Dollar Store Bunny becomes a Farmhouse Style Easter Vase

This post is so hard to name, its a dollar store Easter craft, its a dollar store bunny refinish project, its cheap farmhouse Easter decor, its an Easter craft for adults, or a DIY Easter centerpiece maybe?  This is one of those instances where a picture really is worth a thousand words.

The dollar store version is super cute actually but too juvenile for our age group.  The Buffalo Check bunny is made to match this other Dollar Store Bunny craft project I posted a couple week’s ago.  I bought them together and am glad to have the bunnies in my stash.  With the silly virus no one but me and you are going to see them though.   

This year I planned on surprising my family by using bold  black, white, buffalo plaid and yellow for our decor. Instead of the annual pastel Easter colours that I really do enjoy.  It was fun to do something different,  although I wish my grand daughters could have seen it and taken the bunnies home with them.  Oh well 🙁 I sure miss them, but we all know that feelings eh?

Dollar Store Bunny Refinish

To make this you Easter craft you will need white paint, black paint, a buffalo check stencil, assorted bits of ribbon or strips of fabric, some twine and a mason jar.  My vase cost $2.00 for the Easter Bunny, the rest was leftovers. 

As this dollar store bunny had a large Easter egg front I used a round shape to make it look like a chubby belly, and Hubs kindly cut it out for me using the scroll saw.  

Because my dollar store bunny had a hole on top for hanging, I filled it in with wood filer.  Then came sanding and then two coats of white  paint. I used Picket Fence Fusion mineral paint but any white paint will work well. Paint two layers letting the paint dry well between coats.

Painting the Easter Bunny

If you don’t have a buffalo check stencil at home, I suggest saving yourself a bunch of money and spending the time to cut one out on your cutting machine.  

Here is the link to the pattern I bought.  I am not an affiliate but thought you’d find it handy.  I did recently see a buffalo check stencil at a local dollar store, you may want to take a look at your local dollar store.  

Stenciling Buffalo Check

To paint the buffalo check plaid, I laid down the stencil on an angle across the bunny. Then I dipped just the very end of the paint brush into the paint. Then wiped most of it off onto a paper towel, and then started to apply the paint to the stencil painting from the outside of each square towards the inside of each square.  

It may take a couple of paint dips to finish each square before proceeding on to the next one.

While I was painting the Easter bunny , I gave a mason jar one coat of white primer and two coats of fusion Picket Fence paint.  I painted both the inside and the outside of the jar.

Now we have the Easter bunny done, lets go ahead and make the vase.  ( I did some little bunny feet in the above pic, but I disliked how they looked when added so I tossed them.)

Attaching the Jar to the Bunny

Place the mason on the counter and then place the Easter bunny behind it.  With a pencil mark two holes on each side of the jar between the little rims where the mason jar lid screws on.  Drill the holes out.

Cut a three foot length of  twine.  Starting from the back and pulling to the front, thread the twine through the hole on each side. 

Once pulled through adjust the twine so that both tails are even, tie a knot to hold in place.  Wrap the twine around the mason jar. Pull through to the back and tie a second knot.

If the hole gets too tight, use a punch to push the twine through the Easter bunny. 

Finish the wrapping at the front and tie with a simple knot and bow.  

Adding a Small Messy Bow 

Using rags, ribbon, and twine, cut 2 – 6″ piece of each type of fabric, and then 2 – 10″ pieces for the twine.  I did not do this to begin with the the round shape of the twine makes it MUCH harder to tie.  Adding the extra length to the twine made is much easier.

Pair and then stack all your ribbons and the twine together.  Wrap it around your hand. 

In order to hold the twine very snug I suggest using dental floss instead of twine to make a bunch out of your ribbon. 

Squeeze the wrapped ribbon flat and wrap the middle well with the dental floss and tie securely.

Cut the ends of both circles, and fluff out your ribbon.

To attach the messy ribbon to the bunny, cut a one foot piece of ribbon or twine. Wrap the ribbon around the dental floss to hide it and then wrap it around one ear of your bunny and secure it in the back with a knot.  Trim off any dental floss and ribbon.  

Fill the vase with fresh or faux flowers.

Here is another similar post I thought you may like. Its also very cheap to make and a little quicker then the buffalo check rabbit is.

DIY Self Sitter Easter Egg Hunt Sign and Bunnies