Blog Post

Moving Horse with Barbara

paper horse with moving joints attached by pink buttons on a popsicle stick

Barbara Ery is a teaching artist in south eastern Ohio with the Carlton School. This activity can be expanded to include a variety of materials and designs.

First thing you do is gather tools.

collection of craft supplies including buttons, scissors, twine, markers, erasers, lace, brass brads, and a hole puncher viewed from above on a self-healing cutting mat
Supplies and tools

As you can see I gathered lots of stuff. Then ask in adult to copy your drawing on heavy cardboard stock and cut it out for you. You can trace horses from some of your favorite books or make up your own.

Suggested reading list:

That’s Not Pony by Fiona Watt

Rosie’s Magic Horse by Russell Hoban

Hello Horse by Vivian French

How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace

outlines of paper horses before they have been cut out, colored, and put together
Hand-drawn horse outlines

Of course you don’t have to do all three just choose one. note: to adults I taped my drawing to the window and put my paper over it.  It worked quite nicely with the sun shining.

demonstration go how to trace outline onto yardstick using a window as back-lighting
Use the window as a light box!

If you use cardboard you can’t see through it so just tape the drawing on a flat surface and cut around it. Once you have your shapes cut out color using paint, colored pencils, crayons, markers, whatever you have. I used colored pencils, needle and thread, and buttons and yarn for my galloping horse.

paper horse with moving joints attached by pink buttons
I used a toothpick to make the holes and the mane is made of lace!

I used paint black markers and fasteners for my knight in armor.

paper knight with movable joints attached using brass brads and colored in black
His lance moves up and down too.

I used markers and wire for my unicorn.

paper unicorn with moving joints attached by wire and colored with markers
Hint – the wire came from paper clips.

I even had a craft stick that I glued to the back. 

paper horse with moving joints attached by pink buttons on a popsicle stick
Now my paper horse is like a puppet.

Then I sat back and enjoyed my efforts. I’m sure you can be more inventive than me. Then I got out the broom and dust pan and cleaned up a bit. I made a huge mess. Making art is messy. Have fun with your creations take some pictures to share with us. Miss you all.