Remember when hankies were made of fabric — for every day use, not just “for show” or for special occasions like weddings? When I discovered the handkerchief craft tutorials at Bumblebee Linens, it was an instant trip down Memory Lane…
As a small child, I learned to iron (a skill I seldom practice these days!) on Dad’s big cotton handkerchiefs. More interesting, however, were the hankie dolls and animals that my mother showed me how to make when I was confined to bed with chicken pox (or possibly mumps, one of those childhood illnesses, anyway) for what seemed like weeks…
The fabric origami-ish tutorials at Bumblebee Linens include instructions for a mouse, an angel and the cutest little Easter bunny you could ever imagine, all figures you can make from a rolled-up and folded piece of embroidered linen.
I distinctly remember making a handkerchief mouse from one of my father’s big plaid hankies, and feeling slightly outraged that he didn’t have any that were more appropriately mouse-coloured. There was a doll, too — just big enough to fit in the palm of my young hand — but I’ve long since forgotten how to make it, and haven’t yet found the instructions anywhere…
At the moment, though, hankering for spring, I’m all about this handkerchief bunny —
All you need is a hanky (or a hanky-sized piece of lightweight fabric), a length of ribbon, a handful of cotton balls, and a needle and thread — but don’t worry about the needle and thread, if sewing’s not your thing or you want to create an Easter Bunny as a project with your kids, because that’s just to fasten on the little cotton-ball tail. (The instructions say to pin the tail on the rabbit, actually, but you might as well take a couple of quick in-and-out stitches with thread and not worry about having a stray pin falling out on the carpet — not that this is something that would ever have happened to us!)
Full instructions for making a handkerchief bunny — with step-by-step photographs — are at Bumblebeelinens.com Hankie Bunny tutorial.
Enjoy!
Just stopped by to say hello to my Canadian friend:)
Cute idea with the handkerchief.
Happy Easter,
kayellen
You are incredibly creative. Thanks so much for this post.
These are so cute. We have a ‘boo-boo’ bunny in our freezer that looks just like this however, it has one of those square, plastic ice cube thingy’s in the tummy of the bunny.
This scores a “10” on the “cute meter.” Seriously cute.
This is going to be fun to try out. Thanks for the instructions.
These are too cute! They remind me of a washcloth doll I played with as a baby and some washcloths bunnies my aunt and grandma used to make!