I am no stranger to an IKEA HACK and when I saw this moose (which is pretty cute on it’s own), I got to thinking… the red doesn’t match my color scheme and I wasn’t a fan of the piercing, but what if… And this furry rocking sheep was the result.

Keep reading for the how-to…

Supplies needed:

Moose
Sawzall or hand saw
Paint – Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
Faux Fur Fabric
Staple Gun and Staples
Band Saw
Sand Paper
Router
Fabric for ears (you could also use felt for a no-sew option) (blush colored inside)
Scissors
Sewing Machine (if you are sewing the ears like mine)
1″ upholstery Foam Step 1: draw out the new sheep profile on the moose head.
Step 2: cut out a piece of the nose to get the nose ring out (I prefer my animals non-pierced). I used a sawzall to make two cuts into the wood to the nostril to slide the ring out because despite my wrestling with the ring itself, I couldn’t bend it one millimeter. You want to get rid of the ring before taking it to the band saw.
Step 3: using the band-saw cut along the line you drew to reveal the new sheep profile.
Step 4: using a router follow along the new profile of the nose to match the finished edge of the rest of the moose.

Step 4: Sand down all the red pieces (except the seat, which you will notice I sanded and painted for no reason as it will be wrapped in fabric)
Step 5: Spray paint all the red pieces (except the seat). Since this is a child’s toy, I didn’t want to use your average toxic spray paint so instead I went to the local paint store and bought a quart of Benjamin Moore’s zero VOC paint and for $10 had the paint store create a can of spray paint with it. (I do have a paint sprayer which I could have used, but the project is so small and cleaning all those parts just for this didn’t seem worth it. It was $10 well spent).

While you are waiting for the paint to dry…
Step 6: cut off the antlers, leaving the middle piece to be the same width as the head (the little middle piece is all you’ll use).

Step 7: place the seat of the rocker on the 1″ foam and trace around it. Don’t worry about it being perfect, it is all covered in the end.

Step 8: cut a piece for the top and the bottom

Step 9: Assemble the sheepStep 10: Flip the sheep over and attach the foam to the bottom of the seat using a staple gun.

Step 11: Flip him back over and attach the top piece of foam in the same fashion (I only stapled the top with three staples. One on each side of the sheep’s neck at the very front and one behind the tail. I didn’t want any rogue staples getting Archer in the tush.

Step 12: Cut a 2′ x 2′ square of the fur fabric and drape it over the seat.

Step 13: Secure the fabric with a staple gun all around the edges of the underside of the seat.

Step 14: Make the ears! I just cut out an ear freehand but you can download a template I made for you here. I used this fabric for the underside and a white wool for the top. I’m not that great on the sewing machine but having a friend that is a master seamstress is quite handy. I passed my ear pieces off to her and she sewed the two bits of fabric together finishing them so beautiful, you’d think she was a professional ear sewer (hint: she actually is). You could also use a thick felt for a no-sew option.

Step 15: screw in the center nub from the antlers, onto the head and staple the ears (folded in half at the straight end) to secure.

Do this to both sides.

Step 16: cut a patch of the fur fabric to cover the antler nub and the rough ends of the ears. I secured mine with a combination of staples and glue. and how cute… now he has bangs.

Step 17: are you still with me? grab your tot and let him ride…

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and Archie seems to like it too. 🙂

See the dresser Ikea Hack here.

See the FULL NURSERY TOUR with all the product links and sources here.

Photos by Sarah Sherman Samuel