Build your own rabbit hutch: upcycling from a reclaimed wooden barrel

You need: Jigsaws, 3-piece jigsaw blade set T-shank, Large wooden barrel

Your new rabbit hutch will mainly consist of a large reclaimed wooden wine barrel, which is easiest to acquire via an online classified ad platform. You may need to call a local winemaker or wine producer.

To get started, you will need to set the barrel upright and saw out the bottom with a jigsaw. Place a saw blade for curves at the inside edge of the barrel and cut around the bottom of the barrel following the curved contour.

You need: Fontus 18V, Wooden barrel with sawn out bottom from step 1

Depending on the condition of your barrel, it is worth cleaning it thoroughly with water and a brush. A cordless low pressure cleaner with brush is particularly suitable for this purpose.

You need: 3-piece jigsaw blade set T-shank, Jigsaws, Multi-sander, pencil, pocket rule, g-clamps, Wooden barrel, cleaned, Three-ply wood panel, 19 mm (approx. 500 x 700 mm)

Is everything dry in the meantime? Then let’s get started.

You first need a wooden board for the inside of the rabbit hutch. It should fit snugly against the round inner wall of the barrel since it will later sit crosswise in the wooden barrel.

There is a little trick for marking the curve on the board: Place the wooden board in the barrel in the way you want it to be aligned. Then clamp a pencil in an ordinary folding rule (picture 1) and run the edge of the rule along the inside wall of the barrel. In this movement, make sure that you draw the curved line of the barrel on the board with the pencil (picture 2). Then simply saw along the marked line (picture 3) and sand the cut edge once (picture 4).

Make sure to secure the materials you are cutting well to your workbench.

You need: Jigsaws, 3-piece jigsaw blade set T-shank, Multi-sander, pencil, pocket rule, g-clamps, Wooden barrel, cleaned, Three-ply wood panel, 19 mm (approx. 500 x 700 mm)

You will now need more boards for the interior. These will be fitted into the barrel later on.

Take the sawn-out large board from step 3 and place it in the correct central position in the barrel. In addition, position a second, smaller board vertically and mark the curve on the outside using the same trick as before (picture 1).

Then place the board on your workbench and draw an opening for rabbits. You can easily do this freehand (picture 2).

Then saw off (or out) the marked outside and the opening and sand down the cut edges smoothly. By the way, this also works great with a palm router or a regular router.

A third board is now placed over the T-structure of the two boards as a cover. Lay it out and mark the curve on the outside here, too (picture 3). You will probably have to play around a bit when marking and sawing until you get the right curve. This board will later be the door to the inside of the hutch.

You need: Cordless combi drill, Standard Screwdriver Bit Mixed Sets, g-clamps, pocket rule, pencil, Boards from step 4, Piano hinge, Latch, Cabinet door handle, 3x15 mm wood screws

Take the last sawn board of the door from step 4 and place it on your workbench. To do so, you need a piano hinge the length of the short straight side of the board. Hold it in place and attach it using short screws (picture 1).

Then use the piano hinge to mount it to the board with the sawn-out opening (picture 2).

Now place the structure with the two boards onto your workbench and then attach the third large board in place using screws (picture 3).

Finally, screw the two counterparts of a latch to the corner of the large board and to the board of the door (picture 4).  You can attach a cabinet door handle onto the door using screws.

You need: Cordless combi drill, Standard Screwdriver Bit Mixed Sets, g-clamps, Two wooden slats, 4x45 mm wood screws

Now place the assembled structure from step 5 in the correct position inside the barrel (picture 1). Use simple wooden slats to attach the structure into the barrel (picture 3).

Congratulations, you have completed your project! Now all that’s left is for your rabbits to move into their new home. It is worth setting up a generous fenced-in enclosure around the barrel to ensure that your rabbits do not attempt to escape and are also protected from predators. Also remember to protect your rabbits from above.

Are you thinking of letting more animals move in with you? Then we’ll advise you here on which pet suits you and your family best.

And if you want to do something good for the other inhabitants of your garden, maybe a nice DIY project for an insect hotel or the tips for the perfect nesting box is just the thing for you.