With love from Grandpa! Esa built an incredible horse stable for his granddaughter Anni

What a wonderful horse stable! How did you come up with the idea?

My granddaughter Anni sent me a photo of the horse stable she was dreaming about and said this was what she needed. I started looking online for more pictures of similar stables. I asked Anni for the measurements of her toy horses and began making plans for building the stable. It ended up looking a lot like the models we found online, except it’s entirely made of wood.

The horse stable has many small details that required nimble fingers to craft. Photos: Esa Nivola

All of the materials were ones Esa already had on hand.

How much work was it to build the horse stable?

There were many different steps: sawing, sanding, screwing, gluing, and sometimes waiting for the glue to dry. I didn’t keep a precise record, but building the stable took quite a few hours. The trickiest parts were the stall bars and other details that required routing. They definitely called for a steady hand. At times, I did think it would have been easier to just buy a stable ready-made!

How did Anni react when she saw the finished horse stable?

She burst into tears. She could hardly get a word out when she picked it up. Apparently, once she got home, she immediately messaged her friends, and the very next day, they came over to check it out.

It felt wonderful to see Anni so happy. I also felt proud that the finished horse stable turned out just the way she wanted. Woodworking is something I enjoy anyway, but it’s especially nice to see my grandchildren’s excitement and joy.

Esa printed pictures of stable doors from the internet, then tinted and varnished them. He cut the pictures along their outlines and glued them onto the stable doors. Finally, he varnished the doors again so the pictures would stay put.

Do you do a lot of woodworking?

I work on all sorts of projects for my children and grandchildren. I built both of my daughters dressers with diaper-changing stations on top. I’ve also made hope chests for my grandchildren. For Anni, I’ve built jumps for her hobbyhorses. At Christmas, I enjoy making various wooden decorations that have lights inside.

The finished horse stable in all its glory! Thanks to the installed lights, it’s even fun to play with in low light.

Is your next woodworking project already planned?

Well, the horse stable will need tack rooms and storage next! I do have projects of my own in mind for next winter, but for now, I’m going to enjoy my summer vacation.