What do you need?
a horse cookie cutter
air drying clay
a wooden skewer
gouache or acrylic paint, happy colours
black and white paint
paint brushes
a large paperclip
pen, to bend over
bending pliers
cutting pliers
The Swedish Dala horses have been a popular souvenir for tourists for many years. Nowadays they are available in all sizes and colours, but in the beginning all wooden Dala horses got the same orange-red bath. Then the decorations were hand-painted in cheerful colours. These horses have gone all over the world. Today we make small Dala horses, from clay, for the Lucia Celebration.
How to make a Swedish Dala Horse from clay
Knead the clay until soft.
Flatten the clay.
Rool it to 2 - 2.5cm thickness.
Cut out the horses.
Dispose of the clay around the cutter.
Gently push the horse out of the mold.
Poke holes in the back of your horse.
Turn the horses over occasionally.
Allow the clay to dry completely.
Allow the clay to dry for at least a few days, preferably a week, then the horses are ready to be painted
Mix the orange paint with a drop of the red paint.
Paint the top side of the horses and all around the edge.
Allow the paint to dry completely.
Paint the back of your horses orange as well.
Paint the decorations on your horse with 1 colour at a time and let the paint dry in between, start with white
Let the paint on the back of your horse dry completely again.
Now you can decorate your horse with various pretty colours.
Here you can take a closer look at the decorated horse.
Bend a large paperclip and stick it through the hole in the back.
Your Dala horse is ready, you may hang it on the Christmas tree.