Before we moved closer to our grandchildren, we dreamed of days like this. Here's the story of a dream come true. It involves a nana, a 4-year-old and bunnies ... so many bunnies ...
What was our plan?
- Nana (me) and my favorite 4-year-old decided to transform the playroom for springtime with our Bunny Kit fabric wall decals and surprise his cousin from out of town, whose ETA was in approx 1.5 hours.
- Because we needed a 30-minute snack (of course) we only had 1 hour to make our install happen!
Want to create your own Springtime Transformation? Read on ... but if you are currently in the carpool line, and the kids are about to jump in, click here to see the video shorty of the whole project.
HOW WE MADE A COZY BUNNY-THEMED BOOK NOOK IN LESS THAN AN HOUR WITH FABRIC WALL DECALS
AND SO IT BEGINS ...
1. IMPORTANT: An after-school snack is a must to provide energy needed for the big redux. We decided to have juicy apples and cheese. Note: We probably should have had carrots to go full-on bunny theme, but both of us prefer apples.
2. While we built up our stamina, we decided to read a book, or three. For inspiration, we chose 3 books that involve bunnies. They don't have to be famous bunnies. They can just be regular bunnies. We particularly like funny bunnies. See links at end of blog post for some of our favorite bunny literature.
"He took a deep breath. It smelled as if he were wrapped inside the pages of his favorite book."
Annie Silvestro
Bunny's Book Club
3. Now that we were revitalized, we began our project. We took down our last seasonal install ... Valentine’s Day hearts. We saved the removable fabric decals for next year by placing them on their backing paper. This became a Montessori-like activity in and of itself. I had planned to just scatter them on the backing, but our little guy had another idea ... sorting and sequencing like a pro.
4. Next, we wiped down the wall to remove any dust (or lately pollen!) Then, we peeled off each decal and lightly placed each one just so. After we placed all of the bunnies and leaves and radishes, we flattened everything for an excellent wallpaper effect.
5. Voila! You can see our first install in the photo below:
- A bunny background for reading during springtime ... and really any time, because bunnies are cool year round. 😎
- A bookshelf full of books about bunnies, bees, bugs and a wolf.
- One proud 4-year-old.
- One happy nana.
After we finished part 1 of our big surprise, we decided to take a short break to do a little rabbit reading.
“If you become a bird and fly away from me,” said his mother,
“I will be a tree that you come home to.”
Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny
6. Now it was time to install our very BIG Curious Bunny. If you are wondering how big BIG really is ... well, we have your answer ... exactly 2.2 childs big. (We used a real child for this scientific measurement.)
Sometimes, when I see our artwork this large, with every pencil line and every brushstroke visible, I am fascinated by the ways that watercolor adds its own magic to our drawings. And even more awestruck that we have a four-year-old nearby to bring our bunnies to life.
7. The next step is a big one, (literally) and we recommend grabbing a buddy (who is a bit taller than a 4-year-old) But, under the circumstances, I was able to go solo-and-a-half.
You may notice some wrinkles in the decal near my helper’s section. Not to worry ... our magic fabric decal material is 100% repositionable, so we simply lifted up the lower part of the decal and smoothed it flat. 🙌
8. Just in the nick of time, we planted our carrots and radishes along the baseboard, and gave each other a high five. We even had time to read one more story before the BIG REVEAL! Thank you to our surprise recipients for being so believably surprised. We were super proud. We bragged about our work for about 5 full minutes ... and then all the cousins ran outside to play ... just like real bunny rabbits. All was well in Nanaland.
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
Margery Williams
The Velveteen Rabbit
Epilogue:
And then, just like that, our fun cousin-weekend was over. Everybody headed home for school the next day. We picked up all the missing shoes and single socks. We put all the breakable things back on their tables. And, things quietly went back to normal. Except one. Every day, as I walk into the kitchen for breakfast, I pass the Big Curious Bunny ... and I can’t help but start the day with a smile. And, sometimes, I think he has even given me a little wink, as if to say, “Thank you for making me REAL.”
Have a wonderful springtime, friends. Hope it’s full of flowers, and bees, and bugs, and bunnies. Love, Cathy and the Mej Mej family
You can see a little video of our big install on YouTube.
Where to shop the story:
All removable fabric bunny wall decals shown here are from our Mej Mej Hop collection. We used 2 sets of the Bunny Kit for a wallpaper effect. But one set also makes a great storybook statement placed around a shelf or above a cabinet. And we used one Curious Bunny Large for our accent wall.
The mid-century display book shelves are from West Elm Kids. I don't see white offered any longer but they have two excellent wood colors from which to choose. The storage ottoman is from Joybird. The play table and bear chairs were an over-zealous new grandmother splurge. They are from œuf. We love them because they are strong enough for a nana to sit at reading level. :-) They offer bunny-eared chairs, too!
10 Favorite Bunny Books for Little Kids and Their Reading Buddies
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, 1902
- The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, illustrated by Willliam Nicholson, 1922
- The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd, 1942
- Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram, 1994
- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, by Mo Willems, 2004
- Bunny’s Book Club, by Annie Silvestro, Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss, 2017
- Little Blue Bunny, by Erin Guendelsberger, Illustrated by Stila Lim, 2022
- Marshmallow, by Clare Turlay Newberry, 1942
- It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, by Marilyn Sadler, Illustrated by Roger Bollen, 1983
- Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, 1947
The Author: Cathy Heck
Cathy began her career as an art director in New York City followed by 40 years as a freelance illustrator. Her artwork has been licensed for thousands of products for babies and children of all ages. In fact, over 2 million babies' memories have been recorded in a Cathy Heck baby book. You might even have one in your own keepsake box. :-) Today, Cathy, with her daughter, Julianna, and their husbands, Jim and Anton, work together to design, manufacture and ship Mej Mej wall decor and unique gifts to children and families around the world.
