Bunny Week 2022: Wood Bunny

Welcome to Bunny Week 2022! ("It's Like Shark Week, but Fuzzier!") Bunny Week is an annual tradition here at My Creative Life, a time to celebrate All Things Rabbit. I'm starting off Bunny Week with a wooden rabbit. I found it, unfinished, at Target. With a little paint and patience, I ended up with this: 

Except during the Christmas season when I decorate it with snowmen, our mantel has had the same nine items displayed for well over a decade: a wine bottle engraved with our wedding information, our cake topper, a photo of Steve and me holding Trevor, three of my favorite pictures of Trevor as a baby, a geode, and a potted plant on either end. Nothing representing the fourth member of our family. Now Trouble is represented on the mantel. Trevor thinks I should switch out one of the photos of him with a picture of Trouble, but I pointed out that other pictures of Trouble are visible near the mantel. 

I had two goals in mind when painting the unfinished wood: keep the grain visible and mimic Trouble's unique grey/tan coloring. I started by watering down a reddish brown paint until it was very watery, then used a paper towel to rub it onto the wood like a stain. I covered everything except the tail. I let the paint dry completely, then did the same thing with grey. Finally, I added a layer of white (and covered the tail that time). Together, the three colors make a close match to Trouble's beautiful fur. It's a wonderful addition to the mantel.