How to Make Your Own Horse & Play With It

A stick horse can provide hours of enjoyment for young cowboys and cowgirls.

Most children, at one time or another, wish for a horse to ride around on in the house, the yard or the neighborhood. When a real horse is unattainable, a stick horse might do the trick. Mounting up is as easy as holding the horse's head or bridle and swinging a leg over the stick. Playtime with this special friend may extend even longer than the time needed for a mom or dad to make dinner.

Things You'll Need

• 5 large felt squares
• 2-foot dowel, broom handle or smooth stick with no sharp ends
• Ball of yarn, any color
• 1 bag of stuffing
• 1 large, heavyweight sock
• Glue gun
• 2 buttons
• 2 googly eyes
• Pieces/ strips of fabric

Instructions

Making the Head

1. Crumple two or three small pieces of felt into a ball and place them on top of the stick. Drape another piece of felt over the felt ball and tie securely with a piece of yarn to the stick. This will keep the stick from poking through the sock after you attach the sock head.

2. Insert stuffing into the sock, leaving about two to three inches at the neck of the sock. Form the sock into the shape of a horse's head using the toe as the muzzle and the heel as the top of the head.

3. Insert the stick end covered with the felt ball into the stuffed sock. Push the stick in gently until it touches the top of the horse's head (heel of the sock).

4. Tie the sock with yarn around the stick securely with the two to three inches of the unstuffed part of the sock extending from the end of the stick.

5. Apply hot glue on the inside of the sock extending from the tied yarn. Apply pressure from the outside so the sock will be directly attached to the stick.

Making the Face

1. Glue two buttons on the muzzle (toe of the sock) next to each other to represent nostrils.

2. Glue googly eyes on the top front part of the sock head side by side.

3. Cut felt into two 2-inch triangles and glue one onto each side of the head for ears.

Making the Forelock, Mane and Tail

1. 

   The forelock falls between the horse's ears.

   Cut a small rectangle of felt that fits on the top of the horse's head between the ears. Cut fringe on the bottom of the rectangle. Glue the top of the rectangle to the top of the horse's head above the eyes so the fringe hangs freely. This is the stick horse's forelock, hair that grows on top of his head and falls in front of his face, between his ears.

2. Repeat the steps for making a forelock using a larger piece of felt to make a rectangle long enough to extend from the top of the horse's head back to the end of the sock, creating a mane that will fall to one side. Glue the top part of the rectangle to the top part of the neck line, allowing the fringe to hang freely over one side of the sock.

3. Cut about 20 pieces of yarn half the length of the stick for the horse's tail.

4. Tie the pieces of yarn together at the top leaving about three inches of yarn above the knot.

5. Place a line of glue on a strip of fabric. Hold the pieces of yarn above the knot to the stick on the back of the horse toward the bottom so the knot falls directly on the end of the stick. Wrap the fabric around the yarn and secure the tail.

6. Apply glue directly to the knot and press it onto the very end of the stick.

Playing with a Stick Horse

1. Set out three barrels and see how fast the stick horse can maneuver around them without knocking any down.

2. Jump the stick horse over small logs and twigs or meander through the back yard.

3. Pretend to feed the stick horse a carrot and walk him around to cool off before putting him in his stable for the night.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute yarn for felt to create the forelock and mane by tying small pieces of cut yarn to a longer piece and gluing the long piece onto the horse. The small pieces should hang freely.

• Add personality to the stick horse by attaching a bandanna, denim fabric, small hats or bonnets to the stick or the head.

• Use yarn or ribbon to make a bridle or reins.

• Glue guns become extremely hot and can cause painful burns. Young children should not use glue guns.