How to Make Stuff for Your Breyer Horse
Collecting model horses is a popular hobby. Clubs, websites and magazines are available for the enthusiast, as well as events such as mock horse shows and meetups. To meet the demand, many suppliers now offer miniature horse equipment such as saddles, bridles, rugs and even grooming equipment. Breyer, a manufacturer of model horses, offers a full range of accessories for your model horse. These are professionally made and show excellent attention to detail. However, buying such accessories is expensive, and lacks the satisfaction of making your own equipment.
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Things You'll Need
- 20 inches of very thin white ribbon or cord (width should be appropriate to the scale of the model)
- Model horse
- Scissors
- 2 or 3 sheets of tissue paper
- Pins
- Piece of felt (sufficent size to cover your horse)
- 1/2 inch strip of felt (long enough to go around your horse's belly)
- Needle
- Thread to match felt color
- 1 inch of complete Velcro tape
- Embroidery silks and needle (optional)
- A length of wooden dowel, approx 1/4 inch thick and three feet long
- Small hacksaw
- Sandpaper
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Newspaper
- Masking tape
- White paint and colored paints of your choice
- Paint brush
Instructions
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Making a Simple Model Horse Show Halter And Rug
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1
Tie a slip knot at one end of the ribbon or cord. Place the loop over your model's nose, and put it tight. Tie an extra knot over the slip knot to hold it firm.
Pass the long end of the cord over the horse's head, and tie it onto the loop on the far side of the noseband. Tie another knot to keep the noseband in place.
If required, the long end of the cord can be knotted to the nearside of the noseband to form reins. Alternatively, tie a knot in the very end of the cord to prevent it from fraying and leave the excess loose as a leadrein. Trim off any excess cord from the knots.
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2
To make the rug, lay an oblong piece of tissue paper over your model's neck and back. Carefully tear out a U-shaped piece in one of the short sides of the oblong piece to make room for your horse's neck. Use scissors to neaten the line and cut the sides to the required depth.
Make sure that the template will meet in front of your horse's chest and is long enough for the finished length of the rug. If necessary, practice the template again until it meets your requirements.
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3
Pin the finished template to the felt and cut around it. Make any other desired alterations to the fit; for example, rounding off the corners of the rug for a neater fit. Cut the Velcro in half, and stitch one set to each side of the chest fastening with the matching thread.
Check the fit of the rug on the model.
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4
Stitch the strip of felt to the top of the rug just behind the withers, then sew the remaining pieces of Velcro in place so that the strip will fasten around the horse's belly.
The basic rug is now finished, but you can embellish it as much as you like by adding a decorative border of stitching or stitching your initials into the corner. See the Breyer model horse catalog for inspiration.
Making Trotting Poles for Your Breyer Model Horse
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Cover your work surface with newspaper.
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Cut the wooden dowel into 12-inch pieces and sand off any rough edges.
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Cut strips of masking tape and wrap the strips diagonally around the pieces of dowel to create a candy-cane pattern. Trim off an excess tape.
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Paint the areas of the pole not covered by masking tape with white paint.
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When the paint is fully dry, remove the masking tape and carefully fill in the unpainted areas with colored paint. To make the lines really sharp, wrap new strips of masking tape over the areas that have been painted white so that only the unpainted areas are exposed. Then apply the colored paint. Be sure the paint is completely dry before removing the tape or letting it come into contact with your model horse.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you are completely happy with your paper template before cutting out.
Try binding the edges of the rug with a contrasting color for a really professional look.
When using scissors near your model, take care not to scratch the surface.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
