d.i.y: holiday unicorn

you too can have a holiday unicorn!

Most of my d.i.y. posts are actually useful, so it was time for something…silly. Last summer I spent a smoky day trapped inside and played with making some unicorn horns. I never remembered to blog about it, but it was entertaining.

obviously too much time on my hands…

tree headband inspiration!

When I saw a Christmas tree headband at the craft store, inspiration struck…Major needed to be a holiday unicorn! You can theme this in any colors or patterns you like (rainbow holiday would be epic), I went with ugly holiday sweater (since I already had the materials) but you could go classy too (but this is more fun I think!)

all the stuff (and more!)

Materials list:
8.5 x 11 (or larger) green felt
8.5 x 11 scrap paper
small scrap cardboard
elastic, most any width will do, approx 24" long
random ribbon, yarn, string, pompoms, tiny ornaments, whatever you can find
standard scissors, ruler, glue (hot glue is best, white/fabric glue will work)
optional: glitter, cup of tea…

This is pretty easy, but just a few fiddly steps along the way:

template on paper

cut out onto the felt

Gather your materials and draw a template on your paper. Keep the top size about 1", as you'll need that extra to overlap later. Now cut the shape out of the felt.

glue the edge, and your fingers, to make a cone

Gluing the edge is the most fun you can have while burning yourself with a glue gun. (OK, seriously, be careful, but I took no permanent damage!) The overlap of each edge will be about 1/4 inch, no measuring needed, bring the edges together and add a bead of glue, attach, and continue the length of the cone.

basic cone/horn is complete!

cut a circle (about 3"), from the leftover felt

stuffy stuff stuff (use a pencil/skewer to get to the point)

At this point you can trim the bottom of the cone flat, and cut a circle from leftover felt which will cover the bottom a bit later. Now you can stuff the cone! I used some leftover batting, but newspaper, paper towels, cotton balls, lots of things would work. Make sure it is stuffed pretty tight (no floppy horns wanted!).

add support cardboard with holes for elastic

thread elastic through holes

now add the final fill and glue on the bottom

Now a fiddly bit: To keep the felt from tearing and support the elastic, glue support cardboard to each side on the inside of the cone. Poke holes in both sides (I used an exacto knife but a nail would be great) and thread your elastic through. You can estimate, I cut mine about 24 inches, which is extra long but worked great. Put in a little extra fluff and glue your circle to the bottom.

glued and ready for decoration

ribbon twisted around, tack at top and bottom with glue

Now the fun begins. Choose a string/ribbon/yarn and glue it into the top. Then twist the ribbon around, pulling a bit, so the felt bulges a little (just like a REAL unicorn horn!). Then glue it again to the bottom, and your basic horn is done!

all the sparkly decorations!

in process: glitter everywhere, pompom party galore!

Now glue on all the little decorations you like. I had pompoms and random silver stars, but beads, tiny ornaments, even just more pretty ribbon or rickrack would be cute. Place and glue until you get to something you like. Then add a few more, just because. Now just pick off all the little hot glue hairs that have stuck all over, I'll wait…

made a fun star because…glitter!

ugly holiday sweater unicorn horn complete!

Your horn is done! Now go try it on your horse. Major just LOVED his horn…I'm sure he is already plotting ways to get back at me. Watching him walk and trot with the horn bouncing along was the best thing I'd seen in a long time. I hope your horses become holiday unicorns too!

unicorn bowing to me (looking for treats!)

more pictures, really?! My unicorn really needs more forelock

shadow unicorn

unicorn is done posing and plotting my demise

storm prep

better head back soon!

It looked like it would finally rain, so I did the most important preparation first: go riding of course! Under ominous skies, but no rain, we went for a short ride to an overlook, never tired of that view! On the way back I took an almost unused trail, scrambled over a fallen tree, and found an awesome deer skeleton not yet torn completely apart. Hoping to go back and get the skull and antlers later!

cool deer skeleton!

clouds and sunset over the meadow

little live deer watched us heading home

But then back to the stable for some storm prep. All the horses live out, in pastures with shelters, and the first rain always gets super muddy. Last year I bought a straw wattle partway through the year, and it was great to control runoff (which wants to run right through Major's gate into the pasture). Major was really into helping this year, and thought it was the worst slow-feed hay net of all time.

worst. hay bag. ever.

not me, I'm not up to nothing!

Even when I trimmed the wattle into two and took out some of the crappy straw (which he would not eat) he was convinced something tasty lay inside. But he wandered off (oh, so innocent) and seemed to lose interest.

Coming back the next day I found Major had taken it upon himself to rearrange my drainage solution. Thanks buddy! Now I can move the heavy, wet, muddy wattle back in place. I can't stake them down as I think he'll find a way to hurt himself, so until they're less interesting (re: muddy!), we are battling back and forth design solutions!

thanks Major, nice rearranging

is this food too?

After putting the wattles back we went for a walk. Major was interested to see another slow-feed net installed on the lane. Um no, ignore THAT one at least, let's go into the forest. Even after one rain the moss and lichen rocks are now exploding green, and the air is so crisp. The forest has sucked up all the rain (no puddles yet!), with more on the way. We'll just do our exploring with muddier feet…

now green shark rock (or half-moon rock, depending on your point of view!)

monday moment: majestic

Major's official registered name is Majestik Mirage. (As a person who spends a lot of time editing and was a journalism major, the incorrect spelling drives me crazy.). What better way to picture Majestik (the horse) than with a majestic oak (I thought!).

This is for anyone who has wondered if he ever takes a bad picture…

hey silly, no snacking and a tree growing out of your head

can your head BE any larger

um, awkward tree, but good pose

that's better, still a bit big head, but I'll take it

thankful 2019

Thanksgiving is always a good reminder to stop and think a bit. While that idea is completely trite, sometimes the obvious is not appreciated.

I'm thankful for a roof over my head, clothes and a car gets me around.

painted the house! (mostly, garage is not done)

can't match, but comfy

good car

For food, pets, friends and family who are along for the ride.

mandarin milkshake

love the neighbor cat

sparkly Tahoe and SO

Major and friends hiding in the trees

And for Major, who does all he can to annoy me, but we're both the better for it.

major side-eye questioning me

always happy to explore around the next corner

trail rides chasing shadows

Happy Thanksgiving!

pumpkin spice

all pumpkins scream this season

It is pumpkin spice season, and I don't mean the not-actually-pumpkin-just-spices addition to your favorite beverage.

golden grassy trail

branches sunset

I mean PUMPKIN orange SPICE naughtiness, otherwise know as fall high-jinks! Cooler weather (well, that's relative, it's been in the 70s during the day!) have led to many rides where few photos are taken because two hands on the wheel are needed at all times. Plus, it might not help that a lovely fellow blogger (yes, YOU, out yourself if you want!) sent me some pumpkin candies that I just had to share (a successful treat!)

mmm, thank you!

Between that and the anxiety that OMG I'm going to be late for dinner because it is dark thirty already, and Major thinks he is going to turn into a pumpkin if it is past dinner time, there have been some, umm, exciting rides lately.

hazy day at the lake

river sparkly

obey the speed limit Major

Oh, and the lake trail is open, which led to some conversations that because you can see open sand in front of you it does not mean run. Sigh, I think many people deal with this silliness in fall, I just seem to forget until it is upon me!

cool lake rocks

But we had a great ride in Auburn (though we did not ride home like Major wanted) and to Rattensake Bar (where we did not take the short-cut to swim across like the lake like Major implied) and we did find a tiny orange traffic cone on the trail the other day (random? Mine!) and Major had to stand until I tied it to the saddle, so much work!

all the orange spice (see that face, that is AFTER the ride!)

But there are some quiet moments too. On a recent hike I was just burned out, a too-long day at work, and just leaned onto him in the forest, and he stood quietly. Then I hopped on bareback ("hopped" means I found a higher bank to get on, though there should have been video, my first attempt I threw myself OVER my horse onto the opposite side and he just looked at me on the ground! Winter fur is slippery!)

bareback golden weeds

at least it is dust, not mud?

I hope everyone is enjoying the shorter desperate days before darkness, I mean lovely fall season, with with spicy horses of your own!

early dark thirty

haunting

Who says unicorns are all cute and rainbows?

My favorite holiday (and not just because of orange!) has been a bit of a downer this year, between having no power since last Saturday and my hometown of Healdsburg burning in the Kincaid fire. Halloween seemed a bit (gasp) silly with friends evacuating and social media updates of thousands of acres burnt overnight.

So I did not get to finish Major's costume, though I did find a terrifying unicorn when in Tahoe last weekend (in-town decorations are made by local grade-school classes). I love that the class wanted to make a unicorn eating a skeleton? And that the skeleton is like "oh no, not again."

The scariest thing Major has seen recently was the stupid wrong-place bench on the trail. It gets a serious side-eye every time, but maybe he sees a ghost sitting on it?

Hopefully soon friends can go home to their homes, I'll have power and water again, and crazy life in California will go on. Until then, I think I need some more of that Halloween chocolate…

the last thing you see…

conversations with major: ping pong

thwarted by driftwood

Nope, can't go that way.
I can!
No, there is too much debris, we'll find another spot.
It looks more fun down there!
I know, wait, here, we can leave the upper trail… 
 

do we have to go that way?

Grass! Geese! Waves! Go fast! Sand! More grass! Wheee! Ack rocks! Egret!
Ok, dude, you must chill.
But it’s so fun, and exciting, and oh, look!!
It’s a tiny motorboat.
I hear people!
They’re on the other side of the lake.
Why are we stopped?! Let’s go!
Sigh... 
 

boats, things, exciting!

Look, more geese, chasing geese!
Just let them fly off into the lake.
Eek, waves!
Dude, the geese made those waves when they landed in the water.
Water splashed around, it was scary.
No it wasn’t, you’re just being silly.
Maybe...

Major the giraffe (and "my" rock)

Slow down, I want to take a picture of “my” rock.
There could be things over there! I should keep a lookout!
There ARE things over there.
Wait, what?!!!
Trees, sand, rocks.
No, THINGS.
Just walk ping pong silly boy.

We can’t go that way. It’s still a scary swamp. Think we can carefully work our way through the driftwood debris to the upper trail.
Home! Dinner!
Careful, go here.
Crash, big step, sideways turn, more crashing. Sure, here we are! I made it!
Umm, maybe slower next time. That word was “careful.”
I’m fine, so I did it right!
You’re technically kind-of right, but no, next time slower. 
 

sunset grassy knoll

Run away!
Excuse me, no, there are not monsters chasing us from the lake.
Could be.
Is that an excuse for trying to bolt up the hill?
Maybe?
You are full. Of. It.
What am I full of? I haven’t had dinner yet?
It. You’re full of it. Ridiculousness.
Hmm, no. Disagree.
Well, that’s nice, but you still have to walk. 
 

upper trail to go around the swamp section

Woah, tree!
Tree you've seen a 1000 times is scary?
Different today, gotta keep an eye on it.
No, it’s not, guess you're still full of silly. Let's head home.

golden trail home

You must be pretty happy Major.
Why?
You’re just walking home on a loose rein, enjoying the golden sun with me.
I guess it’s just nice to be out.
Agreed Major, agreed.