Bunny Mailbox Sitter Decorative Tole Painting Project back to The Snowman Shoppe www.snowmanshoppe.com Click here for photo and pattern pieces Supplies: ¾" Rough Cedar Wood --(Rough Pine could also be used) Hot glue Black velcro - 2" long (Sticky back) 1" wide black elastic - 24" long Nails or crown stapler (1 ¼" staples) Delta Ceramcoat Paint: Black Gypsy Rose or Antique Rose, Light Ivory

Begin:
Cut the 2 bunny pieces out of ¾" cedar wood. Sand each piece minimally on the flat surfaces, leaving the roughness of the cedar intact for a rustic look.

Paint:
Using the Light Ivory paint, basecoat the bunny with 2 coats of paint. Transfer the detail lines from the patterns to the wood. (I always use a sponge brush to basecoat the cedar mailbox critters.) Paint the eyes, eyebrows and mouth with black. Outline all the pieces in black following the pattern lines.

Stain:
At this point, the bunny pieces can be stained for a more rustic look. The staining also helps weatherproof them. Use dark walnut stain (1 part) that has been diluted with paint thinner (3 parts) and rub on the both pieces, front and back. When dry, spray with an acrylic matte coating.

Assembly:
Place the bunny head piece on the body according to picture. Place on mailbox to test the arch of the bunny. Hot glue the bunny together, then nail or use staple gun to staple the pieces permanently together.

Nose:
Paint the knob pink and hot glue on the head above the mouth according to the picture. Use a thin nail and either nail the nose onto the piece from the front of the nose or go through the back of the bunny's body. Just touch up the paint on the nose if nailing from the front of the nose.

Elastic and Velcro:
Using a regular stapler, staple one side of a 2" piece of velcro on one end of the 24" elastic strap. Staple the other side of the velcro to the other end of the elastic strap. 4 staples in each is adequate...one in each corner. Center the elastic strap on the mailbox arch of the bunny. Place about 6 staples with a crown stapler into the elastic and the bunny to hold the elastic on. (If a crown stapler is not available, use hot glue and perhaps a couple small flathead nails or thumbtacks to hold the elastic)
If you live in a very windy area, you may also want to glue a long piece of strip magnet on the elastic to be sure the bunny never slips off your mailbox.


Copyright 2005 Bonnie Scott. Design may be used for fun or profit. This design may not be mass produced for the wholesale market without written permission. All rights reserved.