Looking for a quick easter craft? Well, I have got some inspiration for you!
I have had my eye on those adorable stuffed easter bunnies with the monogrammed ear for a year now. The one I fell in love with was $46, but I just couldn’t convince myself to pay so much money for something my one year old may or may not destroy. So, I decided that at least for now, I would make my own. And I am so glad that I did! This quick Easter craft turned out SO cute and only cost me $12.99!! If you would like to see how I personalized this easter bunny, keep reading. Not a DIYer? Check out this bunny on Etsy, it’s my favorite that I have found so far!
I recently got a Cricut EasyPress Mini, and decided to use it for this project. You could use whatever type of press you have for this easter craft, however.
Materials needed:
- stuffed animal Easter Bunny (other cute options here and here)
- heat transfer vinyl (I used gold)
- Heat Press (I am using my Cricut EasyPress Mini)
- cutting mat
- Cutting machine (I am using Cricut Maker 3)
- EasyPress mat or sturdy padded surface.
When shopping for your Easter bunny, be sure to look for one with long floppy ears so that the name fits without having to make it too small.
I recently got a Cricut EasyPress Mini, and decided to experiment with it on this project. You could use any heat press, or even your iron for this project, however.
Let’s get started!
Measuring the inner ears
You will first want to measure your bunny’s ears to get an idea of how big you need to cut your letters. Only measure the inner ear portion, as that is where we are placing the name. I am personalizing my bunny with a relatively short name, so I only measured the bottom portion of the ears where I would like the name to go. My bunny’s ears were roughly 3 inch x 5 inches.
Preparing the name
Next, open Cricut Design Space, find a font you like and type the name you will be using. One of my favorite fonts for personalized projects is Julianna. I purchased this font a couple of years ago when creating gifts for my bridal party and find myself using it often. I recommend typing the name and sizing it based on height (or width of the bunny ear). Leave about a 1/2 inch space on the top and bottom of the name so that it fits well within your bunny ear. From there, see how long the name is and decide if you want to make it bigger or smaller.
The final dimensions for my name were 2.25 x 3 inches. I was able to place my name a little lower than I originally planned because her name was only 3 inches long. That actually left me with about 3/4 inch extra space on the top and bottom of the name.
Cutting the name
Click “Make it” at the top of the screen and prepare your mat, if you are using one. Place your heat transfer vinyl on your mat shiny side down. Remember to click “mirror” underneath the mat size option before clicking “continue”. This will flip your design and create a mirror image so that it will press correctly on your bunny ears. Select the appropriate type of vinyl and load your mat when you are ready to begin cutting. Now, just click the play button and sit back while your Cricut does the work.
Weeding your design
You will then need to weed away all the extra vinyl, leaving only the name adhered to the clear adhesive. A weeding tool is definitely helpful for this step, but not at all necessary if you don’t have one already.
Preparing your Heat Press
Plug in the Heat Press and allow it to come to the correct temperature. Cricut has a very handy tool that helps you figure out the best time and temperature to press your project based on machine type, vinyl type, and material type you are pressing on. You can check that out here. For my project, it advises using medium heat for 25 seconds with constant motion.
Pressing the design
My bunny is made out of polyester, so I am using Cricuts guide to pressing on polyester with Everyday Iron-On.
First, you will want to press your blank bunny ear for 5 seconds before placing your name down. This removes any moisture from the material that might interfere with pressing.
Now, position your name within the bunny ear where you would like it to go. You may tape it down with heat resistant tape for extra security if needed and then cover with an Iron On Protective sheet.
Next, its time to press! Once your heat press has reached the desired temperature, press for the recommended amount of time. I pressed mine with light pressure at medium heat for 25 seconds while moving the press. Then, i flipped the ear over and pressed the other side for 15 seconds.
Last, slowly remove the clear liner to expose your name.
I highly recommend checking out Cricut’s Heat Guide if you are new to using a heat press. Not only does it give you the recommended time and temperature to use, but it also gives you helpful tips, such as, if you should move your press and when to peel off the liner.
That’s it!
I love how easy and inexpensive this Easter craft was! A personalized easter bunny would make a great addition to anyone’s easter basket.
Looking for some more simple, inexpensive easter crafts? Check out my post Printable Easter Bunny Silhouette for free printable easter gift tags, easter cards with envelope liners, and easter bunny prints. Want an Easter craft thats a little more challenging? Check out my DIY Easter Egg Wreath tutorial that I made for our front door.