How to Make a Toy Stick Horse

Old-fashioned stick horses are classic toys and easy to make on a budget. These instructions give you a starting place to design any style toy stick horse you need. Alternate fabric materials, substitute more expensive faux furs, or just stick with the basics for a fun toy to inspire your kids' imaginations.

Things You'll Need

• Broom handle
• Saw
• Sand paper
• Brown paint
• Paint brush
• 2 yards patterned fabric
• Fabric chalk
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Fabric glue
• Cotton or nylon batting
• 2 craft doll eyes
• 1 yard tufted faux fur
• 2 yards ribbon, 3 inches wide
• Black felt

Instructions

1. Remove the broom head from the handle with a saw. Lightly sand the entire surface of the broom handle including the freshly cut section to remove splinters. Paint a thick coat over the broom handle to further seal in splinters. Allow it to dry.

2. Choose fabric with a pattern similar to horse hide. Look in fabric stores for the animal print section. Fold 2 yards of patterned fabric in half. Trace a horse head profile without ears on the fabric. Place straight pins parallel to the horse profile just inside the outline around the perimeter to hold the top fold of fabric to the bottom. Cut around the outline and remove both mirror profiles.

3. Squirt a thin line of fabric glue around the inside of one horse profile. Leave the bottom of the neck open without glue. Press the top profile piece onto the bottom so the edges line up. Smooth out any excess glue. Allow it to dry.

4. Stuff the horse head with cotton or nylon batting through the bottom neck opening. Push the painted stick up the neck opening to the top of the horse head. Add more batting to plump the head out. Seal the neck opening closed with glue. Add extra glue around seam where stick and fabric meet. Allow to dry completely.

5. Cut a 12-by-2 inch strip of faux fur. Glue this strip along the back of the stick horse neck and up the top of the head. Glue one plastic doll eye on either side of the horse head. Cut an oval from black felt to fit over the muzzle and glue it in place. Cut two triangles from black felt and glue them on top of the head on either side of the fur mane.

6. Place the center of the long ribbon on the front of the horse muzzle. Use one dot of glue to hold it in place. Follow the ribbon back on either side to the center of the profile. Use one dot of glue on either side to secure the ribbon. Pull the long edges of the ribbon back behind the horse and tie them together for reins.

Tips & Warnings

• Thin faux fur fabrics in mottled browns, whites and reds make perfect bases for this craft. Use calicos in bright colors for a whimsical toy stick horse. Look in craft stores for plastic animal eyes instead of doll eyes if available.

• Never leave toddlers or infants unattended with the toy stick horse. Small parts may be removed and cause a choking hazard.