Tag Archives: Rabbit

Leaping Bunny Topiary Spring Indoor Garden Party Décor Ideas for Easter or even Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches

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Say goodbye to winter storms and hello to spring splendor with a vivacious indoor garden party resplendent with leaping bunny topiaries! Put away the pastels and embrace vibrant carrot oranges and greens echoing this time of growth. Add apropos messages spelled out in hedgerow letters declaring the true reason for the Easter season. Give lettuce-edged napkins the bunny ear treatment as a tongue-in-cheek homage to all those cherished family photos. Layer chevron patterning with textural fibers to modernize the fête’s décor, forming an ensemble proclaiming, “Hello Spring!”

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Crisp orange and white chevron fabric awakens the senses, making it the perfect underpinning for this little soiree. (My mother actually made this tablecloth, which is amazing for someone who has repeatedly stated, “I don’t sew.”)

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Layered on that are round raffia mats placed as chargers. Rustic sage green plates are topped with orange salad bowls filled with fresh garden salads of baby greens like kale, spinach, and chard, with orange heirloom cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers, fresh parsley, sprouted pumpkin seeds, and crunchy carrot croutons. (Find the easy recipe for it here.)

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Daily flatware is used, with the exception of the knives which have been exchanged with lovely patterned versions. (Mixing patterns is not only okay, but fantastic!)

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Orange burlap bunny ears napkin rings hold lettuce-edge napkins matching the sage plates. (Learn how to easily make your own rings here.)

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Understated water glasses were chosen as the only simple elements on the tablescape. Carrot lollipops with jute bows sit in place of dessert spoons. (Find them on sale at affiliate Oriental Trading Company. The link in the side bar adds a coupon with free shipping to your cart automatically.)

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Baby leaping bunny topiaries sprout from burlap covered carrot pots above each place setting. (Learn how to craft them easily here.) Tiny printable carrots act as place-cards for each invitee. (Snag my free printables here.)

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Big bunny mama springs from the center of the table in declaration of a beautiful life.

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Orange twine wrapped Easter eggs sit on the grass beneath her. Twine and crepe carrots suggest growth of one’s soul.

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Faith stands as the center of the celebration both literally and figuratively. (The hedgerow letters are bandaged with burlap and jute symbolizing that one may be battered, but not broken when one has such faith.)

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The side table holds another hedgerow spelling Believe. It sits with an additional egg enmeshed in a swirl of vibrant chevrons and burlap lilies.

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A green trunk elevates another bunny constructed of grapevines holding both faux farm eggs and green bird eggs.

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Above that a carrot wreath with my topiary printable hangs next to my banner. (Find the carrot wreath at affiliate Cost Plus World Market whose sale link is in the sidebar.)

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The end of my printable bunny and carrot banner sits close to a burlap carrot sign extending an honest welcome to all enter. (Get my free printables here.)

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Take an idea or two, or use all of my craft tutorials and free printables for your own indoor garden party that declares, “Hello Spring!”

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

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(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)

Easy DIY Leaping Bunny Topiary Craft Tutorials with Free Banner, Wreath, Place-card, Invitation, & Thank You Note Printables (for Easter, Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches)

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Make your own tabletop garden full of leaping bunnies for your next indoor garden party. DIY these easy projects 3-dimensionally or with my free printables… or mix and match the crafts as I’ve done here. Choose your own color and theme to embellish the bunnies with, or follow my lead and make burlap carrot pots to sprout your menagerie from. Better yet, keep the wraps, rosettes, and ribbons nonpermanent so the bunnies may be used again for another theme. Let these rascally rabbits transform your spring fling into a colossal cute –fest today!

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I’ve seen faux foliage covered bunny and bird ornaments as well as topiary picks at several stores locally, and online the choices are endless. Using one of these ready-mades is the quickest way to craft a 3-dimensional creature topiary. (I’ll tell you how to make 2 other types later.)

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Wrap small terra cotta pots with burlap fabric or ribbon, and cut after the overlap. Use dots of hot glue to adhere one side to the other. Avoid gluing the burlap to the pot if you’d like to reuse these with another theme, as I’ll be sure to do in the future. Trim the excess length off with scissors so that the pots sit flat on the table.

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Add a length of ribbon around the top and tie it in a taut bow. This is not only decorative, but is a trick to keep the burlap securely in place without having to glue it permanently.

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Fill each pot with a chunk cut to fit, from a large block of stryofoam. Wedge little chunks of stryofoam in between the large block and the wall of the pot until the large block has no wiggle room. This keeps your creation from drooping later.

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Glue ground cover to the top of your moss. Do this by cutting the green edges to fit the pot, and gluing those edges to the rim. I used faux earth meant for a table runner, but I’ve seen similar stuff in the form of placemats as well. Other options are faux Easter grass, moss ribbon, Astroturf, green burlap, or grass printed scrapbook paper (for the printable topiary).

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Cut stems, sticks, or dowels to jab into your ornaments, and wrap them with brown floral tape. If your animals are already on sticks, simply cut them to size with good sheers.

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It’s easier to embellish your bunnies before potting them. Double-wrapped a length of jute (or yarn, ribbon, twine) around each bunny neck and knot it loosely. Slip a burlap rosette under the jute so that it sits securely without glue.

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Make a pilot hole into the center of the green stuff. Do this carefully with any sharp point from an awl to a screwdriver. (I used a scissor side… but I have a tendency toward crafting dangerously.) Lastly, jab the bunny stick into the pilot hole.

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Continue crafting the rest of your rascally rabbits.

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Another option is cover a carved styrofoam shape with moss, as I have done with the larger bunny centerpiece. I’m not going to cover that in detail here because it took a lot more time, energy, and patience. If you choose to go that route, you can either purchase a ready-made animal shape, or carve one from a block of stryofoam yourself. Foam cutting knives are available that will make the job slightly easier.

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One way to add foliage is to cover your creation with moss ribbon as I have done. This is a kind of moss covered carpet tape. Cut it into pieces and round the edges, so that the animal shape may be completed in an unseen patchwork. Adhere the patches with hot glue, pressing firmly.

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 Embellish it with a burlap ribbon collar and flower, and pot it in the same way as I showed you earlier. I wanted to reuse the bunny topiary again for future themes, so I did not glue the collar to the bunny. I simply glued the flower to one end of a length of ribbon, and then wrapped the ribbon around the neck. I began with the blank end and looped it underneath. The weight of the flower resting on top of the opposite ribbon end kept it firmly in place. It will look completely different with a another color of base wrap and type of collar embellishment.

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The following are my leaping bunny printables (free for noncommercial use). Right click on the image you want to use, and select print. Choose color and photo settings for your printer, and print them on sturdy white cardstock.

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To make a paper topiary from my printables, begin by printing and cutting out the two opposite facing bunnies.

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Glue them together, back to back with a stick or popsicle stick in between. Pot the stick, as shown previously, and embellish it further with paper rosettes and ribbons.

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Cut out the carrots to use as place-cards that rest on your newly crafted topiaries. I printed mine, 2 sheets to a piece of cardstock, so that they would be smaller than the banner carrots.

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Another option for folded place-cards, is to print out the 5×7 invitations / thank you cards and fold them in half. Embellish them with tiny bows or paper flowers, and write guests’ names on them.

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Adding my leaping bunny topiary printable to the center of an existing wreath is an easy way to update a piece you already own and make it fit perfectly to your theme. (This carrot wreath came from Le fidèLe Design’s affiliate Cost Plus World Market. Find a link to them with up to date coupons in the side bar.)

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Make a banner with the bunnies and carrots by simply arranging them in a pleasing manner and taping the backs to jute, ribbon, twine, or yarn. I chose to criss-cross the carrots between the bunnies.

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A loop at each end makes it easy to hang with clear thumbtacks.

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You can also attach the carrots to readymade treat bags like the orange chevron one here. It’s filled with sprouted pumpkin seeds as a part of a healthy and tasty lunch. (See more of this along with the recipe here.)

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(Find the bunny ears napkin ring tutorial here.)

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

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(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)

Fast & Easy DIY Burlap Ribbon Bunny Ears Napkin Rings Craft Tutorial (Perfect for Easter, Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches)

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Why buy a set of bunny ears napkin rings when you can make your own for a fraction of the cost that suits your décor perfectly? This was the thought that sparked one of my cutest projects. 12 feet of 1 inch wide orange burlap ribbon was enough to make 6 rascally rabbit rings for my leaping bunny topiary theme, but many other ribbons would have worked just fine. Hot glue, scissors, and a ruler were the only tools needed to finish the napkin creatures in half an hour. What a perfect project for a spring “crafternoon”!

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Each bunny will use about 2 feet of ribbon, so plan accordingly. Note that one inch wide ribbon is the perfect size for this project. Cut 2 lengths of 7 inch strips for each ring… or 12 strips for a half dozen rings.

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Cut 2 lengths of 5 inch strips for each set of ears… or 12 strips for a half dozen rings.

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Fold each 5 inch strip in half, and press a crease into the folded edge. Lay down a thin strip of hot glue along each vertical side edge, in order to glue the fold into place permanently. (Try using a cool temp hot glue gun to avoid burning your fingers with the hole-filled burlap.) Leave the bottom non-folded edges unglued, forming a tiny sack. At the top folded edge, take the right corner and fold it over toward the center. Then take the top left corner, and fold it over the right one. It will make the top of each ear. Glue the folds into place with a dot of glue, under the left corner and over the right.

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With all your ears made, assembly line fashion, get started on attaching them to the rings. Take one of the 7 inch strips and fold it in half to locate its center. Cut centimeter length slits, about a centimeter away from that fold, perpendicular to the fold. (You just made two ear canals.) Fold the bottom open edge of an ear in half, and slip it into a slit opening. You should see about a half centimeter sticking out.

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Glue the outside of this protruding portion to the 7 inch ring strip. It should fan outward. Repeat with the other ear, making sure they’re facing the same direction.

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Take another 7 in strip of ribbon and glue it to the flat side of the bunny eared strip. The easiest way to begin is by gluing one end and tapping it into place. Continue on until the whole strip is joined. Make sure the ribbons are curved the same direction for a less troublesome experience.

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Form the ring by gluing one end of the long strip to the other, by slightly overlapping the edges. (You just made a bunny face.)

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Repeat this process until your rabbit warren is complete. (Know that they get easier after making the first one.)

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I used sage green cloth napkins with a seam that is actually called a lettuce edge. These folded beautifully into a roll with a top that resembled a small head of lettuce.

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These are perfect for an Easter party. (See more of the leaping bunny garden party here.)

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They’re also great to pull out for a spring lunch. (Find the carrot croutons / “bacon” bits recipe here.)

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I wanted orange bunnies to coordinate with my carrot décor, which no one even sells, so I made them with fall clearance ribbon… making the grand total for this project a whopping buck fifty!

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The best part of all, was receiving the genuine compliment that they were so much cuter than the stores’ versions. I hope you think so too. (Get the topiary craft tutorial and printables here.)

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Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

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(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Croutons / Vegan “Bacon” Bits Recipe for Spring Garden Salads (Perfect for Easter, Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches)

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This easy recipe for colorful carrot croutons transforms any spring garden salad into a healthy gluten-free creation. Roasting carrot slices enhances their inherent sweetness while herbs and olive oil impart crouton flavor. Use baby carrot slices for healthy vegan “bacon” bit crunch with no cholesterol. This modern twist on old favorites is a continuation of the undercover veggie series, which makes it simple to get your little bunny to eat her carrots!

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Ingredients:

  • sliced carrots (large carrots make crouton chips, while baby carrots make bits)
  • extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle over carrot slices before roasting)
  • your favorite dried herbs & seasoning (to sprinkle before roasting, I used sea salt and dill, but try grilling spices for bits)
  • fresh garden salad (I used baby kale, baby chard, baby spinach, diced English cucumber, orange heirloom cherry tomatoes, sprouted pumpkin seeds, & chopped fresh parsley)
  • dressing of choice (try a lemon vinaigrette with a 3 to 1 ratio of extra virgin olive oil to lemon juice plus herbs like dill & parsley)

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Instructions:

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Wash the carrots, and peel the large varieties. These baby carrots are a peel-free shortcut to orange vegan “bacon” bits. Slice as many as you like, keeping in mind that they will shrink with roasting. (A cookie sheet full is enough to top 6 side salads.)

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Disperse the sliced carrots over a parchment lined cookie sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil, or generously spray them with a Misto. Sprinkle dried herbs and seasoning over them. (I chose sea salt with dill for a light garden fresh taste, but grilling spices with black pepper would be more bacon bit like.)

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Roast in a 350ᵒ oven for about half an hour… this will vary greatly depending on carrot size and oven temperament! Just keep an eye on them once the edges brown, with the oven light on. (If utilizing a dehydrator, cook them at 145ᵒ for 30 minutes, and then reduce heat to 115ᵒ for 24 hours until crunchy.)

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Spoon the crunchy carrot bits over any variety of fresh garden salad.

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Roasting makes them more flavorful than regular old carrot slices. (Find the bunny ears napkin ring craft tutorial here.)

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Bunny sandwiches are the perfect accompaniment for a carrot topped garden salad. (Cut the bread shapes with a cookie cutter before filling them.)

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The colorful carrots are a beautiful way to coordinate with any existing orange elements in your menu or décor. (See more from the leaping bunny garden party here.)

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These are not only gluten-free, but also guilt-free… because no pigs or waist lines are harmed by consumption!

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For more undercover veggies and a creamy dressing, see my Heartbeats Recipe here.

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Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

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(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)