All toddlers love all animals right? Beans really does and from somewhere inside my brain, with her second birthday approaching and my desire to do something creative, came the idea to make a hobby horse.
By some small miracle it worked and I managed to fashion something that (sort of) looks like a horse but comes without all the shop bought sound effects and lights and bells and whistles. Now I just need to work out how to wrap it…
You need:
- Printed pattern – download below & print at 50% size (approx 4 sheets of A4). Seam allowance included.
- Half a yard (44″x18″) of heavy fabric – I used flannel but fleece or a heavy cotton would work just as well
- Toy stuffing
- Wooden pole – or a mop handle *ahem*
- Fat quarter (22″ x 18″) felt(for inner ear and to wrap top of pole)
- Chunky wool or ribbon (mane)
- String or yarn
- Buttons (eyes)
- Ribbon (reigns)
- 2 x curtain rings or similar
First…
Draw around printed pattern onto reverse of fabric and cut out shapes
Ears:
- Sew one inner ear piece of felt to the right side of fabric ear.
- Pin both ear pieces together, wrong sides facing out and sew around leaving the bottom open.
- Turn right side out and repeat steps to make second ear.
Head:
- Lay both pieces together with wrong sides facing out.
- Position ears, pointing downwards (make sure the fronts are facing the nose!) and pin into place.
Mane:
I found it easiest to do this in 6 sections, 1 in front of the ears and 5 around the head/neck. This makes it easier to follow the curves.
- Wrap lengths of wool/ribbon around your fingers to create a wound bundle.
- Position around edges of head and pin into place.
Head construction:
Remember, you’re working inside out so will have the wrong sides of the fabric facing up creating a sandwich with the ears and mane inside the head.
- Stitch around the head, starting from one side of the neck around. Leave the bottom open for stuffing.
- Turn right side out.
- Cut loops of wool/ribbon to create mane.
- Stitch buttons to either side of head for eyes.
Pole:
- Lay felt flat and cover with stuffing.
- Lay end of pole on top and wrap the felt and stuffing around, securing with string/yarn.
Stuff the felt parcel as much as you need to so that it’s a snug fit when inserting into the neck – too little stuffing means it wont be secure.
Finishing:
- Tightly stuff top of head and nose.
- Insert pole into head and pack tightly with stuffing until you’re happy with the shape.
- Hand sew the bottom of the neck.
Reigns:
- Measure length of ribbon to fit across top of nose and sew to curtain rings.
- Measure ribbon for reigns and sew to curtain rings.
- Stitch rings and ribbon onto the head leaving the main length of reigns loose.
Now my 
For as long as I can remember (and I still have the drawings to prove it!) I have doodled. I would sit for hours as a little girl drawing or painting, and through school I kept it up. I went to university to pursue it after leaving school but for various reasons it didn’t work out.