How to Make an American Curly Maple Rabbit

With Easter right around the corner, it's the perfect time to make this American curly maple rabbit.

Supplies and Equipment for the Curly Maple Rabbit

• 5¼" x 5" x 1/8" piece of curly maple (or other hard wood of your choice)
• Pattern for rabbit and stand
• Kapro Measure Mate
• Proxxon Micro Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Scroll Saw DS 460
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E
• Detail sanding pens

Instructions for the Curly Maple Rabbit

1. Print the pattern for the rabbit and stand. Using the Kapro Measure Mate, measure the size of the pattern.
   
2. Use the sliding markers on the Measure Mate to mark the measurements and transfer them to the piece of wood.

   Set slider to marked measurement

   Transfer measurements to wood

3. Mark the cutting line.
   
4. Cut away excess using the band saw.
   
5. Cover the piece of wood with painter's tape. Mark the direction of the grain of the wood to correctly orient the pattern.
   
6. Lightly spray the reverse side of the pattern with adhesive, and mount onto the covered wood.
   
7. Use the scroll saw to cut out the rabbit and the stand.
   
8. Sand the surface and edges using the Delta sander. Use progressively finer grits of sandpaper, starting with 150 and finishing with 240.
   
9. Use detail sanding pens to sand narrow curves, again using progressively finer grits of sandpaper. (Follow the link to learn how to make your own detail sanding pens.)
   
10. Coat the wood with a paste wax, and buff to a shine with a soft cloth.
    

Enjoy your American curly maple Easter rabbit.

Notes, suggestions, and variations:

• The pattern includes three different rabbits—make several for your own colony of rabbits.
• Make several rabbits using different hardwoods.
• Make the rabbit out of MDF, and paint it.
• I prefer the unadorned beauty of the wood, but you could add embellishments of your choice, such as an eye, a neck ribbon, a puffy tail.
• The pattern is designed for 1/8" thick wood. If you use a different thickness, you will need to adjust the slits on the bottom of the rabbit and the stand to the thickness of your wood.
  

Carole