Wanna to craft spring memories? Hop to it!

We may not see the real thing all that often, but we frequently meet rabbits in books, movies and commercials - especially at this time of year, when every bunny has its day.<br><br>Long a symbol of new

Tuesday, April 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

We may not see the real thing all that often, but we frequently meet rabbits in books, movies and commercials - especially at this time of year, when every bunny has its day.

Long a symbol of new life and fertility, the bunny as an Easter symbol began in Germany in the 1500s and was brought to America during the 1700s. Children believed that if they were good, the Easter Bunny would lay colored eggs in a nest which they would create out of caps or bonnets. Use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later, as the tradition spread throughout the country.

In honor of this revered rabbit, here are some crafts, food and fun for a hoppy spring. Many of them require adult supervision.

A Hare-Raising Quiz
Match the following famous bunnies to their descriptions (some can be used more than once):

The White Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Flopsy Uncle Wiggly, Harvey The March Hare, Peter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, Little Rabbit, Foo Foo Silly Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, The bunny in Pat the Bunny, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Runaway Bunny,Thumper Bunnicula

Who ...
1. Lost his jacket in a garden?

2. Is seen in a painting on the wall in the book, Goodnight Moon?

3. Taught the names of things to a young deer?

3. Had adventures in an automobile with tires made of bologna sausages?

4. Was trapped under a basket by a cat for five hours?

5. Is a "Maroon Cartoon"?

6. As a baby bunny, was found in a movie-theater seat?

7. Is so-oo-oo-oo big?

8. Was always running late?

9. Had several children called "The Flopsy Bunnies"

10. Sings opera while shaving?

11. Changed from a toy to a real rabbit through the love of a child?

12. Dipped a watch into a tea cup?

13. Is invisible?

14. Is turned into a goon by the good fairy?

15. Keeps being told a certain breakfast cereal is just for kids?

Answers: 1. Peter Rabbit 2. The Runaway Bunny 3. Thumper 4. Uncle Wiggly 5. Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit 6. Roger Rabbit 7. Bunnicula 8. The bunny in Pat the Bunny 9. The White Rabbit 10. Flopsy and Benjamin Bunny 11. Bugs Bunny 12. The Velveteen Rabbit 13. The March Hare 14. Harvey 15. Little Rabbit Foo Foo 16. Silly Rabbit

BUNNY FUNNIES

(From Bunny Riddles by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, 1997, Dial Books for Young Readers)
What do you call a bunny with oodles of money? A billion-hare!
What kind of bunny climbed the beanstalk? A jack rabbit!
Why did the fox leave its den? He wanted some fresh hare!
Where did the rabbits go after they got married? On a bunnymoon!
What happened when the magician did a scary trick? His hare stood on end!

BUNNY BAG CRAFT

Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

A bunny face comes to life with a small, colorful lunch bag.

Measure 6 inches down from the top of bag. Cut along the 6-inch mark, cut out front and back panels, leaving side panels still attached to the bag to serve as ears.

To make ears from the side panels, tie the ear at the base with yarn or string. Squeeze the newly made ears and adjust to form the right bunny pose.

Make a bunny face with any materials you have handy, including paper, crayons and paint.

Fill your bag with the appropriate Easter trimmings.

COOKIES

For a sweet and simple treat, use a bunny cookie cutter on store-bought cookie dough. Use canned frosting and candies to decorate.

PUPPET

Time: depends on how obsessive you are when crafting.

You can make your own silly rabbit based on the goofy sock puppet featured in Petopia.com commercials.

Trace your hand on a folded hand towel to cut out a front and a back. To form the neck, cut off the middle three fingers on the towel. On the piece that will form the front, keep the legs. Cut them off the back piece. With right sides together, sew front and back pieces together; leave bottom open to fit your hand. Attach the legs. Turn right sides out.

Or, give yourself a break. Use a sock for the puppet's body.

Now, the fun: bunny embellishment. A pink felt oval is a good choice for the belly. Sew or glue on felt cheeks and tongue. For a bunny nose, how about a bead-and-pipe-cleaner whiskers? We even made a lapel flower from pipe cleaners.

For the ears, we stitched up terry cloth versions and sewed them to the top of the head, adding pink ear shapes on front for contrast. We used foam squares for front teeth and glued the eyes in place with a fast-drying all-purpose adhesive or craft glue.

PIPE-CLEANER CARROT

Time: 15-30 minutes

These carrots are made with plain and wavy (varying in thickness) pipe cleaners (both styles are available at large crafts stores).

Wrap five green wavy cleaners about 2 inches from the top of a white wavy cleaner, twisting to form a spray of five leaves pointing up.

Attach a straight orange pipe cleaner to the leaf shapes; begin twisting to form the body of the carrot. Keep winding the pipe cleaners, adding to the end of each, until enough are wrapped to form an entire carrot shape (about seven or eight should do).

Twist the white pipe cleaner hanger into a hook to hang from a window shade, light fixture or anywhere else a little whimsy is needed.

INSTANT RABBIT FUN

Inexpensive bunny-inspired games can provide amusement long after the colored eggs have all been gathered: Bunny Stackables ($3), 18 colorful interlocking bunnies that form artistic freeform sculptures; Bunny Bowling ($3), lightweight plastic bowling pins and two balls safely mimic real alley action; Carrot Pick-Up Sticks ($2) a vegetable interpretation of the old-fashioned childrens' parlor game. Available at area Eckerd stores.