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Birthday boy enjoying his new rocking dinosaurAn old rocking horse got a new lease on life as this upcycled rocking dinosaur I made for my nephew's birthday. Made entirely from left over materials from other Bunnings projects, this Dino is made mostly from MDF, and took me about a day and a half to complete.
Materials
- 16mm MDF - link
- Green Water Based Paint - link
- An old repurposed rocking horse
- A repurposed pillowcase
- Pine shorts - link
- Dowl rod - link
- Gloss spray sealer - link
- Zinsser Primer - link
Tools
Ryobi jigsaw - link
Ryobi drill - link
Ryobi circular saw - link
Ozito detail sander - link
Steps
Step 1
First step was to disassemble my old rocking horse. Due to its age it had seen a few better days but the base was still perfect and I hated the idea of the entire thing in landfill.
After removing the horse's body, I was left with a sturdy wooden base, perfect for my project.
Step 2
The next step was to draw my design. I used some scrap cardboard packaging to draw out a template for the dinosaurs body, arms, legs, base board and seat. I did this free hand, correcting the shapes until I was happy with the final design.
Step 3
After testing the scale of my final design on the rocking base, I traced the cardboard pattern onto a sheet of 16mm MDF and used my Ryobi 18v jigsaw to carefully cut out each piece.
Using my Ryobi circular saw, I cut a length of pine dowel approximately 20cm long, to be used as handles. I also cut two pieces of 'pine short' to be the appropriate height of my dinosaur. These pieces will go between the Dino legs, giving it strength and bearing the weight, when my nephew hops on the dinosaur seat.
Step 4
After carefully cutting each piece, I used a combination of my Ozito detail sander and hand sanding sheets to sand each piece.
This helped remove any rough edges, ready the surface for painting and rounded the corners of the MDF, making it more suitable for a children's toy.
I also gave the original rocking horse base a quick sand to remove any old wood stain and prepare it for the paint.
Step 5
The next step was to prime each piece of MDF, the pine short and the base of the Dino.
After applying a coat of Zinsser smart prime - link.
I waited for it to dry and applied 3 coats of a green Dulux sample pot which I had left over from another project.
I then used some other left over sample pots to draw on the dinosaurs features, such as his polka dots, smile and eyes.
When my coats of paint were dry, I used a gloss spray sealer to create a lasting finish and give each piece a lovely shine.
Step 6
The next step was to assemble the pieces.
Using my Ryobi drill and some Phillips head timber screws, I secured the base plate to the rocking base. I then secured both pine shorts to the base. From there, I simply attached each piece of the dinosaur to those shorts, before finishing the assembly with the seat plate.
Step 7
Now It was time for some last minute touches.
Using my Ryobi drill, I drilled a large hole though the neck of the dinosaur, allowing me to slip the pine dowel through, creating a handlebar. I cut the hole as small as I could, ensuring a snug fit.
I then upcycled an old pillow case and some left over foam to sew a nice soft padded cushion for the dino's seat.
Step 8
Finally it was time to deliver it to the birthday boy.
Step 9
He was all smiles when it came to his new favourite toy.
Hello @JessicaSmith
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your dinosaur rocking chair project.
It's great that you've managed to re-purpose the rocking chairs swinging leg pieces. I have to say that using a dinosaur as the new ride on animal was just inspirational. I'm sure your nephew's eyes lit up the first time he saw it. I suspect that your new problem will be to convince him to get off the ride and go for a nap.
Again, thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful project.
Eric
