FORELEGS: See instructions for Elephant on page 7. Make somewhat
thinner.
HEAD: Cut toe from sock (Figure 2). Turn inside out and seam. Turn right
side out and stuff. Sew to neck (Figure 3). The head can be placed at
various angles (Figure 4). Shape nose, making it a little longer for the
donkey.
TAIL: For the donkey braid a fairly thin tail from yarn or other
material with a tuft-like tip. For the pony make the tail much fuller.
EARS: For the donkey, cut two long ears from sock (Figure 5) and two
from brown felt. Sew sock and felt pieces together, leaving an opening
for turning. Turn right side out and insert shaped pieces of wire
(Figure 6). (See page 33 for tips on wiring.) Sew ears to head, pleating
in front to curl the ears a little. For pony, cut shorter ear pieces and
omit wire.
FEATURES: For nostrils, embroider two tear-shaped patches in brown yarn.
For eyes, use two leaf-shaped pieces of black felt sewn to each side of
the head. Over each piece, sew a flat button slightly smaller than the
felt. To shape the mouth, make a long stitch with brown yarn across the
lower front of the face and pinch sock around the mouth stitching to
form lips (Figure 7).
MANES: A variety of materials can be used for manes. Remember that the
donkey’s mane is much thinner and stringier than a pony’s mane. For the
donkey, strands of black yarn can be used or a piece of black felt can
be cut in a saw-tooth shape with long teeth.
TRIM: Bridles can be made from colorful leatherette. Sew pretty buttons
over pieces that are stitched together to hide the joints (Figure 8). A
short piece of chain will serve as a bit. For the donkey, make a
colorful “blanket” with tasseled edges. Little packs, made from the toes
of old colored socks can be sewn to the blanket to heighten the effect.
For the pony, make a shorter “saddle blanket” and add a saddle made from
an oval piece of leatherette.