Build a Toddler Size Rocking Horse

       Below is a favorite friend on rockers. The child's legs can make the rocker go, his hands can grasp, and his arms can push and pull. Attach the rockers using a groove joint. Use the Hobby Horse Plan for the rocker's head. 

       The rocker graph below measures 1 inch squares. 

Wood Supply List: 

• Rockers - 2 pieces. 1" x 4", 17 1/2"
• Back - 1 piece 1" x 4" x 7 1/2"
• Seat - 1 piece 1"x 8" x 14"
• Head - 1" x 8" x 9"
• Dowel for handle bars -1 piece 3/4" x 6"
• Corner Brace - 3 pieces 1/2"  x 1/2" quarter round or 1" x1" strips
• Nails and wood glue

Rocker graph and illustration of how the rocking horse looks when finished.

Sculpt a cotton batting turnip for a Christmas tree . . .

A basic turnip shape made with 

Styrofoam and a toothpick.

       This is a different way to make a cotton batting ornament. I would not ordinarily begin this craft using Styrofoam but certainly it is an authentic method of working for those of you who are interested in using it. So, I will include several designs on my blog here to get you familiar with how to apply cotton batting to foam elements.

Supply List:

• one toothpick
• white school blue
• two cotton balls
• lavender paints
• a green wave chenille stem
• wire for hanging
• 1 to 1 1/2 inch Styrofoam ball
• transparent glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Unravel the cotton balls and set these aside.
2. Push a wire hook into the top of the foam ball and shape a hook with it to hang the ornament as it dries from layers of glue and batting.
3. Brush on a bit of white glue onto a tooth pick and push it into the middle of a small Styrofoam ball from the bottom, opposite of the hook. 
4. Apply white glue with your fingertips around the surface of the Styrofoam ball and layer fine cotton over the surface. Smooth down the cotton into the glue with your fingers. 
5. Repeat these steps as many times as you need to cover both the toothpick and the ball entirely with cotton batting to shape a turnip. Just make sure that the cotton batting layer overlaps on every surface area.
6. Once the cotton veggie is dry, poke a coupe of holed into the top where turnip leave might grow. 
7. Cut and shape leaves from the wave chenille stem pushing the stem ends into those holes with glue.
8. Once the turnip is dry, paint the middle part with a couple of shades of lavender paint. Let dry.
9. Swipe on a bit of white glue to the center surface on painted parts. Then sprinkle on some transparent glitter.
10. These ornaments are very light weight and may be hung for the most delicate of tree branches!

More Garden Veggie Themed Ornaments:

• Cotton batting peas in a pod
• Two little spider ideas: one made with cotton and wire the other painted wood...
• a hydrangea under glass . . .
• And a corn on the cob ornament design here

How to make miniature swans for your feather tree...

        Swans like these are both charming and delicate on miniature trees. I prefer the tiniest pinecones and clothespins I can find for this craft, however, I have seen similar versions made into much larger swans. So, the same technique can be easily used for larger versions if you are decorating a giant tree.

I shaped the wire around the pinecone.

Supply List:

• wooden clothespin clamps (As always the size of the clamp dictates the size of the ornament. I used very tiny miniature clamps for these swans.)
• Tiny pinecones
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• transparent glitter
• a two to three inch length of chenille stem or wire
• one cotton ball for each goose head and neck
• white school glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Loop a wire in and around the inside of the pinecone to shape the head and neck of an elegant swan sticking out and above the pinecone. 
2. Unwind a few cotton balls and twist these around the wire along with some white school glue. Don't forget to shape the swan's beak, head and neck similar to the proportions shown in the photos below. 
3. Paint the pinecones white. Let dry.
4. Spread white glue across the body of the swan and sprinkle glitter all over the the pinecone "feathers."
5. Hot glue the swan to the top of a small clothespin to attach it to a Christmas tree.
6. You may wish to paint the clothespin green or white depending upon the color of your Christmas tree.

Left the pinecones covered with glitter. Right, the swans now hot glued to the clothespins.

More Bird Themed Christmas Crafts:

• Bend and twist a cotton batting bird cage
• Swans on a lake for a lovely ballerina

Make a merry little tinsel-backed Santa...

A vintage tinsel-back wire trim ornament
surrounds and highlights Santa's face.

       Recycling 'scraps,' charms, or clay novelties was common practice among Victorians. They believed that one could never have too much ''bling'' on a Christmas tree, so naturally adding tinsel to any small novelty was appropriate for the season during that era. 

       Here you see that I have crafted a simple ornament in much the same attitude with tinsel stripped from last year's gift wrapping scraps and a magnet saved from a twenty year old craft stash in the basement. 

        Wether you wish to admit it or not, I'm sure some of our readers could make one similar to this from several forgotten boxes of rubbish in their own attics and crawl spaces!

   Supply List:

• wire wrapped tinsel garland (any color)
• recycled Christmas refrigerator magnets
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• wire snips or old scissors 
• scrap cardboard
• scrap decorative paper or old wrapping paper
• white tacky glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. To remove the magnet from the Santa face I soaked the bottom in soapy hot water. This loosened the glue. Then I inserted a butter knife between the glue and resin to pop off the magnet with little effort.
2. Then I traced around the half head with a pencil on top of a small piece of scrap cardboard. 
3. Around the cardboard cut-out, I shaped a ''teardrop'' using red tinsel wire that ended in a bow. 
4. Around the bow I then twisted white wire into a bow and then wrapped it's remainder around the cardboard cut-out.
5. Then I hot glued the mask to the wrapped cardboard cut-out.
6. Next came a little holly and leaf trim attached with glue to the wire bow along with a hook for hanging.

Far left, are a couple of Santa head magnets left over from Christmas decoration for a refrigerator 
or clipboard. Center, is the tinsel wire wrap to emphasize the festive nature of Santa. Right, 
even more white tinsel added to highlight Santa's features.

Print, Trace, Cut and Paint a Hobby Horse Toy

        Galloping is fun and legs grow stronger when this hobby horse becomes a favorite toy.

Click to enlarge. See Rocky Horse plans too.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Trace this pattern on 1/2 " or thicker plywood or dressed 1" lumber.
2. If pointed ears are objectionable, cut along the dotted line.
3. Paint on the ear lines when painting nostrils, eyes etc...
4. A leather strap or rope can be used for bridle reins. It may be attached to the head with screw eyes and key rings.
5. Mount the head on a 3/4" x 36" dowel broom handle or piece of 1" x 1" material.

More Wooden Toys To Make for Christmas:

• Build a Simple, Wooden Doll Cradle
• Build a doll's house using a bookcase
• Transform a small table into a parking lot for toy cars...
• How to construct a life-size play castle for little ones!
• old-fashioned plans for a fire-engine, motor-lorry and a steam roller
• The fastest hobby horse rider in the world, so fast he broke more than one pony and several other pieces of furniture...