Chocolate "Bo" Bunny Easter Card

Like children in homes throughout the United States, our children receive Easter baskets filled with candy and a small toy on Easter Sunday. As Christians, however, we know that chocolate bunnies, Cadbury eggs and baskets have nothing to do with the true Easter story. To help our children remember this, in addition to Holy Week worship services, I wanted to create a card that reminded them of the real reason for Easter.
The outside of the card reads “Some bunny loves you.”, and although one might expect it to say “Mom and Dad” on the inside, the sentiment inside reads:

 “Remember, Easter is not about baskets, colored eggs, and chocolate bunnies; it’s about Jesus loving you so much that he died on the cross, so that you may believe and have eternal life.”

The message of Easter is sweet indeed, knowing that Jesus crucifixion and the power of the resurrection promises a glorious new life with our heavenly Father when we die. There is victory on the cross – death has lost its sting! Amen. If you celebrate the Christian Easter with your family, I encourage you to find a way to share the true story with the children in your lives. We have enjoyed using Resurrection Eggs, among other things, and this Chocolate Bunny Card is one more way for me to share the message with our kids.

Supplies Used:
BoBunny Sophie Bouquet, Notebook, Stripe; Coffee Dot and Grape Dot cardstock, Passion Fruit Double Dot Ribbon; piece of cardboard measuring 4” x 7 ¾”.
Other:

Rhinestone circle frame – Heidi Swapp for Advantus
Colorbox Chalk Ink,

Velcro dots

How To:

1. Purchase a chocolate bunny, and use it as a template to trace a bunny shape onto double dot cardstock. Because the bunny in my project is dark chocolate, I used Coffee Dot cardstock. Of course Chocolate Dot is perfect for a milk chocolate bunny! Once the bunny is drawn, use a micro tip scissors and cut along the INSIDE of the lines to create a smaller bunny to be used for the front of the card. Note: If you are not comfortable cutting without guidelines, simply draw the bunny a second time, inside the lines. The bunny on the front of my card was created drawing ¼” or more on the inside of the traced chocolate bunny line.

2. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit your candy bunny, with enough length to create a “shelf” for the bunny to sit on, take the depth of the candy into account. I used a Dove Chocolate Bunny and the cardboard measures 4” wide by 7 ¾” long, with a crease 1.5” from the bottom. (I simply used my clear C-thru ruler as a guide – see image.) Because the Dove Bunny is SOLID, it is quite heavy and cardboard is needed. Chipboard may work for a hollow chocolate bunny.

3. For the remainder of these instructions, the sizes will be based on the Dove Chocolate bunny used in this project. Cut a 4 1/8” x 12” piece of Sophie Bouquet. Using a pencil, make a pencil mark at 7 ¾” from the top edge. Make another mark where your bottom “shelf” will fold. Position the bunny within the top area, and sketch out the area in which a greeting will fit. Also add two marks along either side of the neck which will later be punched for ribbon.

4. Using Word or other program, type a greeting for the inside of the card. In the area below the length of the cardboard, you can type a greeting for the front of the card if desired. Be sure to note which punch you plan to use for the front greeting and allow for it. I recommend printing on test paper before printing on the Sophie Bouquet paper - the blue ruled side.

5. Once your inside greeting is printed, trim to length of the cardboard, and use Mod Podge to adhere in place.

6. Using Sophie’s Notebook paper, trim a section 4 1/8” wide x 10.5”. Use a border punch to create a decorative edge along top and bottom. Fold top and bottom to create a top and bottom overlap on front as shown. If desired, stitch along top and bottom very close to the folds. These stitches are not only decorative, but helps the top flap remain angled over the front of the card. Use Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the cardboard, dotted side out, ensuring the scalloped edge flaps fold over the cardboard edges. Use long-reach Crop-O-Dile or other punch to punch holes ribbon to feed through later on.

7. From Sophie Bouquet, cut a 4 1/8” wide x 6 ¾” piece. Ink edges if desired, and stitch/adhere to the bottom scalloped flap ONLY.

8. Embellish the front of the card with the chocolate bunny shape, embellished as desired. Because I wanted to retain the chocolate bunny look, I simply used a stylus, with a mouse pad underneath my paper, and dry embossed an eye, nose, tail, and lines for ears, legs; and tied a bow around its neck.

9. To create sentiment on front of card I punched a 2.5” circle from grape cardstock, folded into eighths, opened the circle back up and cut along fold lines. I snipped off the straight edges to create a more rounded petal, and distressed the edges to create a flower. “Some bunny loves you” was printed to fit inside a 2” scallop circle squeeze punch. Once punched I added a rhinestone circle frame by Heidi Swapp. Layered on the grape flower, and lifted off the card with foam adhesive.

10. Half-inch circle Velcro dots were used to keep the card closed, as the bulk and weight of the chocolate bunny prevents this card from working like a matchbox, which was the original inspiration for the project. One dot is adhered at the top center of the card front, and the adjoining Velcro dot is positioned under the brown dot flap.

Use ribbon to tie the chocolate bunny to the inside back of the card. If desired, add a scalloped border in contrasting color to the back of the card to break up the chocolate dot pattern.


If you have created a sweet Easter presentation that also shares the message of Jesus great love for us, I would love to have you link your project below in comments. As Easter draws near, I pray each of you have a wonderful Holy Week with quiet time to reflect on Jesus' great love for you.
 
Happy creating,
Rita S.