[N'awlins77]

I know, I know, I'm as bad as the Walmarts and other stores. The morning after Halloween, they jump a holiday and go to Christmas. And well, I'm jumping to Easter! LOL But I've been wanting to make some of these, for a few years now, but I never think about it, till we pull the Easter Baskets out for Easter, then it's too late. I had to get something deep into the closet that we store the Easter baskets in, and I found this basket. And since I was on a week sabbatical from our quest room renovation (Daughter and Son-in-law in town, need the room), I'd do something fun, for a change. Hench, the Easter baskets, two weeks before Thanksgiving. ;o)

The first two pics are of the sample basket I'm making. It was my Granddaughters many moons ago. The third pic is of the bunny bodies on the drying rack. As you can see, I'm making a pink one, a blue one and two white ones. And then the forth pic is the slats that hold the two body parts together, on the drying rack. Primer only, so far on the slats. Today, off to Hobby Lobby after work, to pick up some eyes, colored cotton balls, bows, and pipe cleaners. Although, I think i'm going to try to find some grey felt to make the inner ears, instead of the pipe cleaners. Keep them for the whiskers.

 

[hawkeye10]

Lee there are going to be some happy kids around your house come Easter.

 

[N'awlins77]

Well, got the bunny baskets put together (Pic 1), then made a templet to make the inner ear (pic 2) and cut out16 felt inner ears, then glued the inner ears on (pic 3). I didn't use pipe cleaners for the ears, like my sample had, I thought these would look a little better. Save the pipe cleaners for the whiskers!! ;o)

If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, I suggest you make a trip there. I don't know about all of them, but ours is HUGE (Use to be a large chain grocery store). They have a lot of goodies for projects like mines, and I'm sure others. All colors of pipe cleaners, 3 or 4 sizes of colored cotton balls, and many sizes of eyes. And etc., etc....

 

[hawkeye10]

Lee have you already got all your Christmas presents made?

The fabric is going to improve the looks of your Easter baskets.

 

[N'awlins77]

Lee have you already got all your Christmas presents made?

No, don't think I'm making any this year. Making these baskets was ust a break from our guest room renovation. Back to it in a couple days?

 

[N'awlins77]

Rabbits now have ears, eyes, noses and whisers!

My Rabbit Easter Baskets now have ears, eyes, noses and whiskers!! Only thing left if a bow for the boy rabbits and some kind of flower or something for the girl rabbits!!

 

[Marco]

They look great Lee!

 

[jj777746]

Just the shot for carrying Easter eggs Lee.They will be popular.

 

[N'awlins77]

Well, after following the advice of my Daughter, after only about four hours of being posted on a couple of sights, and some additional advice from one of my Wife's nieces (who deals in crafts) I have three orders, possibly four. 1 order for five, 1 order for eight, and 1 order for three. And a fourth hasn't contacted me yet with a number.
My Niece-in-law, suggested to keep my price down, and offer discounts for multiple orders. She said she rather sell them a little cheaper, and sell more, then sell one or two, if you're lucky, at the price you wanted. So I wanted to charge 25-30 a unit. She said I was going to price out little old ladies, who would want to buy one for all their grandchildren. She suggested to start a $15, and reduce with multiple purchases. Well, I started at $22., 2-$18, and 3 and more at $15. And now I have 16 to make!

 

[honesttjohn]

oh oh!!!! More orders = more tools. Then ........... a CNC !!!!!!!!

 

[N'awlins77]

Well I got all 32 of my bunny body halves cut out, for my 3 orders of 16 baskets. Finished the last seven last night. Now on to the tedious job of sanding them all. I can do about half (the outer radius') on my spindle sander, but where the radius' meet, have to be hand sanded. This will take me a couple/three nights, as did all the scroll sawing. Fun fun!!

I almost gave up! I was using some 10 TPI blades I ordered from Olsen, and I get maybe to the third bunny and the damn blade would break. So I was running low on blades, so the other evening on the way home from work, I stopped at HD, no 10 TPI, only 15 or 20. I'm cutting 3/4" pine. So went to Lowe's (which, they are almost next door to each other, only separated by Walmart.) Anyway, they have a 7 TPI, but they are Ryobi's, and I thought if I couldn't get an Olson to cut and not break after 2-3 bunnies, no way an Ryobi blade was going to hold. I don't know if it was for the simple fact that it was a 7 TPI rather then a 10 TPI, but I was wrong, this blade, the Ryobi 7 TPI blade cut all 10 that I had left, and is still in my saw!

 

[Knothead47]

Those are really cute. You are going to make some bunny very happy. All those orders will keep you hopping!

 

[Marco]

Congratulations on the orders Lee and hope the sanding goes fast.

I am a Newbie with the scroll but found the "Flying Dutchman" blades to be great. They take forever to be delivered but are worth the wait.

 

[N'awlins77]

Congratulations on the orders Lee and hope the sanding goes fast.

I am a Newbie with the scroll but found the "Flying Dutchman" blades to be great. They take forever to be delivered but are worth the wait.

Thanks Jim, I'll have to look into them. I just ordered 24 7TPI from Olson. I hope they last longer then their 10 TPI's. I'd have bought more of the Ryobi's from Lowe's, but they don't sell the 7's by themselves. I had to get a multi pack, and I've already have way enough 20's. But if these don't last, I'll give the Flying Dutchman a try.

 

[N'awlins77]

Well the mass production of Easter bunnies still goes on, at a slow paste as we get ready for Thanksgiving and on to a trip to Dallas to visit the Daughter. I had to pack some tool for my Daughter-do-list. So Easter bunnies are on hold. But I did get some things done, before I quit.

I wish I had taken pictures of my setup on the table saw. I had to come up with a way that i could cut these thin (1/4") slats, out of scrap 1x2's, 1x3's and such. My table saw is a cheap Hitachi saw. It doesn't have a very good zero clearance plate on it. I couldn't just make a plate, like most saws. Mines don't have a very good surface to allow a home made plate. So, I took a piece of 1/4" oak ply and cut it the depth of my saw, and then about 10/12" wide. Then I set my rip fence a little over 1/4", so I'd have enough to clean up, both sides, on my router table/jointer. Then I clamped my 1/4" oak over the blade, which was cranked all the way down. Then I slowly raised it up, making myself a zero clearance situation, so my slats wouldn't fall into the saw, or worse yet, get jammed between the blade and table. Then I just cut the slats and let them fly out the saw, and hit my work bench. I was wearing a full face shield, just incase!!

Then I made a jig (picture to the left), which just held my little slats safely, as I cleaned up the sides. Flipping them over three times, gave me my 1/4" that I wanted. Then after sanding all my bunny bodies, that I completed earlier, I cleaned up the shop and packed for my trip to Dallas.

 

[N'awlins77]

My first order of Bunny Easter Baskets are complete! Talked to customer and they will pick them up on Sunday!! I don't know why, but they wanted them before Christmas! So they have them!! $120 bucks not much for all the work they are, but can only imagine the smiles they'll get from the recipients, come Easter morning. ;o)