Restoring a vintage rocking horse
My 2024 New Years resolution is to shop less, thrift more. In an effort to curb impulse shopping, every time I see something I want I add it to a shopping list and then on the weekends I hit a local thrift store and see if I can give new life to something old.
On my latest thrifting journey, while looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for my toddler, I came across a rocking horse. This rocking horse had seen better days. She was missing an eye, had chips and scuffs all across her body and hair a mess! My toddler has a rocking horse at his grandparents house that he loves but we don’t get to see his grandparents often. So for $6 I decided to take the rocking horse home with me and see if I could give her a second life in time for Valentine’s Day.
Part majestic, part disheveled, this rocking horse was certainly full of character. I knew I had a long road ahead of me to get her gift-ready. The material used as hair was matted, torn, and dusty - it was the first thing that had to go.
After removing the mane and tail, I got my first real look at what I was working with. I removed the one remaining googley eye and as much of the glue as I could. I wiped her down with a wet cloth and put some soap and elbow grease into the areas that needed it most. It was at this point that I began to question if I had taken on more than I bargained for. I planned on stripping the paint and unveiling some beautiful natural wood underneath (like one of those home makeover shows), but upon further inspection I noticed several gashes in the wood that had be filled with some sort of white wood filler. If I were to strip the paint, all of those spots would become visible. Onto Plan B: prime and repaint the horse instead!
In preparing the horse for a fresh coat of paint I disassembled it fully, taking extra care to label where each screw I remove should be returned. I labeled individual baggies with the corresponding body part and put all hardware together for easier re-assembly. I also wrote in pencil on the pieces themselves which leg was right vs. left so that as I moved things around I was able to keep track of where it all originated.
Note: When you start priming, you will inevitably paint over the markings you left yourself. I eventually transferred my notes to the cardboard where I put the pieces to dry and was careful to always return them to the same spot after each coat of paint.
I sanded down the rough spots and now it’s time for paint. I went to Home Depot and followed the Paint Expert’s recommendations to the letter. The primer I used is Kilz2 All-Purpose Interior/Exterior Primer (1 quart) and the paint is BEHR Dynasty Egyptian Pyramid in Satin Finish (1 quart). I recommend them both highly, they worked incredibly well. The Paint Expert sold me on the fancy-pancy BEHR paint. You probably don’t have to go “Dynasty” level, but they guarantee a one-coat application and I wanted this thing to last.
This is the rocking horse after one coat of paint. As advertised, one coat is all it needed. While at Home Depot, I snagged a wooden dowel to replace the missing handlebars on my rocking horse. My thrifted find was turning into a bit of a splurge - $48 spent at Home Depot in total. I know, I’ve spent significantly more on paint than the horse itself. But the primer and paint will come in handy for future projects, so call it an investment in my thrifting journey.
I used some fabric and some leather I already had at home - investments from a previous project - to cover the seat and make new ears. If you don’t already have these items at home, this brown leather and red linen blend fabric are similar to what I used. The dowel I bought at Home Depot was a bit more narrow than the handlebar opening. I decided to wrap it with leftover leather to make soft leather handlebars - I ended up being so happy with this touch. Now she’s starting to look like a horse again!
What completed the rocking horse was her new mane and tail. I purchased the set from Rocking Horses Canada on Etsy for $23. Working with Bob was an absolute dream! They helped me choose the size mane that was right for my rocking horse and even made some customizations to the tail to fit my needs. Attaching them was straight forward, I followed Bob’s directions to apply glue at the seam and then nail in the mane using the nails he provided. There were a few different options for applying the tail. I ended up using a screw to secure it to the back of my horse.
I am SO happy with how the rocking horse turned out - and I finished it in time for Valentine’s Day! The premium paint supplies pushed the project budget higher than expected ($77 total), but rocking horses like this one retail for over $300 so I still call it a win. I'm thrilled to have exactly what I wanted and to have given a perfectly good horse a second life.
If you take on a project like this, I’d love to see how it turns out! My toddler loved watching each stage of the process as I rebuilt this rocking horse. We picked out the colors and fabrics together. And now when people come to the house he proudly points to his horse and says, “Look! Mommy made it!” I love thinking about the core memories he will have of him and his mom working together to make something beautiful.
With love,
