Scavenger Chic

Folk Art Pallet Wood Rabbit

• By Joan
• February 25, 2018
• 8 Comments

This is a photo of a running rabbit offered by the  Busacca Gallery.  It supposedly dates from the early 19th or 20th century (though that’s kind of a wide range). “This piece was obviously done by a carver with considerable skill, but nevertheless, retains a naive quality. This is a honey of a piece.”  That was their words, not mine.  It sold for $250.

I started off last week sharing a pallet wood rabbit with you and today I’m sharing another pallet wood rabbit, a knockoff of Mr. Running Bunny.

To get a pattern for Mr. Running Bunny, I’m taking the original picture and enlarging it until the total length is about 18″.  The original was only 13″.

Think of Mr.Bunny in two layers, the front layer has the left ear and 2 left feet.  The back layer has the right ear and right feet.

Cut out the pattern for the front layer , but save  the back layer  cause you’re going to need it.

Trace around your bunny onto pallet wood.  For this entire piece, I only used 1 piece of the wider pallet wood. 

I’m using a Ryobi Scroll Saw.  While you could use a jigsaw, the scroll saw is super easy to use and can cut in tight corners.

Go back to the pattern and tape the right ear and feet you cut off back on.  Mark where  you think the back ear and legs would end.  You’re going to have to guess a bit with this part. Trim off the excess front pieces.

Trace this half of the bunny onto pallet wood and cut out.

For both the front and back pieces sand really well around only the ears and feet rounding both sides…this is both the inside and outside cuts. 

Line up both sides of your bunny parts.  Glue and clamp.

Now that the pieces are together, finish sanding, leveling off between the two layers and rounding out all the sides, tail and face.

After sanding, both pieces should be the same height though there might still be a slight gap between the wood pieces.

If there is a gap, plastic wood does a great job filling it in.  Don’t fill in the gaps where you rounded off the legs and ears , they should look like they are separate.

Sand.

Time for paint.  I’m layering on dark gray and light gray…

…then painting the entire piece with white chalk paint.

Sand well, revealing some of the gray layers and edges.  Wax if desired.

A dowel and an old baluster are all that is needed for the base.  Cut off the baluster to make a nice base. Drill a hole the width of the dowel, glue and insert dowel.  Do the same on the underside of the bunny.  Stain or used vintage wax on the dowel to darken.

My inspiration piece was $250, mine was free.  OK, maybe theirs was an antique, but mine also has that “naive quality.”  🙂

Stay inspired.

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday,

Talk of the Town, Wow us Wednesdays,

Salvaged Junk Projects,

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