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”!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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

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.

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

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

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!

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.)

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

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