Handmade Hobby Horse

You will need        1/2 Metre of fabric
                                 Wooden pole
                                 Stuffing
                                  Ribbons and felt
                                  Paper, scissors, sewing machine, cotton

I loved having a hobby horse when i was a child and when we were out shopping for our baby a few weeks ago we saw some in john lewis. Me being me said "im not paying that i can make one". this is my take on a classic. Use lovely fabrics to make a timeless childs toy match your house or kids bedroom. And have a beautiful hobby horse that shows your pesonality, and no one else will have.


Start by drawing a paper template of a head. I just drew a shape simlar to the top of a walking stick. Roughly 17" long and 17" . Cut out. Lay the fabric folded in half right sides together. Place the paper template on top and draw around it. Cut it out leaving 1/2 " for seams

Wrap plenty of  wool around a piece of card. This should be about 5" x 8". Slide off carefully and lay on the curve of the head between your 2 pieces of fabric.  Pin all in place and machine round whole pattern leaving the base of the neck open to turn through. Cut the wool so it can fall either side of the neck.  Stuff the head section with fibre fill.

Pinch the nose the opposite way to give it shape and hand stitch in place. Now cut a triangle shape for the ears. Lay 2 pieces of fabric rightsides together and draw around the pattern. Machine round both leaving a gap at the base for turning, and cut out. Turn through and sew gap. Pinch an equal amount from either side to the middle as picture shows and stitch to hold in place. Now sew onto the head. Using tiny slip stitches sew at the front and then at the back.

Draw an eye shape in felt. Use an embellishment or embroider to make centre of the eye.

Measure around the nose with a piece of ribbon. Sew in place.  Do the same between the eyes and ears, then take a piece of ribbon from the top one to the bottom and sew in place. Use a thicker ribbon for the handle and sew in place, If you use any buttons remember little people can pull them off so sew on super strong or best not to use if they are under 4 years old.  

Decorate the pole as you like, paint it or i wrapped ribbon around. Place pole into neck as far as possible. Stuff around it with the fibre fill making sure it stays in the centre and is tightly packed in. Use another piece of ribbon to wrap around the fabric and pole very tightly and tie in a knot.  Finished. I think it looks great just to look at.