These primitive spring bunnies caught my eye the moment I saw them in Chestnut Junction’s Etsy shop. This week I continued my primitive crafting with this adorable and easy Primitive Spring bunnies project. I love that these Primitive Spring Bunnies is a project that is simple and cost effective. Anyone can do this from any crafting background. One of the things I love the most about these primitive projects in general is that they completely fit the farmhouse and eclectic aesthetic that I love so much right now. I think that is really on trend but also really timeless.
Last week I made a primitive bee and beeskep, which you can see and read more about here. This week I made 5 sets of these Primitive Spring bunnies with carrots using muslin, stuffing and paint. This pattern is by Chestnut Junction, I modified the carrot tops to my own design using a simple technique with RIT dye. Below you will find further details on my process making these using the purchased pattern for guidance and what I modified to make this my own creation. I love adding things to make these primitive projects my own and I hope that you find some of the modifications I made useful to you!
How I made my Primitive Spring Bunnies
First what you do is sew and stuff the bunny and carrot per the pattern by Chestnut Junction. The hand sewing process can seem daunting if you did a big batch like me, but it really wasn’t too bad and is a great way to get better at cleaning up your hand sewing so it looks prettier. My stitches have begun to look a lot neater since I have been making these projects.
What I did for the carrot tops is used DARK GREEN Rit Dye and color fixative. First I cut 1″ to 1.5″ strips of muslin. Then I dyed them using dark green Rit Dye as well as used their color fixative. To lighten the color and help set the color, I baked them in the oven for 15 minutes at 300 F.
Above is a picture of the carrots painted, one of them has been sanded per the instructions and this step is crucial for a primitive and aged result. So here is what did for this step: I painted using American Spiced Pumpkin for my orange and I think it was a perfect choice for this project. Next I put these in the oven to dry out faster for no more than 5 minutes. Then I sanded using sandpaper I use for my other wood painting projects.
You tea stain the bunnies after you paint and sand the eyes and nose and look at what a complete difference this makes in this project. Tea staining is one of my all time favorite things to do! I painted the nose with a mix of Maroon and Burgundy from Americana and the ears and cheeks are dry brushed with Santa Red from Americana.
Here is another modification I made to her instructions. I used a Posca Uniball Paint Pen. I purchased these off Amazon and I think these are an amazing tool for adding details to projects like these! I highly recommend you check this tool out.
I included footage of me making these at the end of my most recent floss tube video if you would be interested in seeing how I made these in a real time video. I love vlogging while I craft because I think a lot of us crafters are visual learners and it is so fun to bring you along with me while I make things.
I am over the moon pleased with how these Primitive Spring Bunnies turned out! What do you think of these? Have you made a project like this before? I would love to know in the comments <3
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