- 1). Make the head pattern. Draw the profile of a horse's head (minus ears) on a newspaper page. If you absolutely cannot draw, find a horse head profile in a coloring book and enlarge on a copier to the size you want. The head should be roughly 1 foot across. Make sure to also draw or copy two triangles for ears.
- 2). Sew the head. You will likely find a fake fur remnant at the fabric store for much less than a piece cut from the bolt will cost, but you do not need fake fur. Any fabric--fleecy, smooth or even printed will do, depending on how realistic or fanciful you want your horse to be.
Place your head pattern on the fabric--the fabric is folded double--and cut out. Cut or loop enough yarn to look mane-like all the way from the top of the head to the bottom of the neck. Pin yarn in place on the right side of one of the cut-out head pieces.
Stitch, right sides together, leaving the bottom of the neck open for stuffing and for attaching to the dowel. Cut two slits at the top of the head the exact size of the base of your cut-out ears. Insert the base of the ears into the slits and pin. Turn head wrong side out and sew. Turn right side out again and stuff with fiberfill.
Attach grommets across from each other, one on each neck piece. This is where you will drill your bolt hole and place the bolt to help keep the head on the dowel. Follow directions on the grommet packaging for proper grommer installation. - 3). Prepare the dowel. Make sure your wooden dowel is sanded smooth--you do not want splinters near little hands and legs. Stain or finish the dowel if you wish. Put the rubber crutch bottom cap firmly onto the dowel.
- 4). Attach the head to the dowel. Apply a liberal amount of glue to the top 6 inches or so of the dowel and insert it through the stuffed horse neck as far as it will go--ideally it will stop near the ears, but not so close to the top of the head as to possibly wear through the fabric with hard use. Make sure there is a lot of stuffing between the end of the dowel and the top of the horse's head.
Drill a hole through the open hole in the grommets and the dowel across the width of the dowel halfway up the neck. Insert your bolt and tighten the nut. Squirt more glue around dowel right before it comes out the base of the neck. Hand stitch the neck opening shut. - 5). Decorate your horse. Glue the toy eyes in place, and sew on the small black buttons for nostrils. Take the vinyl strips and glue or hand sew one around the lower nose, one around the forehead above the eyes, and glue one strip on each side of the head. This is your horse's bridle. Glue or hand sew one end of a long strip at the intersection of the nose band and side strip, measure enough to go all the way around the head plus an extra foot, and attach the other end at the opposing nose band/side strip intersection. This is your horse's reins.
Once the glue is dry, the horse is ready to be played with.
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