How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Easter Bunnies (So Cute, So Easy)

Toilet paper roll Easter bunnies take about 20 minutes to make, cost next to nothing, and look genuinely charming lined up on a mantel or tucked into an Easter basket. You need empty cardboard tubes, white paint or paper, and a handful of basic craft supplies. Kids from about age 3 and up can get involved, and the results are sweet enough that adults have fun making them too.

This is the kind of project where you save up your tubes for a week or two beforehand and then sit down at the kitchen table on a rainy afternoon and just make a bunch. They work as decorations, party favors, or little candy holders if you drop a few wrapped chocolates inside before sealing the bottom.

What You Need

Gather your supplies before you sit down with the kids. Nothing derails a craft session faster than hunting for scissors mid-project.

For each bunny you will need one empty toilet paper roll, white acrylic paint or white cardstock to wrap around the tube, a pencil, scissors, and a glue stick or craft glue. For the details you will want pink and black markers or small pieces of colored paper, googly eyes if you have them, a cotton ball for the tail, and pipe cleaners or white paper strips cut into thin rectangles for the ears.

Optional extras that make the bunnies feel more finished: pastel ribbon, washi tape for a little collar detail, or a tiny paper bow.

How to Make the Bunny Body

Start by covering the tube. You can paint the whole outside of the tube white and let it dry for about 15 minutes, or you can cut a piece of white cardstock to wrap around it and secure with a glue stick. The cardstock method is faster and great when you are working with impatient little helpers.

If you go the paint route, set the tubes upright on a piece of parchment paper and use a foam brush for even coverage. One coat usually does it since you are going for a base color, not a perfect finish.

Once the tube is white, you can add a pastel stripe near the base using washi tape, or leave it plain. Both look good.

Making the Ears

This is the step that really makes it look like a bunny. Cut two tall oval shapes from white cardstock, roughly 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Then cut two slightly smaller ovals from pink paper or pink cardstock and glue them centered on the white pieces. You now have classic bunny ears with pink centers.

Fold a small tab at the bottom of each ear so you have something to glue to the tube. Apply craft glue to the tabs and press the ears firmly to the inside top edge of the tube, one on each side. Hold them for about 30 seconds. If your glue is struggling, a small piece of tape on the inside of the tube works perfectly.

Pipe cleaners are another great ear option, especially for younger kids. Fold a pipe cleaner in half to make a long U shape, then bend the bottom ends outward to create tabs you can tape or tuck into the tube. They stand up well and have a slightly whimsical look.

Adding the Face

Keep the face simple. Two googly eyes glued on, or two small black circle stickers, sit about a third of the way down the tube. Below that, draw or glue on a small pink oval nose and add a tiny Y shape beneath it for the mouth. That little Y is the secret to a bunny face that actually reads as a bunny.

For whiskers, cut three thin strips of white or gray paper about 2 inches long and glue them horizontally across the nose area, three on each side fanning out slightly. You can also use thin strips of pipe cleaner for whiskers that have a little more dimension.

Markers work fine for the whole face if you want to skip gluing individual pieces. A black fine-tip marker and a pink marker are all you need.

The Finishing Touches

Glue a cotton ball to the back of the tube near the bottom for the tail. Press it firmly and let it set for a few minutes. It is small but it makes a big difference.

If you want to use the bunnies as candy holders, cut a circle of cardstock slightly larger than the tube opening, score around the edge, and fold up small tabs to glue to the inside bottom of the tube before you decorate. Drop in some jelly beans or mini eggs, then pop the bunny on top of an Easter basket arrangement.

For a table display, make five or six in slightly different sizes using paper towel rolls cut to different heights. A family of bunnies arranged on a windowsill or across a console table is an easy bit of Easter decor that took almost no money to pull off.

Tips for Doing This With Kids

Age 3 to 5 can handle painting, gluing the cotton ball, and sticking on googly eyes. Let them do those parts and you handle the cutting and ear assembly.

Age 6 and up can do most of the cutting with safety scissors, draw their own faces, and assemble the ears with just a little guidance on the tabs.

If you are making these for a classroom or party, prep the tubes and ears in advance so kids can focus on decorating. Pre-cutting is what turns a 20-minute craft into a 10-minute one when you have a group.

Set out small cups of glue with foam brushes rather than passing around a single bottle. It keeps things moving and means fewer spills.

Frequently Asked Questions