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How to Make a Breyer Barn

Breyer horses are models or toys built on a 1:9 scale. A horse that stands 15 hands high, the equivalent of 60 inches, would be modeled into a toy of about 6 1/2 inches high at the shoulder. The toys are popular and have spawned associated products such as tack, barns and even riders made to the same scale. A barn is meant more to display the horses rather than secure them and protect them from the elements. A Breyer barn could be likened to a doll house for horses. Building the barn requires common woodworking tools and skills and can be accomplished by most do-it-yourselfers.

Things You'll Need

1/4 inch plywood
Jig saw
Wood glue
Doll house shingles
Red paint

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to 10 inches by 20 inches to serve as the floor of the barn. Cut the same shape for the back and front of the barn also out of 1/4 inch plywood. The front and back is 20 inches wide, the same as the floor, with a peak at the center of the barn of 16 inches. Cut the two pieces of plywood to 20 inches by 16 inches. Mark a spot 8 inches from the floor end on each of the 16-inch sides. Draw a line from those marks to the center point of the top to mark the slope of the roof. Cut along the line to form the profile of the barn building.
- 2
  Select one of the two pieces cut in Step 1 to serve as the front. Cut stall openings in front that are 8 inches wide and 8 inches high, located 1 inch from the end of the front on each side. These serve as the stall openings allowing display of the Breyer horses. Cut a 3 inches by 3 inches opening, 2 inches above the top of the stall openings at the center of the wall.
- 3
  Measure and cut the two barn ends to 10 inches by 8 inches. Measure from the peak of the roof of the front piece to the base of the wall. Cut two pieces to that length 11 inches wide. Use a hot glue gun to glue the back to the floor. Glue the ends to the floor and back also using the hot glue gun. Add the front gluing it in place to the floor and sides. The final pieces are the roof segments glued in place so that the extra width of the boards provides an overhang over the front of the barn.
- 4
  Cover the roof with doll house shingles. Purchase the doll house shingles from a toy or craft shop with a doll house department.
- 5
  Paint the barn red, which is the traditional color, and add any other paint details you wish. Add gates, fences or other details to the barn.

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