Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

As I was making these sweet bunny hand puppets I realized that my attachment to them had grown beyond my usual care and attention and had blossomed into full blown love! They just seem to have such personalities! I found myself getting a little carried away, actually naming each one and fabricating little story lines about them. (Maybe I need to get out more!)

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

But enough about my eccentricities, let me introduce to you (clockwise from top left): Daffodil, Daisy, Marigold, Peppermint, Pansy, Petunia, Carrot, and Sunny, my Bunny Hand Puppets! Won’t they look great in your Easter basket?

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

These puppets are sewn from durable, soft 100% wool felt in ecru, accented by a vibrant Dahlia Bundle. They are so simple to sew that they’re the perfect project to make with a child who is just learning. Their bright colors and happy smiles make them extra fun to construct and to play with once they’re finished!

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Ps- These puppets were partially inspired by my earlier Bunny Finger Puppets, which you can find here!

Materials

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

You can make as many or as few of these hand puppets as you like. Below is a list of materials for one bunny and for a set of eight. If you’d like to make a different amount here’s the math:

  • You can make three puppets from two 18-inch pieces of ecru felt OR six puppets per each 1/2-yard of the felt yardage.
  • You will need 1/6th of a brightly colored 18-inch piece of felt per puppet. Alternatively, you will need 1/2 of one of the smaller pieces given in a bundle per puppet.

To make one puppet:

To make a set of eight puppets:

Note: For all the sewing in this project you will be using three strands of the DMC at a time.

Size

8 X 15-inches

Pattern

Cutting

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

If you’re making more than one puppet make sure to cut your pieces out carefully. Start with the ecru felt marking the pieces for the body and the outer ears. Trace the body pieces as close as possible to one another as shown above. You should be able to get three body pieces and nine outer ear pieces from each square. Make sure to trace and cut only the amount of outer ear pieces that you need.

Cut the body and outer ear pieces out carefully.

Trace the inner ear, nose, and and tail pieces onto the colored felt and cut them out carefully.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

For each puppet you should have the following pieces:

  • 2 body pieces in ecru
  • 4 outer ear pieces in ecru
  • 2 inner ear pieces in a bright color
  • 1 nose in a bright color
  • 1 tail piece in a bright color

The Tail

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Press the tail piece in half lengthwise. Snip into the folded side every 1/4-inch stopping the cut 1/4-inch from the unfolded side to create a fringe along the folded side as shown above.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Thread a needle with the ecru embroidery thread and tie a knot at the end.

Roll the strip into a spiral along its unfolded sides. Press the needle through the center of the roll as shown above.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Keep rolling and sewing through the center in this manner until you reach the end of the tail piece.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Then whip stitch around the perimeter of the spiral to secure it, tie a knot, and cut your thread.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Turn the tail around so that the front is showing. Using a small pair of scissors snip all of the loops open.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

When all the loops have been cut your tail is done. It should look like a little pom pom.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Using the ecru thread sew the tail onto the back body piece 1-inch from the bottom and equidistant from each side. Put the back body piece aside.

The Ears

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Pin together two outer ear pieces and one inner ear piece so that the outer pieces are flush with one another and the inner piece is centered.

Using a small running stitch sew the three pieces together around the edge of the inner ear piece.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Repeat this for the second ear.

The Face

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Using the pencil draw the eyes and mouth onto the front body piece using the template as a reference.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

You can embroider the eyes using a sort of half chain stitch by following the diagram above. The odd numbers represent the needle’s exit point and the even numbers represent entrance points.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Stitch the mouth using a small back stitch.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Place the nose piece on top of the mouth as shown above. You’ll be sewing it  on through the back of the felt of the nose piece without the thread showing through to the front. This can be a bit tricky so you might want to add a dab of fabric glue under the nose (and let it dry) before you sew it on to make sure it’s secure.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

To sew the nose on use the ecru thread and stitch just through the back of the felt of the nose piece, so that the stitching is invisible on the front. This might take a few tries.

Sewing Together

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Pin all of the pieces together, with the ear pieces sandwiched in between the front and back pieces, as shown above.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

Using a small running stitch and the ecru thread stitch all around the perimeter.

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho

When you go around the top of the head make sure you’re sewing through the back, front and ear pieces to secure the ears.

When you get all the way around you’ll be all done!

Bunny Hand Puppets | Purl Soho