I’m excited to share a simple but very cute Peter Rabbit craft today for Emma Owl’s Read it Make It Book Week.

We are a bit Beatrix Potter-obsessed at our house. I grew up on the Tales of Peter Rabbit and His Friends, and now my daughters are fans of that naughty bunny, too.

I recently took my oldest daughter to see Peter Rabbit Tales at Austin’s historic Paramount Theater. After the performance, we were able to participate in a brief Q&A session with the cast and then talk to gardening experts who passed out soil and vegetable seeds to kids in the lobby.

“First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes; And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.” – Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit

An avid gardener and a childhood dollhouse miniatures collector, I seized the opportunity to combine my loves and create Mr. McGregor’s garden from Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit with my 4-year-old. She was really excited when I pulled out my box of miniatures from the closet.

How to make Mr. McGregor’s garden

What you’ll need

Pot or plant container
Potting soil
Seeds or seedlings
Small stones
Blue fabric scrap
Scissors
Two small, straight sticks
Twine
Garden dollhouse miniatures: terra cotta pots, wheelbarrow, watering can, garden tools, hose, crates or baskets of vegetables, birds, cat, etc.

Fortunately, “fairy gardens” are popular right now so finding garden miniatures at craft stores is very easy. We used a few I already had packed away and added some cute ones we found at Michael’s.

A simple Peter Rabbit craft

What you’ll do

First, we filled a planter with potting soil and transplanted a few thyme seedlings in neat little rows. (You could also plant seeds or onions.)

“But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions.”  – Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Then we added small stones my daughter gathered in the backyard and whimsically arranged garden miniatures like a watering can, wheelbarrow and rake, as if Mr. McGregor was there working but just out of sight.

“Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.” – Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit

For Mr. McGregor’s scarecrow, I simply tied two straight sticks together with twine to make a cross and then folded and cut a blue rectangle of fabric into a simple jacket shape. We hung the fabric over the sticks and tied the back of the jacket onto the vertical stick with twine. (If you can find a little blue jacket and shoes at a craft store, more power to you!)

I hope you have as much fun with this as we did. And be sure to water your seeds or plants!

Love,

Lauren