How to Make an Elegant Stick Horse

Draw an elegant, realistic profile outline of a horse's head. Include the ears, but leave out the mane. Cut the pattern out and trace it onto plywood.

Lie a second piece of plywood underneath the first and clamp them together. Cut out the horse head shape in both pieces simultaneously with a jigsaw, working slowly for a clean line.

Cut a piece of silk as long as the back of the horse's neck, and as wide as you want the mane, plus an extra inch for gluing it in place. Snip the cloth to create the delicate strands of the mane, shaping them as desired. Glue the intact edge of the mane between the two pieces of wood. Add a second piece of silk fringe in front of the ears for the forelock, if desired.

Screw the two sides of the head together. Drill a hole wide enough for the dowel in the base of the neck. Glue one end of the dowel and stick it in. Drill through both pieces of plywood and the dowel from the side, and run a bolt and nut through the hole to secure the hold.

Paint the horse head as desired, using delicate brush strokes to define the eyes, nose and mouth and add detail to the contours of the skin. Make a bridle out of cord or leather strips and slip it onto your stick horse.