DIY children's rocking horse made from ordinary plywood

Decorating the garden and other dacha areas is a very good idea that many of us have. But not every option is suitable for this matter. Today we decided to show you a very cute piece that will help decorate your garden, and this is a decorative wooden horse.

Agree, this is very symbolic, because 2014 is the year of the horse, and therefore it would be very appropriate to decorate the landscape of your summer cottage with horse figurines. Undoubtedly, it is more correct to do this in the spring, but even in a colder period you can make a cute figurine of a noble animal and install it in any area.

So, today we have several interesting options, and we offer each of them for detailed consideration.

Detailing.

I encountered an unpleasant moment. I tried to create a cutting map for plywood parts using the OpiNest program. The body of the horse is drawn with a spline. It turned out that OptiNest does not recognize such figures. Or maybe I did something wrong. I didn't bother with it too much. I outlined the “body” with a broken line of straight segments. To create an approximate cut map it will do. The main thing is to decide which piece of plywood is needed for one rocking horse, and how many horses will fit on a standard sheet of plywood. Then substitute the spline part in the actual cut map.

So. To make one rocking horse you need a piece of plywood approximately 700 by 1250 mm

And from a sheet of plywood it is possible to make four rocking horses.

Actually, that’s all for now at this stage. Points 4, 5, 6 are postponed for now.

I want to emphasize once again that this is still at the test project stage. Perhaps not everything will work out the first time. I am sure that it will definitely be better the second time))) I tried to take into account all the points. Could you? Only implementation will show this.

Anyone who wants/can participate in the creation will send the files. Here is a link to the author and a photo report.

It just so happens that the New Year according to the eastern calendar is the year of the horse. So this project is a gift to all site visitors! With coming! Happy New Year! In the near future I will post drawings and working files of the rocking horse. Follow the news))) Yes! There is no name for this project yet. Who has any ideas???

Dear visitors of the “SAMODELKINDRUG” website, the presented material will show in detail how to make a “rocking horse” with your own hands. Today, in children's stores there is simply an incredible variety of different toys, for every whim of your child. But prices don’t always please parents, because you know what the markup is on children’s products. So, in order to save family money and please his beloved child, the author decided to make a rocking horse with his own hands.

To do this, the master needed a minimum of material, which he bought at a hardware store: furniture board for 650 rubles, a handle for 50 rubles, wood glue for 100 rubles. You can also use plywood; many people probably have these components without purchasing them, which means you can make a toy for your child absolutely free. Let's look at what exactly the master needed, as well as all the stages of creating a rocking chair.

Materials

1. furniture board
2. stalk (from a shovel)
3. wood glue
4. wooden choppers

Tools

1. jigsaw
2. drill
3. brush
4. pattern
5. ruler
6. pencil

And so the first thing was to make drawings, but first the author had to look for them on the Internet. Next, the master made a pattern from these drawings and transferred it to the newspaper. Afterwards, the pattern is applied to the furniture panel and the outline is outlined. Then the craftsman cuts out the components of the overall design of the future toy from the shield. And now all the details are cut out. Next, the author fastens the blanks for their subsequent edging. Holes were also made in the blanks. The moment has come for assembling all the blanks into a single structure. The seat is attached. After the joints have dried, you can test the Ride!!! author, the master’s child is very pleased with the toy and now plays with it every day. As you can see, there is nothing complicated; if you wish, you can make the same one for your child and save a lot of money at the same time. If you liked this material, then you are welcome to join our group

In stores you can find a huge number of all kinds of children's rocking chairs, such as classic cradles, animal rocking chairs, for example, horses, as well as rocking chairs depicting favorite characters from children's fairy tales.

It is possible and necessary, because the manufacturing process is not labor-intensive and very exciting. All you need is desire. Be creative when making a rocking chair, don’t be afraid to experiment. Do-it-yourself baby rocking chairs will be distinguished by high quality, reliability, originality, and also low cost compared to those purchased in a store.

Reviews and comments

Olga 01/17/2014

With a horse, a very interesting and stylish option for a summer house. I’ll have to try it, I think our children will especially like this idea, they love animals very much, and we don’t have any animals at our dacha. It looks like it’s very easy to make such a horse, thanks to the author for the great idea.

Oleg 01/31/2014

Wood is generally an excellent material for decoration. You just need to have a little imagination. And material for any figure can be found right under your feet. Here are small horses that you can sit on, put a few in the yard of your house and you will have children from all over the neighborhood. I'll definitely take note. After all, children should have their own interesting playground.

Vladimir 04/16/2015

My dacha is located in a very wild area, there are minimal traces of human activity there. Such a horse will look very harmonious in these thickets. And most importantly, there is a great variety of material from which you can assemble it around! I’ll probably make the mane from scraps of rope, and the horse itself from branches and thin tree trunks. There will always be time to burn all these sticks in the fire.

Alisa I. 01/16/2016

My favorite was the horse made from branches. The material for such a sculpture is always at hand, but it takes artistic talent to turn ordinary sticks into a beautiful statue. By the way, I saw a similar horse at one of the contemporary art exhibitions, however, there it was assembled from scrap metal. And the price for this work was very impressive.

Anton 01/14/2017

If you count how many different types of wood waste (knots, sticks, trimmings, trunks after uprooting, etc.) I have just burned in my life, then, probably, you can build a house. The real problem is that this material is not suitable for building a house. I’ve had similar ideas with decor for a long time. It would be nice to use such, consider free, material for business, and not just burn it. I’m just thinking, instead of nails and screws, where possible, use polyurethane glue and large homemade dowels - I think it’s stronger and safer.

Natalya 04/02/2018

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Important! Linen twine really doesn't like knots. You need to choose twine that is not thin, less than 1 mm, and not thick, no more than 1.5 mm. Thin and thick twine is inconvenient to use for making dolls.

You need to take good quality twine, it is the most even. If knots occur, especially in critical places, it is better to fix them with a small drop of glue like Moment Secunda.

1 To make a flexible horse, you need linen twine, braided copper wire, red threads, some thin leather, transparent moment glue, a strip of fur (of your choice), black fabric paint for the eyes, a strip of leather or braid for the hooves, scissors, pliers

2 Linen twine is wound on a book or cardboard to make windings: 30 full turns 32 cm long for the front legs, 30 turns 50 cm long for the head, body, 30 turns 50 cm long for the chest and hind legs, 15 turns, 15 turns long 46 cm for the tail.

3 Cut a 40 cm long wire from one end (hind legs) and bend it. Separately for the front legs, we will prepare a wire 32 cm long for one strand (i.e., having previously cut and separated one strand, it remains in its entire braid plus half of the outer one, cut). We determine it so that when tilted, the head almost touches the ground. 4 We secure the wire for the front legs by tightly wrapping it around the main wire.

5 Take a 50 cm coil of twine and begin tying. First, we simply tie it with a red thread in the middle so that the knot is inside the dressing. 6 Place the uncut end of the wire into the tied winding and make the first tie with the wire inside the twine. Tight. Knot below. We pass a thin strip of the leather you selected for the bridle through the knot. 7 After 3 cm, we make another tight tie with red threads, making sure that the wire always remains inside the twine.

8 We tie the entire winding around the wire. The front legs should be inside the wrap. (I missed it and didn’t come back, it’s not important).

9 I did the front legs on top.

10 Throw a 32 cm winding for the front legs onto the wire.

11 Wrap the twine loosely.

12 Tighten the winding threads in a knot and secure it with a drop of glue. You can trim it slightly if suddenly there is a difference in the length of the legs.

13 Take a 50 cm wrap for the chest and hind legs and throw it over the chest.

14 Wrap the hind legs with twine. The threads should be divided equally on each leg.

15 Monitor the entire structure. You can lengthen the body, then the back part can be wrapped with additional twine.

16 We connect a winding of 15 turns for the tail by passing it through the lower belly.

17 We firmly fix the tail with a separate thread.

18 At this stage, the legs can be slightly straightened, especially if they have become uneven.

19 Trim so that the horse stands stable.

20 The body can be additionally wrapped with twine.

21 For the hooves I took braid; it would be better to use leather. We cut the strips overlapping along the leg.

22 Using transparent Moment glue, glue the hooves to the very bottom of the legs.

23 Once again we align the legs and shape the tail.

24 From thin leather, cut out a figure eight for the ears, about 4 cm in size. Either glue the middle, fold it in half, or rewind it with a thin thread.

25 Lightly glue the ears below the top winding.

26 Glue a strip of fur of your choice (mane) just below the ears and all the way to the back.

27 Checking the horse while running.

28 We make a blanket from leather or thick fabric, and a saddle from thick leather.

29 The horse is ready.

30 Igo-go!

In modern children's stores you can buy toys for every taste and budget - mechanical, musical, talking, educational, but there are those that have a centuries-old history and will definitely evoke nostalgic memories for most parents. Wooden rocking horses are just one of these. They still remain very popular, although they have undergone some changes over time.

Stages of manufacturing a structure

To simplify the manufacturing process, it is necessary to perform all stages sequentially

Then nothing important will be missed and much less time will be spent. A wooden rocking horse is made quite simply and quickly

1. All parts are transferred to plywood separately in the required quantities. This is done using carbon paper and pencil.
2. After marking, all elements are cut out with a jigsaw.
3. The cut out parts are tried on. If necessary, some parts can be trimmed or edited so that the rocking horse is strong and all the holes fit perfectly into the elements.
4. First, parts of the horse's body, back and saddle are connected.
5. Then the assembled structure is attached to the legs and firmly secured with tenon holes.
6. The last stage is finishing. Here you can use your imagination to the fullest. There can be many options: painting, upholstery, pasting, painting, burning. It all depends on capabilities and wishes.

If desired, you can change the number and type of basic elements. But first you need to think carefully about the design so that it is comfortable for the child and stable.

Popular types

As a child, many dreamed of such a toy. Previously, such horses were made from wood and compressed shavings. The horse, made entirely of wood, was strong and durable, but it was not very comfortable to sit on. Horses made from compressed shavings looked more realistic and looked less like a rough cross between a stool and a sled. Modern rocking chairs are made not only from natural wood, but also from plastic, rubber and plush. There are even wicker models made from willow wicker or more expensive rattan. In the assortment of today's stores you can choose a horse to suit every taste and budget. This toy is suitable for children from 1 to 7 years old.

Important: when buying a horse for very young children (no older than 1 year), choose models with a back, soft seat and fastening belts.

Advantages of a rocking horse

Having bought a horse for your child, you can be sure that he will not lose his interest and will not throw it into the far corner, as often happens with many new toys. Having so much fun that children quickly lose interest, the wooden horse is one of the rare exceptions. The peak of popularity of the rocking chair occurs at 2-3 years. Children at this age become so attached to their horse that they can put it to bed, feed it sweets, spend hours combing and braiding its long mane.

A rocking horse is a good simulator for a baby; it maintains the normal vestibular apparatus, developing it, and also improves useful skills such as dexterity and fine motor skills - you still need to be able to stay on a wooden horse. Doctors recommend this toy for children with diseases associated with the musculoskeletal system. There is another variety of toy horses - the rolling horse. Instead of two arches, she has wheels attached to her legs, so the baby must push off with his legs to move. It's essentially a scooter with a seat.

Tire swing

Car tires are quite durable, but cut well. The most primitive use of a tire is similar to a bungee swing: the tire is tied in a vertical position to a branch with a rope, and you can sit in such a swing. But such a seat is not very comfortable, and its appearance is not aesthetically pleasing. This is not yet a reason to refuse to use tires.

A swing made from a tire tied horizontally to three or four chains looks much better. Four or three holes are drilled in the tire at equal distances from each other, and an eyelet is inserted into each of them and secured with a nut. It is useful to place wide washers between the eye and the seat (and between the nut and the seat). The ropes (or chains) are brought together to rest at one point on a steel ring.

A strip cut from a tire is used instead of a board, as described above. In this case, “ears” are attached to the edges of the tire strip, which hold a rope or hook a carabiner to a chain.

Tires can be used to make various shapes for swings.

About materials

Rocking chairs are made primarily of wood. Metal, for all its manufacturability, low waste and greater durability in the open air, is too heavy. The influence of the chair on the overall CG turns out to be significant, the moment of inertia of the system is large and, as a result, the rocking is too sharp. Or you have to set an extremely small initial elevation of the CO above the CO, risking that the rocking chair will tip over under someone. However, we will return to metal rockers when considering individual samples.

Using plywood to make a rocking chair

Plywood is a completely different matter, especially for novice woodworkers. Firstly, when making the parts of the rocking chair with 3-layer glued ones, you can only use a jigsaw to make accurate and durable tenon-groove joints, on the left in the figure, if you follow the following. rules:

• Plywood for the middle layer is taken twice as thick as for the outer layers. For example, if you need a total thickness of 20 mm, then glue 5-10-5 mm.
• The parts are assembled from blanks using 2-component waterproof glue. If it is on PVA, be sure to reinforce it with small nails.
• The connections are assembled with gluing (wedging in this case is unacceptable) and reinforced with diagonal pairs of self-tapping screws on both sides.
• The supporting surfaces are protected with linings made of thin (6-10 mm) strips of hard, durable wood or dense sheet rubber 4-5 mm thick. Plywood under a concentrated load cracks very well at the end.

Secondly, plywood makes it possible to use non-standard technical solutions, for example. as on the right in Fig. Such a rocking bowl can be made from plywood, again using only a jigsaw. Comfort is high, stability is absolute, and can serve as a hanging hammock chair or swing chair. The thickness of the lamella boards is from 12 mm; connecting half-washers on poles – from 24 mm.

How to install overlays

Wear-resistant wooden pads are installed on the rocking chair runners. way:

1. Turn the chair over with the runners up;
2. We warm the blank plank thoroughly with a construction hairdryer;
3. We place the workpiece on the runner and wrap it tightly along the entire length with cotton braid. Don't get burned, the wood is very hot!
4. We also grab the second workpiece onto another runner;
5. Once the strips have completely cooled, remove the braid bands and glue the pads with PVA on wood or with 2-component glue;
6. We attach the ends of the planks with small nails until the overlays fit snugly along the entire length. Place washers or pieces of plywood under the nail heads;
7. Once the glue has completely dried (2-3 days), remove the temporary fasteners. We drill blind holes for screws and secure the ends completely;
8. We fill the holes with the fastener heads with putty made from sawdust of the same tree, thickly mixed with PVA.

Country attraction

Making a swing for a summer house with your own hands, even for an inexperienced “builder”, will not be difficult.

The material can be racks made of wood or metal. The racks are connected by a jumper, and the resulting U-shaped structure is buried in the ground to a depth of one meter and properly strengthened.

The disadvantage of this design is its poor stability and rapid loosening when swinging. The structure will gain greater stability if both side posts consist of two pillars.

Necessary materials

The list will depend largely on the chosen template and type of rocking chair, but most often you need to prepare:

• a photocopy of the selected template;
• pencil and carbon paper - with its help the drawing will be transferred to plywood;
• cutting table and jigsaw;
• awl;
• glue with a brush;
• paint and finishing brushes.

A rocking horse has a good effect on the child’s vestibular apparatus, promoting its proper development. To make a children's toy, you need to use only environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic materials. Fur upholstery will help add naturalness to the horse; it is advisable to first place foam rubber or other soft material under it.

A carefully thought-out design will allow you to create a high-quality, safe and durable toy that your child will enjoy spending time with.

DIY rocking toy

Few of us did not dream of such a toy as children. Often there were such toy horses in kindergarten, and sometimes the children almost fought, arguing whose turn it was to play. Nowadays the children's horse is becoming popular again, so it will be an excellent gift for a child. The design of the toy is quite simple, so it will not be difficult for you to assemble it yourself. The materials used largely depend on the type of toy and design chosen, but the most commonly used are:

• sheet of plywood or wooden boards;
• copy of the template;
• carbon paper to transfer the pattern onto plywood or wood;
• table;
• jigsaw;
• awl;
• glue, paint, brush set.

When making a horse, use only environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic materials. This is especially true for paints and glue. The horse can be additionally decorated with synthetic fur upholstery, but in this case, do not forget about the foam layer so that the baby can sit softly.

How to make a plywood horse?

The selected drawing should be enlarged by the required number of times, depending on the age and height of the child. Most often, the diagram is enlarged 8-10 times for children 4-5 years old, respectively. The classic plywood horse consists of 7 parts - be sure to number them so that it is clear where each element is attached. These are the details:

1. Two identical sides of the horse;
2. A large one-piece piece with the head and tail of a horse that fits between the sides;
3. Two strips, with the help of which the toy is further strengthened from below;
4. One spacer that is installed at the rear of the rocker and connects the sides to the middle piece. A saddle is placed on top of the spacer;
5. Seat;
6. Stirrups - 2 parts attached to the saddle using straps (for which grooves must be provided in the seat);
7. One spacer for the front part of the horse - attached according to the same principle as a similar rear part.

How to make a rocking horse out of wood?

The base of the wooden horse consists of 4 parts - two flat rounded sides and two intermediate boards necessary to strengthen the entire toy at the top and bottom. In addition, a toy horse needs a head, and a child needs a saddle with a backrest and slats to rest his feet on while playing. Smooth pine or spruce boards from 2 cm thick are suitable as starting material.

Consider the size of the toy - the baby should be comfortable climbing on it, sitting and swinging. The average sizes are:

• length - 110 cm;
• width - from 25 to 30 cm;
• height from floor to saddle - 60 cm.

Please note that the circumference of the sides should not be semicircular - such a toy will swing too much, and it is easy to turn over and fall on it. The bend of the side bars should be smoother - like a boat, such a horse will be more stable.

So, the side boards are connected first using cold-curing glue. To ensure that the wooden parts adhere to each other, use high pressure - press the boards together with a clamp. When the sides are cut out, it is necessary to attach thick slats to them on the inside. The width of each slat is from 8 to 12 cm. The inner board must be cut taking into account their size.

The top board together with the support board must be smeared along the edges with glue and connected to the side parts of the toy with screws.

The slats-supports for the legs are glued to the sides of the toy. In order for the parts to hold tightly, it is necessary to secure them with screws.

The horse's head is cut out separately from a thick board (at least 3 cm). You can decorate it by gluing the horse's eyes and ears to it. The mane can be made from leather scraps, yarn, tassels or a large amount of rope. As a last resort, you can simply paint it on.

To make a saddle, it is better to use a wooden board of sufficient thickness - no thinner than 2 cm. For convenience, the part should be rounded at the top. To make it more comfortable for your child to ride while sitting on a horse, cover the saddle with foam rubber and cover it with fabric or leather. The part is attached to the horse with screws.

The boards for the back, so that the child can lean on while riding the horse, must be of the same thickness as the seat.

If you have the proper skills, the finished toy can be upholstered with foam rubber and completely covered with plush, or the parts can be painted in bright colors and decorated with paintings.

The baby, having received such a gift, will be very happy

Moreover, it doesn’t really matter whether you bought the horse in a store or made it yourself

Work for craftswomen

With a horse according to the pattern, it’s also not so simple. On the one hand, this makes the toy exclusive. On the other hand, you will have to tinker. If you are ready for difficulties, then here is a list of what you need:

• textile;
• padding polyester;
• base stick;
• needle and thread;
• pattern;
• materials for mane, eyes and decoration.

We draw or print the pattern, transfer it to the fabric from the wrong side, cut out two parts of the head and four parts of the ears. If you choose stud eyes for soft toys, then they should be attached to the parts immediately, gluing them with glue for greater strength. We sew the halves of the head from the wrong side, inserting a mane-fringe. If you decide to make it from yarn, you will need to sew it onto a finished and stuffed piece. We turn the product inside out and stuff it with padding polyester. Sew on the ears and sew on decorations. Don't forget the bells on the bridle! Then the horse will not only be beautiful, but also ringing. We attach the finished head to the stick. The principle of fastening is similar to the one we wrote about in the sock horse version. But since we don’t have an elastic band in the fabric craft, we baste the fabric in a circle at the base of the head with a long thick thread. The horse's head on the stick will not spin and slide if you make a small depression on the stick in a circle - a kind of groove that will prevent the thread from moving. We insert the base stick into the center of the structure and tighten the thread. We tighten the basting and make the first stitch, wrapping the thread around the stick so that it falls into the groove, stitch again, winding again, etc., until we go through a full circle. That's it, the horse is ready!

There are a huge number of patterns for this option. If you have the desire and time, you can create a more complex shape of the horse’s head. Only... It’s unlikely that you’ll want to give it to the kids to be torn to pieces, because it will be a masterpiece!

How to choose?

The horse will become your child's faithful friend for several years. The kid will spend many days playing games, imagining himself as a knight rushing to defeat a dragon, or a princess who decided to go on her own adventures. Considering that the baby will spend a lot of time with the toy, its choice must be approached very responsibly.

Material

A wooden horse is the most stable because it is quite heavy. It will be difficult for a child to accidentally turn it over and fall, even if he swings very intensely on it. Wood is the most optimal material for playing at home. Summer is the best time for playing outdoors. If you want the rocking horse to become your baby’s companion on the street - on the playground or in the country, it is better to choose plastic. This material is wear-resistant, does not fade under the sun, and is not afraid of water.

The plastic is easily and quickly washed off from street dirt - ordinary wet wipes are enough to wipe it.

A rubber toy has one important advantage - it is hypoallergenic, which is especially important if the baby is prone to allergies. It is made of durable, high-quality rubber, which is very easy to wash, and the horse will not collect dust.

On such a horse you can not only swing, but also ride due to the elasticity of the rubber, which is very useful for the physical development of the child.

The most comfortable and beautiful option is a plush horse. The frame is usually made of plastic or wood, but the upholstery is much more reminiscent of a real horse. The animal has a long mane and tail that are fun to comb and decorate. This toy is a great gift for a birthday or New Year; a child will remember it for a long time.

Safety

Of course, rocking chairs for children should not only be beautiful and durable, but also safe. When choosing the right model, be sure to look at the label; the information on it should indicate the age of the child for whom it can be used. Check the stability of the skids and the swing amplitude. If the toy swings too much, it will tip over along with the little rider. This is especially true for plastic horses - they are the lightest.

If your baby has allergies, you should not buy toys with plush upholstery - the fleecy surface will collect too much dust

Pay attention to the quality of the varnish coating - small children are not averse to tasting their toys, so it’s better not to take risks

Comfort

Of course, a baby rocking chair should be comfortable. When purchasing, consider the size of the toy and the height of the baby, as well as the length of his arms and legs. If the horse is too big, the baby may not be able to reach the arms.

The handles themselves, by which he will hold, should be located at such a level that the child does not have to constantly hold his hands above or below shoulder level - the limbs will become numb. The comfort of the seat is very important - it should follow the anatomical shape and have fairly soft upholstery. It is best to purchase rocking chairs with high backs so that you can lean on them

When deciding to give such a wonderful toy to your baby, consider his age. The fact is that children under 1.5 years old can perceive it as alive. For them, such a horse made of wood with plush or fur upholstery is no different from a real animal and can be scary. It’s best not to show the gift from the doorstep - take it to the nursery and wrap it in bright gift paper; the wrapper can be additionally decorated with balloons, bows and ribbons. Unpack the toy gradually, so the baby will be captivated by the process and will quickly get used to his horse, and not be afraid of its appearance.

Horse and cart

To make a horse and cart you will need thick and thin birch branches, self-tapping screws, bottle caps, and rubber winding.

1. A thick birch branch is suitable for the body of the horse. You need to cut out a body 50 cm long from it.

2. Take smaller branches for the legs. In order for the figurine to stand firmly and not wobble, you need to drive its legs into the ground. In this case, all work must be carried out in the place where the horse will stand; foresee this in advance.
3. In the block that will serve as the muzzle, you need to cut out a recess for the mouth.
4. Connect the head to the body using the neck, all wooden parts are fastened with self-tapping screws.
5. The eyes for the horse can also be cut out of wood, or you can use ordinary bottle caps. You can simply glue them to the muzzle with wood glue.
6. For the mane and tail, you need to take thin branches and weave them into a broom, attach them with nails to the body.
7. For the reins and saddle, you need to take the rubber tape and attach them in place using glue or nails.
8. Next came the turn of the cart; it can be built in different ways. You can take four wheels and connect them to birch sticks with screws, this will create a simple cart. You can take wooden boards and make a wooden box out of it, like a real cart, and attach four wheels. You can fill the cart with soil and plant flowers in it. Vegetables growing from it, such as pumpkin, look interesting. Or you can put a toy old man in the cart, then the composition will be completely completed.

Build quality and safety

The eyes and hole for the tail are made using a drill. If you plan to make a structure that will not be disassembled in the future, then all joints during assembly are additionally treated with glue intended for gluing wooden products. Attach the base assembly to the finished elephant. Make sure that the gurney swings easily and is stable at the same time.

Safe paint is used to paint children's toys. The rocking chair can be painted in different colors or made one color. After the two days it takes for the paint to dry, you can begin applying clear varnish. It will add extra shine and protect the paint from cracking. The rocker assembly parts can be painted individually or after final assembly. The finished product is painted in several stages so that the top and base are completely painted.

When the baby rocking chair is ready, all that remains is to fix the rope to the place where the tail is attached. To make the tail, you will need a rope of such thickness that it can be freely inserted and glued into a previously drilled hole.

How to make?

Making a horse out of plywood is not difficult if you have ready-made templates for cutting. You can find them on the Internet or draw them yourself.

Here is one example of patterns. They can be scaled and printed, or hand-drawn on regular newspaper.

Stages of work:

• We place the pattern on the plywood and trace it. To prevent the pattern from moving, we attach it to the plywood with masking tape. We cut out the blanks with a jigsaw along the drawn lines. The plywood or boards for the head, supports and seat should be at least three centimeters thick for greater strength. We make the holes necessary for fastening in them with a drill and jigsaw, and tap them with a chisel.
• Next, according to the diameter of the holes, we make sticks from the board to connect the parts.
• All elements must be sanded with sandpaper. First, take a coarse-grained one to remove all the unevenness, then sand the roughness with a fine-grained one until smooth. It would be a good idea to use a router to round all the corners of the horse.

• We assemble the parts in accordance with the drawing, coating all joints with wood glue. It is better to fasten the lower supports with self-tapping screws, and you need to screw them in as deeply as possible so that the child does not get hurt. You can coat them with glue on top.
• Next, if you wish, you can coat the horse with varnish, draw patterns, and make a tail. After waiting for complete drying, you can begin using the product. Also, for greater comfort, you can thread the bit through the horse and make a soft saddle using foam rubber or thick fabric.

A rocking cradle in the form of a seat or crib is created in a similar way. The only thing that complicates the task is the large number of details:

• For better fastening and minimal loosening of parts, it is better to use self-tapping screws. Under the seat you need to place clamps from one side to the other, which will protect it from falling through and give strength to the frame.
• When making a rocking chair for small children, add a back and sides. There must be supports for arms and legs. Moreover, the hand supports should be round so that the baby can hold on comfortably.
• In total, making a craft with your own hands will cost 1000 rubles, which is a good saving compared to store prices.

This DIY baby rocking chair will undoubtedly become your baby's favorite toy. After all, a thing made with love and care is valued much higher than store-bought items. The safety and beauty of the product will be at the highest level, because no loving parent will be lazy for their child.

To learn how to make a rocking chair for a child with your own hands, see the following video.

Simulation toys

The rocking horse, despite its popularity, has a small number of ready-made drawings. After all, it is now easier to purchase a ready-made model for a large sum than to make it yourself and create a unique toy.

If preference is given to the second option, then you need to seriously think about modeling the structure. To do this, you can use special computer programs. But it’s easier and more convenient to sketch out a drawing on a sheet of paper, and then create your own template.

With its help, it will be possible to transfer the contours of parts onto plywood or cut out the necessary structural elements from unplaned boards (their thickness must be at least two centimeters, otherwise the strength of the rocking chair will be insufficient).

The rocking horse must have an appropriate finish. There are practically no restrictions on this issue. The main thing is that it looks natural and does not irritate the child’s eyes.

Wooden horse made from old branches and roots

There is another interesting way to construct a horse figurine, but it will not require you to spend high-quality material, although it will require you to use all your skill and imagination. In this case, we will talk about a figure made of roots and branches.

At the dacha there are always a lot of branches that we simply burn or put in compost, but they can also serve as decorative decorations, for example, to create the same figurine.

To create a nice torso, head and legs of a horse, we recommend starting with a frame on which these parts will be installed. For this purpose, larger branches should be used, which will have to be dug into the ground for reliability. Consider all the options in advance, perhaps it is the basics of the frame that will serve as the horse’s legs in the future.

Having installed the frame, you can begin to tie it with branches, approximately in the same way as weaving a tyn - an ordinary wicker fence. Slowly and consistently, create the torso, move on to the neck, having previously installed the frame, and also to the head. By the way, the head can be made separately, and then simply installed on the finished figure, it will be a little easier.

Of course, such an idea can only be done by people with patience and love to work with their hands, but you can always start with small figures, and then move on to more serious ones, such as our horse.

The simplest swing

The simplest swing can also be hung on a thick branch, but it is better to make a crossbar with supports for this. The design of the supports will be described at the end of this article.

Simple rocker with soft seat

The seat is a square or rectangular board suspended at the four corners. You can use plywood. Not far from the corners, four holes are drilled in the seat, into which a rope or eyelet is passed (the eyelet has a ring instead of a head); if the eye is not used, then the rope can be passed through the hole and tied with a knot (its thickness should be equal to the diameter of the hole), thus securing the board to it. If an eyelet is used, then instead of a rope, a chain can be taken, which is attached to the eyelet with a carabiner.

A back made of the same plywood can be attached to the seat using metal corners. Another version of the backrest (suitable for small children) is shown in photo 2. Tubes of wood up to 30-40 cm long (of the same length!) are put on the ropes, after which a stick-crossbar with drilled holes along the edges is put on each two adjacent ropes. This design, despite its simplicity of manufacture, is quite convenient, safe and will serve for a long time.

Peculiarities

The chair is a figure swaying due to a specially rounded base. The figurine can be anything: a horse, an elephant, a cradle, just a chair and any animal that comes to mind. Previously, these consisted of a wooden base, which was not very convenient, because the hardness did not allow you to relax. Today, the frame is covered with soft fabric and stuffed with foam rubber or sponge. It turns out to be a whole rocking chair - convenient and comfortable, fully replacing the child’s seat.

The benefits of a rocking chair are great. This is not just a toy for a child to have fun with, but also a good way to develop coordination and balance. And thanks to the pendulum effect, it relaxes and calms the child. It is not for nothing that doctors recommend it for the prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Also, such a simple toy will save your stools and chairs from swaying, broken legs, and scratched floors.

Decorative wooden sculptures in the garden (video)

Garden figures are very interesting , and creating them with your own hands is not only entertaining, but also useful, because each object of your skill is not only a small masterpiece, but also an excellent decoration for the landscape of your dacha.

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Dachas have always attracted people not only as a place where you can relax from the bustle of the big city, but also as a space for creativity and imagination. You don’t have to buy decor for your dacha in a store; you can make it yourself from scrap materials. For example, a wooden horse.