Upcycled Jumpy Horse

2 Materials
From a discarded vintage jumpy horse to a reminiscent carousel horse display.
We started with a garage sale find of an old horse from a child's toy, a base from a 1940's bankers chair, a closet pole and a few added touches.
The horse was drilled and mounted onto a closet pole. Since it is a heavy plastic a simple hole saw worked quickly and easily, Drill evenly from the top and bottom to be sure your horse will be level on the pole.
A wood ring was affixed to the pole to create a catch, this keeps the horse from sliding down the pole. You can make a catch by again using hole saws, cut a circle larger than the pole, then cut the inside out the circumference of the pole, you want it to fit tightly, then place a couple screws through for added strength.
Carve the base of the pole to fit the hole in the chair base. Any sturdy base would work, an old iron bottom of a discarded patio table, a fabricated wood base, anything with weight and stability.
I spray painted the horse a base of white and went in with acrylics and metallic paint to highlight the details. I used Modern Metallics for the gold, red and green, the gold was also added to the wood pole. When using metallic paint be sure to note whether it is opaque, semi opaque or translucent. The right paint can save you a lot of time, a real translucent paint can take many coats to obtain a solid appearance.
The fiinal touch of ribbon affixed under a finial on the top of the pole and a charming carousel horse is born. What a fantastic photo display piece, accent to a child's room or a fun birthday prop. If you want a piece safe enough for a child to sit on keep in mind distance from the floor and I would change the ring stop to a full wood plank mount.
Suggested materials:
  • Modern masters metallic paint
  • Acrylic paint
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