Cardboard Bunny House

by DeeY6 in Craft > Art

7639 Views, 8 Favorites, 0 Comments

Cardboard Bunny House

31740034_1792256707508254_228105631486181376_n.jpg

Rabbits get bored very easily and there aren't a lot of toys available for them. Here I will talk about my process making this bunny play home out of cardboard and twine. Rabbits can not eat hot glue or tape, hence why I will use twine to bind together the pieces of the house.

Items used:

  1. (1) roll of jute twine
  2. (2) large cardboard boxes
  3. pencil for sketching
  4. marker
  5. boxcutter or x-acto knife
  6. self-healing board
  7. scissor
  8. elmer's washable glue

Sketch a Design.

31901930_1792256654174926_218013394643451904_n.jpg

I sketched a few different designs, but this is the one I went with, measurements included.

Take Off Any Tape.

31732123_1792257697508155_472590829425262592_n.jpg
31820196_1792257650841493_3658982390077849600_n.jpg

Tape is plastic and those can be harmful to rabbits if ingested.

Label Your Sides of the Box.

31906134_1792257597508165_3924675801517129728_n.jpg
31743486_1792257510841507_4920135902312792064_n.jpg

In order to avoid confusion, label the sides of the box.

Draw Your Design.

31914088_1792257414174850_8952435398060015616_n.jpg

For the windows, they are drawn 5" x 5" and the door is 6" x 6". I got these measurements from measuring how wide and tall my rabbits were. Don't forget to draw a line where you would like to put your second floor.

Cut Out.

31793508_1792257427508182_3419898156463161344_n.jpg
31914286_1792257497508175_8327334557741219840_n.jpg

Cut out the shapes according to the design. I am using an x-acto knife and a self-healing mat to make sure I don't cut the cardboard underneath. Then I stood the box up and cut again, to make sure I cut all the way through the box (it's thicker than I expected).

Cut Out the Second Floor.

31765719_1792257317508193_7949253238123921408_n.jpg
31631990_1792257254174866_3007886410523869184_n.jpg
31590032_1792257344174857_6379438293389410304_n.jpg

I cut open the box to get a flat piece of cardboard. Then I draw what I will cut out the second floor layout. Do not forget to cut out a square in the corner so that the bunnies can jump through it. Also keep in mind that there is a 1 inch slab on each side that will be used to hold up the piece of cardboard.

Building the Second Floor

31589209_1792257277508197_5275734850546958336_n.jpg
31766277_1792257147508210_10400216062623744_n.jpg

To strengthen my second floor, I am layering two pieces of cardboard on top of each other and marking where I will put holes. Later I will string twine in through the holes to hold my two pieces of cardboard together.

String in the Twine.

31773067_1792257174174874_4323338733265879040_n (1).jpg
31649312_1792257134174878_6491966492379185152_n.jpg

Pierce your holes and string in the twine. This step is quite time-consuming and tedious. It will take a few hours to finish all of it, especially if the cardboard is thick. Using a tweezer will help pull the strong through the small holes.

Create Your Slabs.

31773135_1792257230841535_9153195376499490816_n.jpg
31773135_1792257044174887_3025465157615616_n.jpg

Cut through the cardboard to create your slabs. Be careful not to cut all the way through because you want it intact. You only need to cut it so that the thick cardboard will fold.

Line Up Your Holes and String in Your Twine to the Main Box.

31791865_1792257104174881_1694478767092662272_n.jpg
31890382_1792257060841552_2876400079860662272_n.jpg
31870286_1792256917508233_4078510230000893952_n.jpg

Put in your second floor and line up to the line you first drew. Match up the holes on the slab to holes on your main house. Then you will string in the twine and the result should look like so.

(optional) Use Twine to Decorate.

31789648_1792265677507357_801378843746107392_n.jpg
31823196_1792265664174025_5506785407964020736_n.jpg

To add some extra design, lay Elmer's glue on the door and window and place precisely cut pieces of twine. (This step is also very tedious and time consuming)

Close the Top of the Box.

31698991_1792256987508226_1763386603914395648_n.jpg
31856057_1792340364166555_7130767213220331520_n.jpg

Cut out the bottom of the box so you won't have a floor. As for the top, cut 4 little holes to fit two pieces of twine through. Tie the top of the box together in a simple knot, so you can open it and close it.

Let the Buns Test Out the House.

31900334_1792256840841574_3955484916191330304_n.jpg
31786513_1792256897508235_5839100818795528192_n.jpg
31925008_1792256884174903_52557570635726848_n.jpg

They were extremely excited. They watched me the whole time I made it and couldn't wait to try it out.