No ticket to Sweden required, to make this classic, oh-so-Swedish, souvenir for you in the comfort of your own home with your kids. (You’ll want to make one, too. I promise.) These are simple + functional; decorative, but, can also be used for imaginative play, groups of young creatives and, at the end of it all: a bank: Make Dala Horse Banks with me today.
Make your own Dala Horse Bank
- Cardboard
- Template (HERE) Print the size appropriate for you.
(These Dala Horses are 12″ Tall from ground to ear (30 cm) and the rim is 3 3/4″ (8 cm) wide.) - Straight -edge or ruler
- X-acto knife or cutting tool
- Glue Gun
How to make a Dala Horse Bank - Print Template for pattern.
- Cut Pattern:
2 Horse shapes needed
1 Rim (I cut ours 130 cm long x 8 cm wide) - Pre-heat glue gun.
- Lay one side of the Dala Horse flat on a work surface.
- To ensure a tight fit, before you proceed to the gluing stage, bend the cardboard rim around the edge of the horses edge to “fit” the shape, like below. This slight moulding will help at the gluing stage.
- To glue: start under the chin of the horse. Glue only a few inches of a time. Once you apply the glue, press the edges tightly to give the glue an opportunity to bind well. Continue around the Dala Horses’s edge. As you return full circle to the chin, double up and overlap the cardboard here.
- Cut a hole on top for coins and make a u-shaped incision on the Dala Horse belly under to retrieve the coins later. You could do this before glueing, but, I like to ensure that these are placed exactly where I expect these two opening to be placed. *
- Glue the second side to the first base. Press tight.
Once the horse is dry, brush and peel away any threads or remnants of glue and you are now ready for embellishment. - Paint, decoupage, collage, duct-tape or whatever you would like to do with your horse!*NOTE: I use a small piece of water-colour tape over the flap on the belly that can be easily broken when the time times.
I’m a long admirer of the classic wooden horses. I collect them, in fact, and cherish several that the kids hand painted when they were little. One day, I thought what fun it would be to have an oversized version and envisioned it as a bank which could double as a door stop. I later repeated these for an artsy birthday where I made a of these Dala Horse Banks for the whole party to paint! It was such fun and these were beautiful but, I didn’t get a photo. The opportunity to see what you do with these making me double excited to see what you do with this tutorial!
I would love to see what you to with this idea! If you’re on Instagram, I made a little blip there to help get your imagination going. Tag me if you make a these or a willowday project! Please do the same on Facebook. Share these with a friend, a school or family. It truly makes my day to see your work and it’s because of you that I’ve hurried with this post today.
After shared today’s post in conjunction with a project for “varldensbarn.” (read more about it in that post) I’ve had so many people reach out for a tutorial after sharing there that I worked over-time to put together this tutorial for you today.
(DID YOU GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIBER GIFT OR WANT TO SHARE EVERY DAY CREATIVITY WITH A FRIEND?)
Join me on Facebook and Instagram.