Horse Head Sculpture Pattern
For Paper Mache
$12
This horse head sculpture pattern makes all the shapes for you.
Add a layer of paper mache or paper mache clay, and then paint it to match the colors of your favorite breed.
It will make an eye-catching addition to your home or office decor. Or make it as a gift for someone special. It will be treasured even more when you tell them you made it yourself.
How to make a horse head sculpture with this pattern:
Print the pattern on standard letter-sized or A4 paper and attach it to cardboard. Then tape the pieces together, following the instructions included in the pattern.
Then cover with paper mache or paper mache clay.
Sculpt a mane with crochet thread or yarn (the video below shows you how). Or scroll down to see how other readers created the mane for their sculptures
Bring it to life with acrylic paint, using the colors of your favorite breed.
Finished size: About 16 inches (40.64 cm) high, 14 inches (35.56 cm) wide and 6 inches (15.24 cm) deep.
My downloadable PDF Patterns come with full instructions.
There’s no waiting for your pattern to arrive, and no shipping costs, so you can start on your project right away.
Note: If you’ll be saving your pattern to and iPhone or iPad, those devices like to hide your downloaded files. You can scroll down this page to see how to find them.
And remember – if you have any problems downloading your files or putting your pattern together, just let me know. I’m always happy to help.
$12
Video #1: Putting Your Horse Sculpture Pattern Together
The pattern includes screen shots of every piece to show you how to put the pattern together, but be sure to watch the videos before you get started.
Video #2: Adding Paper Mache –
You can use all paper strips and paste, or all paper mache clay – or use them both, like I did. You can find recipes for paste and paper mache clay under the ‘recipes’ tab at the top of the site.
Video #3: Sculpting the Mane –
You don’t need to get quite as carried away as I did, but I do love this wind-swept mane. It was messy, but a lot of fun to make. The video also gives you a few ideas for making a mane with a different style or different materials. You can also see many more great ideas by scrolling down to see how other people have made horse sculptures with this pattern.
Video #4: Paint Your Horse –
I painted my horse very simply, with layers of paint but no fur or brush marks. There are many other ways to paint a horse, and you can find great horse painting videos on YouTube.
To make this paper mache horse sculpture you will need:
- Printer
- Copy paper or full-sheet labels
- Glue stick if using copy paper for pattern
- Cardboard from 2 standard-sized cereal boxes
- Pieces of corrugated cardboard from one or more shipping boxes
- Knife and sharp scissors for cutting cardboard
- Tape, both clear plastic tape and masking tape
- 2” Styrofoam ball, cut in half
- Aluminum foil
- Glue gun (or use masking tape instead)
- Paper strips and paste for ears and eyes, and paper mache clay* for everything else
- Crochet thread for the mane, or use yarn, jute, or material of your choice
- Small plastic bag and sand to add weight to the bottom
- Acrylic gesso or latex primer
- Acrylic paint and matte varnish
- Felt for the bottom
*You can find recipes for paper mache paste and paper mache clay in the Recipes tab at the top of this site.
$12
Do you have a question or need help with your pattern?
There are two ways to contact me: The fastest way to get an answer is to leave a comment below. I read all comments and answer them as soon as I can, usually within a few hours. One of my readers might also chime in to help – we have a very supportive community here on this site.
If you prefer to reach me privately, you can send me an email.
I get a ton of spam and I don’t want your email to get lost, so please put “paper mache” in the subject line so your email won’t be accidentally deleted. If you don’t hear back from me within 24 hours, assume the cyberspace gremlins ate your email, and try again. 🙂
Hi, I am trying to do the horse’s head but I think the 2 inches styrofoam ball is to big for the size of the head. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong? Thank you
Hi Karmen. That’s the size of ball I used. Most of the ball is hidden behind the cardboard, and you don’t see much of a curve when you look at the eye, but it seems to work. A smaller ball will work, too, if you want the surface of the eye to stick out more. Just be sure to use one that’s large enough so there’s no gaps at the corners of the eyes.
Hi Jonni, Love your patterns. I’ve made quite a few over the years and never needed any more direction than the great directions that come with the pattern. But I did run into a problem with the horse and your video came to the rescue. I found where I was making my mistake. Thank you so much for making the videos as well as selling the patterns at a really sweet price. I’ll have to post pictures of the work I’m made from your patterns. You’ll love it!
Thanks for everything.
Hi Mimi. I’m glad you enjoy the patterns, and that the video was helpful. I can’t wait to see your sculptures. 🙂
Hi Jonni,
I am looking to make a relatively life-size horse head to be fitted onto the base of the neck and the rest of a wooden body of a horse for a musical. Your horse head is very realistic, which is what we absolutely like, but I wonder would I be able to enlarge the pieces that make up your pattern?
We want it bigger to allow a student to stand in the chest area with it on their head. Do you feel that I can just enlarge your design after I download it?
Thank you!
Hi Lauren. Yes, you can enlarge the pattern to any size you need. I made a video that explains the process, and you can find it here. Have fun! 🙂
Hey Jonni, I love your designs. I am beginning a Welsh Heritage Society in my community. There is a welsh Christmas tradition called Mari Lwyd.
They use a horse’s skull. They dress it up and go caroling with it. Look it up, it’s very different from what I am use to. I was looking at your horse pattern as wondering if you had a pattern for the horse skull? Thanks for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, John Williams
Hi John. I don’t have a horse skull pattern, but someone on YouTube made this video about a goat skull. Different shapes, of course, but it’s a good technique. And Jane, one of my readers, wrote a post about her celebration of Mari Lwyd. You can see it here.
I absolutely love everything you make. Your videos are so well done and easy to follow. You are not only a great artist, but an excellent teacher as well. My question is, what brand of clear tape do you use? Mine does not seem to stick as strongly as your does.
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Hi Karen. I use the Scotch “Superhold” brand, but any clear tape should work – except the kind used for wrapping gifts. Are you using the “disappearing” tape, by any chance? If not, what brand are you using now?
I love your work and your explanations of how to work with paper mâché and PM clay. You had a video recently that you used brown paper strips and added a’ wood glue’(?) that made the masks (work on the head) light and very sturdy. Do you ever have videos on making these patterns? There are animals I would love to try and masks but can’t quite get them right without a pattern. Thank you for sharing your inspirational work and instructions on creating PM and all the parts that go into a piece (patterns, armature,PM clay, gesso etc) I’m very grateful.
Hi Katherine. I don’t have a video about making the patterns, because they take me so long that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to watch me do it. But have you tried making a clay model of your mask and putting the paper mache over it? I have a video for that here.
What are the approximate dimensions of the finished horse sculpture?
Do your patterns work reasonably well if they are proportionally enlarged? I’d like to try a life-size horse head.
Hi David. The finished sculpture is about 16 inches (40.64 cm) high, 14 inches (20.32 cm) wide and 6 inches (15.24 cm) deep. I believe it’s about half as big as a real horse head. A lot of people have enlarged the elephant head and the lion wall sculpture, and they came out nice. If all the pieces are enlarged at the same percentage, they should fit together. If you make one, I really hope you’ll let us see it when it’s done.
Perfect… thank you. You will definitely see it, and a Fox – both of which will be featured (as puppets) in a production of Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.