4. Macramé & Wooden Ring Bunny Ears
Introduction
A modern boho nursery staple. Using natural unvarnished wooden teething rings and soft cotton cord or linen fabric scraps, toddlers can help assemble a clean, sculptural bunny decor piece.
What This Idea Means
This project emphasizes tactile natural materials like smooth beechwood and soft woven fibers. It introduces children to textile textures and loop threading.
Materials Needed
- 3-inch untreated beechwood rings
- Pre-cut strips of 5mm single-strand cotton cord or soft muslin fabric
- Wooden beads with large holes
- Child-safe craft glue (optional)
How to Make It
- Cut two 12-inch strips of thick cotton cord or muslin ribbon.
- Fold a strip in half to form a loop, slip it through the wooden ring, and show your toddler how to pull the tail ends through the loop (lark’s head knot).
- Repeat with the second strip right beside the first to form two upright bunny ears.
- Let your toddler slide a large natural wooden bead onto each ear tip or brush the fringe out using a soft comb.
- Trim the top ends into tapered ear points.
Tips and Variations
- Dip-Dyed Tips: Dip just the fabric ear tips into natural beet juice or turmeric water for a safe, plant-dyed ombre aesthetic.
- Pastel Knits: Use strips of upcycled pastel knit sweaters instead of macramé cord for extra warmth and zero-waste crafting.
