Bear in Bunny Suit

This bear pair gets in on the Easter fun by donning fuzzy bunny suits to paint their eggs.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
  • Balls: 5"; 3"; 2"
  • Eggs: two 3"; three 2-1/2"
• White polar fleece, 1/3 yd.
• Tan plush felt or synthetic animal fur, 4" x 6"
• Felt: pink, 9" x 12" sheet; dark brown scrap
• White pom pom, 2"
• Polka dot ribbon, 1/2" x 1/3 yd.
• Black eye beads, two each: 6mm; 8mm
• Daisy buttons: 1"; 1-1/2"
• Mulberry paper: mint green; teal blue; lilac; yellow
• White/iridescent glitter
• Cosmetic blush
• Paintbrushes: #4; #12
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Compass
• Medium flat paintbrush
• Water basin
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Needles: embroidery; 3" sewing
• Dark brown embroidery floss, 1 yd.
• Straight pins
• Découpage medium
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut thin slices from five sides of 5" foam ball for mama bear body, forming a cylindrical hexagon with one rounded side for tummy.
    
2. Cut thin slice from one side of 4" ball for mama bear head. Cut 2" ball in half for baby bear head. Cut two large foam eggs in half for mama's feet and baby's body; cut 1/2" from both ends of one half-egg for baby's body.
    
3. Tear four 3" squares from each mulberry paper color. Brush découpage medium onto 2-1/2" eggs and layer on paper, one teal, one green, and one a mix of yellow and lilac. While wet, sprinkle on glitter; let dry.
    
4. Use Mama Foot Pad pattern to cut one pink felt tummy piece for baby. In addition, use same pattern to cut four white feet for baby, turning pattern over before tracing two of the pieces. Glue baby's foot pieces together in pairs, plush side out; set aside until Step 15.
    
5. In addition, for mama bear, cut 2-1/2" x 7-1/2" strip from fleece for head and 7" x 14" strip for body. For baby bear, cut 1/2" x 5-1/2" strip from fleece for head. Cut 2-1/4" circle (mama) and 1-1/4" circle (baby) from tan plush felt or fur for faces.
    
6. Place large feet and baby bear body cut sides down on wrong side of fleece. Trace around each shape with a pencil, 1/2" beyond edge of foam. Cut out fleece pieces. Trace again, cutting second set of shapes on traced line.
    
7. Trace large egg once more onto pink felt; cut out for mama's tummy. Glue pink felt ears to white fleece, 1/2" apart; cut out 1/4" larger all around to create ears.
    
8. Construct heads with flat side of 4" ball at bottom and flat side of 2" half-ball at back. Glue face circles in place. Refer to photo to poke eye holes; glue beads into holes.
    
9. Using six strands floss, sew running stitch for mouth as shown; insert needle into bottom of head and come out through front. Use fingertip to blush cheeks. Glue noses in place.
    
10. Wrap fleece strips cut in Step 5 around heads, overlapping ends at bottom; glue to secure. Apply thin line of glue to bear ears and glue to heads as shown. Pinch bottoms of bunny ears together and glue to tops of heads as shown.
     
11. With rounded side of mama bear body toward front, wrap fleece strip cut in Step 5 around foam; overlap and glue ends at back. Pull fleece toward top and bottom of body, gathering and smoothing as needed. Glue to secure.
     
12. Repeat Step 11 for baby bear body, keeping rounded side toward front, and using two pieces cut in Step 6. Place foam half-egg, rounded side down, on wrong side of larger fleece oval; pull fleece to flat side, smoothing gathers as much as possible, and glue to secure. Glue same-size oval to back and trim excess.
     
13. Cover mama bear's feet in same way as baby bear's body; glue same-size pieces to flat sides of feet.
     
14. Glue heads to bodies. Glue mama's arm pieces together in pairs, plush side out; glue arms to sides of bodies where head and body meet as shown.
     
15. Glue foot and toe pads to bottoms of all feet. Glue pink tummies to bodies. Glue feet to front of bodies. Glue pom pom tail to back of mama bear. Tie ribbon bow and glue to mama's neck. Glue daisy buttons to bears' necks.
     
16. Glue baby's paw to mouth. Brush glue on nose, sprinkle with glitter, and glue tiny mulberry scraps to feet and paw.
     
17. Cut #4 and #12 paintbrushes down to bear size. Dip bristles into glue and sprinkle with glitter. Apply a bit of glue and glitter to handles, as well. Let dry completely. Glue brushes into paws.
     
18. Glue baby bear into mama's lap as shown. Arrange eggs as desired. To curl bunny ears, roll forward and hold; release.

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