DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Trojan Horse Paper Craft

contributed by Leanne Guenther

This is a simple three dimensional craft that can be done "just for fun" or an Ancient Greece theme.

During the Trojan war, the Greek army built a giant wooden horse and left it at the gates to Troy.  The Trojans wheeled the horse inside, thinking it was a symbol of victory.  But Greek soldiers hid inside the horse and leapt out to attack the Trojans during the night -- ending the 10 year siege of Troy.

Materials:

• two bamboo skewers or drinking straws
• something to color with if using the B&W version,
• scissors,
• glue or tape,
• paper,
• printer,
• Optional:  thin cardboard (like cardstock or old cereal boxes)

Instructions:

• Print out the template of choice.
• Optional:  Glue the templates onto thin cardboard and let dry.  This will make the horse sturdier if you plan to play with the horse, but isn't necessary if you're just displaying it.
• From template 3, fold the rectangular piece where indicated.
• Glue or tape this piece to the two yoke pieces right where the cuts end (where the thick dotted line ends on the yoke pieces)
• Fold the final piece from template 3 where indicated (the base).
• Insert the base between the two horse pieces (from templates 1 and 2).  Wrap the folded pieces of the base over the edge of the horse piece and glue or tape to secure.
• Push the slits of one of the yoke pieces over the top of the horse pieces, just in front of the tail.
• Push the slits of the other yoke piece over the top of the horse pieces, just behind the mane.
• If using drinking straws, use a hole punch to punch holes in the center of each wheel and on the dots at the bottom of the horse pieces -- slide your drinking straws through these holes and trim the straws if you like
• If using bamboo skewers, just stab through the wheels and dots on the bottom of the horse pieces with your skewers.
• Set your Trojan Horse before the gates of Troy and hope they fall for it!

Templates:

• All 3 templates are needed in order to build one horse.
• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Template 1      (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 2      (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 3      (color)   or   (B&W)

Print friendly version of these instructions

Check out the Story of the Trojan Horse