Here’s a neat idea for a distinctly horse themed craft! Make a horseshoe picture frame with minimal supplies. Gather up some old horseshoes and get ready to create an adorable piece of wall decor for your house or barn!
The Horseshoe
If you have ever spent time around horses, chances are good that you might have encountered a horsehoe or two (or 100). Horseshoes are typically made from metal and have been used for many centuries. The primary purpose of a horseshoe is to protect a horse’s hooves from wear and tear.
Some horseshoes are glued to the hoof, though the majority are nailed into the part of the hoof with little-to-no feeling (similar to a toenail on a human).
Typically, horseshoes can be used for several weeks to several months before they need to be replaced.
You might also be familiar with the notion that horseshoes are regarded as a lucky symbol!
Where to Get Horseshoes
If you own a horse who wears a horseshoe, you likely have access to his old horseshoes. They will work great for this craft. If your horse isn’t shod with shoes, ask your lesson barn or reach out to a local farrier (blacksmith). They might have old shoes collecting dust that you can have.
If none of those options are available, you can buy horseshoes.
We used one of our pony’s old shoes for this project. It was an older, rusty shoe and it looked great after a couple coats of paint!
Horseshoe Picture Frame Supplies
To make this picture frame craft, you will need the following:
- Horseshoe
- Spray paint (We used a silver metallic spray paint.)
- Tape (painter’s tape or masking tape)
- String or ribbon
- Scissors
- Picture for frame
How to Make Horseshoe Picture Frame Craft
1. First up, you will need to paint your horseshoe. This is the most time consuming part of this craft and that is only due to the drying time needed for the paint. I always recommend spray painting outside on a non-windy day.
Lay your horseshoe on a flat surface (cardboard boxes or paper bags work great). Spray several layers of paint on the back of the shoe (I sprayed 3 layers total on the shoe shown in this post). Allow the back some time to dry.
Once the back of the shoe has dried, flip it over and repeat the paint process on the front of the horseshoe. Lay the shoe out until it has dried completely.
2. You will need to trim your picture to fit the horseshoe frame. I laid the horseshoe upside down and used a pen to trace where I wanted to cut the picture.
3. Once the picture is trimmed to your liking, it is time to tape it in place. At first I was going to use glue, but tried painter’s tape and was happy with how it held the picture in place. (And it was nice to skip the mess of glue!)
4. The final step is to tie some string or ribbon through the top hole on each side of the horseshoe! Stick the first side through and tie a knot on the backside of the shoe that is big enough that the knot won’t slip through. Repeat the process on the other side of the shoe.
That’s it! Your adorable picture frame is ready to hang. I stuck mine in my office, hanging from a single nail in the wall.
