache horse head, starting from the space between the ears. Cut the loops.
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8
Buy two wooden wheels measuring 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Find these in crafts stores or model shops. Typically, the wheels have 3/8-inch diameter holes in them. If the hole is narrower, use a 3/8-drill bit to widen it.
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9
Place one wheel on each side of the broomstick and insert a 3/8 inch-diameter hex bolt through them. Thread the corresponding nut onto the bolt to fasten the two wheels to the broomstick.
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References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
