Rocking Horse Makeover DIY

from ordinary to extraordinary

I say this all the time but I think this Rocking Horse Makeover may be one of my all time fave makeovers! During Christmas while shopping at Marshalls I spotted this adorbs wooden rocking horse and swiftly put him in my cart! Not sure if it was a Holiday decor but I knew it would fit perfectly in our home!

He has been sitting in the corner of my living room and I finally got around to funkifying him yesterday. If you missed it you can watch the replay here https://fb.watch/i1bF2MVdPB/

I did not want to change the rustic look of this horse but did want to give him some pizzazz and what better way than with Wood U Bend! I quickly made it one of a kind with an applique for a saddle and some decorative trim placed on his halter and whatever that thing is called around his mouth (I love horses but don’t know the terminology for each piece of gear)!

wood u bend

Wood U Bend is so easy to use and when heated up with a heat gun it becomes flexible, bendable and easily can be manipulated to curve around whatever you are working on. You can shop Wood U Bend here https://woodubend.us.com/ref/RoyaleFunkyJunque/. They also have an extensive line of Posh Chalk materials including stencils, pastes, decoupage paper and lots of other amazing finds. Happy Shopping! LOL

You can see another piece I made using Wood U Bend here https://royalefunkyjunque.net/whimsical-stag-head/

How to apply wood u bend

Always apply Wood U Bend with wood glue! I use gorilla wood glue and you can find that in most stores or here on Amazon https://amzn.to/3WaWnYf. It dries super fast and has a fabulous bond with Wood U Bend! You can paint your WUB either before you attach it or after! For this project I chose to stain the pieces of Wood U Bend with a color wash tint from Hobby Lobby in the color French Roast https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Stencils-Craft-Paints/Acrylic-Craft-Paints/French-Roast-Tattered-Angels-Color-Wash-Tint/p/80933680

I wanted to give the horse some depth and dimension without the look of paint so stain was the perfect solution! I heated up the WUB and measured to where I needed each piece and then stained it. Once dry I then added the wood glue and pressed on. Giving it heat right after you apply it also helps the glue grip faster and while the WUB is warm you are able to move it and shape it to your item! Worked like a charm!

I did add some Antique Gold Rub n Buff https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Stencils-Craft-Paints/Leafing/Antique-Gold-Rub’n-Buff/p/1415 to the detail of the WUB pieces and it just made all that detail pop.

To finish off the horse I added small crystals scattered throughout from the Totally Dazzled Rhinestone Applicator Kit https://bit.ly/2V2mOSM in shades of amber and gold. I even added crystals to his eyes for a little sparkle!

result

I am over the moon at the end result and hope you get inspired to create your own magic!

P.S. I still need to finish the one side of him on the bottom but I ran out of stain and the end pieces! But he will get finished as soon as I restock!

Xoxo

Kathy