DIY Duct Tape Hobby Horse

Today, I am super excited to have Meri from Meri Cherry guest posting on Housing A Forest.  I recently stumbled on Meri’s blog and I am so glad that I did.  She is one creative lady and I have spent quite some time scrolling through her blog!  As you know I am all about creating from our recycle bin, so I immediately fell in love with this creative DIY Duct Tape Hobby Horse that Meri is sharing with us today! Read on for her full tutorial.

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We’ve had a lot of fun with spaghetti this summer, which has lead to an unusual amount of spaghetti boxes laying around the house. It seemed a shame to throw them all out, so we got creative. Meet Henry. I always loved hobby horses as a kid and to make one for my daughter, Gigi, was a special treat. She has ridden Henry all over town and it cracks me up every time. The materials are simple. You’ll need three spaghetti boxes, duct tape, which we use for all kinds of things, a dowel (found at most craft stores) and an exacto knife. This is the first one we’ve made. I’m excited to make more for gifts and play dates. I can see a whole colorful gang of these guys hanging in our backyard.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1 ~ Duct tape two boxes together for the head and one separate for the neck. Cover each section completely with tape.

Step 2 ~ Add the nostrils to the two boxes taped together on either side. I cut a piece of duct tape, placed it on the box and then with an exacto knife I cut out the nostril shape and peeled the tape off, like a stencil.

Step 3 ~ Tape both boxes together in the shape of a horse, leaving about an inch or so at the top for the ears.

Step 4 ~ Cut two pieces of duct tape the length of one box and tape together tape side to tape side. Cut fringe along the tape and tape it on the length of the single box for the mane.

Step 5 ~ Tape two pieces together tape side to tape side and cut out ears. Tape the ears onto the horse.

Step 6 ~ Cut out a mouth from tape or something else. I used sticker paper for my mouth and drew a mouth on it with sharpie. The mouth could be done in many different ways.

Step 7 ~ Add eyes. I used cupcake holders and large googly eyes. You can do it any way you choose. Get creative!

Step 8 ~ With an exacto knife, cut an x at the bottom of the single box for the dowel. Stick in the dowel until it doesn’t go in any further. Tape the bottom of the box to the dowel and add a few pieces of tape around the dowel where it meets the box to finish it off.

Step 9 ~ Ride.

Watching Gigi ride Henry was pretty hilarious. She galloped around and around our backyard making horsey noises for twenty minutes. It’s been so beautiful outside lately. Our backyard has become a haven for all kinds of art play and creativity. With summer coming to an end, I am treasuring every moment.

So many times I have had ideas that just sit in my mind or on a list and never make it to fruition. I guess that’s life. Other times, ideas snowball and become this great big thing that I never expected. I am so glad Henry made it to life. He’s the perfect addition to the family and worth every ounce of rainbow spaghetti.

Follow along and join in the fun at:

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Thanks so much for sharing Meri, I can’t tell you enough how much I love this simple DIY Hobby Horse! You combined 2 of my favorite things; recycling and Duct Tape!  What a wonderful recycled toy.  We all love comments, so why not pop over and visit Meri Cherry and tell her how much you enjoyed her post on Housing A Forest.

Here are a few of my favorite posts from Meri Cherry to get you started:

• Cardboard Box Tower – Step by Step Toddler Play Group
• Fun with Rubber Bands – Invitation to Play for Toddlers
• Poking Around – Invitation to Play for Toddlers