Greetings again! It’s Leslie from Mama in Montana and I’m very excited to be guest blogging for Mae.
This month’s kids craft took a little different turn than I originally expected. I had a project I wanted to make that was different than anything I’ve seen before or since. It would make a great addition to Strive for Progress, Pinterest, and crafty moms. But, I have young kids and this project required more cutting than my almost 4-year-old would be able to do, so it was way beyond the skills of my 2-year-old, much less the littler ones I have over for daycare. I’ll put it in the mental file for next year.
The project I ended up choosing is still a project where the children will need adult assistance for part of it, but are able to help with the assembly. Plus, it is a great “accessory” every child should have before Easter! Here’s what you need to make bunny ears hats.
- 1 piece of white paper per hat
- 1 piece (or scraps) pink paper
- cutting tools (I used a large paper cutter and scissors)
- glue or glue stick or tape (please read instructions to determine what is best for your child)
1. First, cut 2 strips 2″ wide from the long side of your white paper. These will become the band to your hat. Affix these strips together into one long strip. I used tape for this part because, again, I have young children and they aren’t patient enough to wait for the glue to dry. You can decide what is best for your kids.
2. Then, draw the outline of the ears on the remaining paper. I was making 4 sets of ears, so I cut several ears out of one sheet of paper. You will have plenty of room left from the paper if you are using one sheet for one hat. Cut out the ears. If your child can use scissors, allow them to cut the ears out.
3. Draw the insides of the ears on the pink paper. In the picture, you’ll see I folded a large piece of pink paper like an accordian and traced the ears on the front side. This way I could cut out several insides at once. If your child can use scissors, allow them to cut the insides out.
4. Glue the pink inside ears onto the big white ears. This was a fun step for all my kiddos because they could do it themselves. Glue sticks work great for the little kids. Be sure to leave a couple inches of white at the bottom of the ear before placing the pink.
5. Fasten the ears to the band of the hat. Again, I used tape because there wasn’t a drying time, but feel free to use what you have. The pointy part of the ears should be up! 
Put the ears about 2″-3″ apart on the band and fasten to the front side of the band as it’s on your table.
6. Using the long band as a guide, wrap it around your child’s head to determine the size. Remove from their head and fasten the ends together creating a loop at the right size. Here’s the tricky part: Be sure that your ears are on the back of the band and the pink part is facing front. If you glued them down properly (on the top of the band as it was lying on the table), the ears should be on the inside back of your band. I used tape to close off the band so my kids could wear the ears right away.
There are a few great things about this project. You can prep the hats before you gather the kids. Get everything cut out and ready to go. Then it’s just a few quick steps to completion. Also, my kids LOVE dress up and pretend time. These hats were not only a craft activity for us, but then gave them something else to wear for dress up. One of my daycare kiddos wanted to wear hers when we played outside and took a walk. My daughter wanted to sleep in hers. Any project that does double duty is a winner in my book.
If you like this activity, please check out my blog www.mamainmontana.blogspot.com
Leslie is the author of “Mama in Montana.” She is a Montana native who is a proud wife and mom. Her daily duties include teacher, cook, doctor, artist, story teller, housekeeper, recreational director, photographer, lifeguard, sand-castle builder, gardener, craft engineer, and chief hugger.
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