Are you wondering how to complete your own rocking horse upgrade? A few months ago the tail ripped off of B's rocking horse. We bought the rocking horse at the thrift store for $10, so I wasn't too bummed. I just shoved it in my closet and told her we'd fix it soon. I put it off for way too long and finally decided that the time had come to reclaim my closet!
And honestly, I should have done it sooner because completing the project (and taking the photos) took me about half an hour. Really not bad at all!
Thankfully, this was a quick and easy upgrade!
Rocking Horse Upgrade
Removing the Old Tail
When the tail ripped off, it left a heavy duty staple exposed. So be careful with this part!
Begin by moving the tail around, just a little at a time, and you will reveal how it's attached. Once you see how it's affixed, you should be able to do a bit of prying to get it off of there.
Cutting the Yarn
After you get the tail off, you'll want to cut the replacement yarn for the new braid. BB and I picked an assortment of colors from my scrap yarn stash. You could use all one color. You could do a mix -- which is what I did. Or, you could use variegated yarn, and that would give a similar result.
I was originally going to measure the yarn with a ruler. But it's so much easier to use little boxes, or big books, for a project like this. I normally use books but this box was just the right size (I love it when stuff like that happens).
To begin, you'll want to fold the original yarn in half. That's the length you want the object to be. Next, hold the tail end on the edge. Then while keeping good tension (not too tight & not too loose), wrap the yarn around the object. Once you've got the amount you want, pinch the ends of one side together and cut them.
Braiding
Fold the yarn in half. Then tightly tie a small piece of yarn around the middle. Next, separate the yarn as pictured. You do this by: letting the yarn hang, pinching a third out of the middle (ignoring the tie by grouping around it), and separating equal sized chunks on either side.
Getting the braid started was the hardest part of this project for me. I found it difficult to hold it down while keeping even tension. I ended up using my foot, which is just pure laziness. If that's not for you, I'd loosely tie the top to a door handle with an additional piece of yarn.
I always finish braids like this with a hair tie. Once I can see that it's neat and done, I tie it off with a piece of yarn and then remove the hair tie. Easy peasy!
Next, you'll want to trim the ends of your braid.
Attaching the new tail
Original staples intact: One side at a time, carefully push the new braid under the staple. Hammer gently so that the points of the staple get pushed down towards the wood.
You own a staple gun: Go get it, baby! Be sure to staple the yarn in a way that is going to cover the staple as best as you can. I chose to staple horizontally as this seemed to be the most secure to me.
The staples broke and you don't have a staple gun: You'll need to purchase one. They cost about $12 at your local hardware store.
I hope you guys enjoyed this DIY yarn project!
Gail says
Love what you showed. Sounds crazy but I plan on using your skill to repair my doggie’s toy. She has loved her toy since we brought her home —- some five years ago. “Miss Duckie” is showing the loving she has received since then. Thanks for your idea!
Bonnie says
Can you help me, I just bought a wooden horse, and I wanted to clean the yarn that's attached already, before I give it to grandchildren. Can /how could do that?
Thanks for any help