Why did we decide to make a horse out of hay?
There were several conditions for this: a small plot of land with meadow grass growing on it and enough boards to create the base. Such a sculpture requires several hours of time and a sufficient amount of material. We had all the materials at hand and the only thing we had to buy was a small number of screws to connect the boards for the base together. It turned out to be an effective and inexpensive craft made of hay. If you are interested in this idea, then read the text below, it describes in more detail the process of creating a horse from hay.
The most important stage
I believe that creating a solid base for a hay horse is the most important step. If you have a solid base, then the hay sculpture will be able to stand for a long time. Moreover, the same base can be used for many years in a row, replacing the old hay with new.
Separately, we dug 2 pegs into the ground to a depth of at least 50 centimeters, and separately we attached the main frame to the pegs.
We assembled the horse frame on the ground from old boards that we had in abundance. The more detailed the base, the better the sculpture will be. When the entire structure was ready, we screwed the base with screws to the pegs that were dug into the ground.
Let’s add some hay
This is my favorite part. You need hay and threads to attach the hay to the base. I think it would be good to use fishing line, it is strong and transparent. You can also use a rope that is similar in color to the hay. At the time when we were making the horse, my goal was to use as much of the materials we had on hand as possible. I cut an old jacket into threads, it was very strong. On top, I used threads from an old sweater, they are thinner and less noticeable.
First, you need to attach the hay along the entire length of the base. I moved from the bottom up. Try to fix the hay as tightly as possible. Because after a while, the hay will shrink a little in size.
Once the base was filled with hay, I added more hay to areas where I wanted to highlight the contours of the horse’s body.
Adding small details
This step is optional. I decided to add more personality to my hay horse. For example, I made simple cardboard eyes like this.
I highlighted the mane, tail and hooves using black garbage bags. Everything depends on your imagination. If you wish, you can use only natural materials, such as branches, moss, decorative grasses, tree bark.
The finished result
This is what my hay horse looked like. Usually such sculptures can stand for a year, from time to time you need to straighten the hay. The following year, it is advisable to replace the old hay with new. A durable wooden base can be used for many years.
It is also important that your hay craft is in a safe place and there is no risk that someone else can set it on fire. If you have the opportunity, then I definitely recommend making a hay sculpture. This will be a great and simple activity for the whole family, which will bring a lot of positive emotions.
Deer made of hay
Unfortunately, I only have one photo of a hay deer, but I want to share it with my readers. It was my first hay sculpture and I did it myself with my little daughter. At that time, I was unable to make a strong frame and we were unable to use it the following year. Nevertheless, the deer stood in our garden for a whole year and we really enjoyed having such an animal made of hay.
