Most cup puppets just sit in their cup looking cute. This one performs — pull gently on the center straw and a sweet bunny face rises out of the cup while its two little arms swing outward at the same moment, like it’s popping up to wave hello. Let go, and it sinks back down, arms tucked in, ready to surprise again.
The mechanism is a clever bit of simple engineering: three pipe cleaners threaded through three small holes in a paper cup — one straight up the center attached to the bunny’s face, and two crossing diagonally out to the sides attached to little heart-shaped hand paddles. Because all three pipe cleaners are taped together at a single joint below the cup, pulling the center one down simultaneously pulls the two side ones taut, swinging the arms outward exactly as the face rises. One pull, two motions, one very charming puppet.
This is a wonderfully satisfying build-and-play craft — the drawing and coloring are easy for kids, while the hole-punching and pipe cleaner threading benefit from an adult’s help. Ages seven and up can manage most of it with light supervision.
It’s a perfect Easter or spring craft, a fantastic pull-toy for younger siblings to play with, and one of the most genuinely delightful mechanisms in this entire series.
What You’ll Need
Materials:
- One paper cup (any solid color — pink works beautifully)
- White cardstock (for the bunny face and ears)
- Pink cardstock (for ear inner details and heart hand paddles)
- One pink pipe cleaner and two yellow pipe cleaners
- Black and pink markers (for the face details)
- Clear tape
Tools:
- Scissors
- A hole punch or a sharp pointed tool (for making the three holes)
- Pencil
Before You Start — Essential Notes
Hole placement is the entire mechanism. One hole goes in the very center of the cup’s bottom, and two more go on opposite sides of the cup, roughly halfway up. Getting these three positions right — center, left, right — is what makes the pull motion work correctly.
The pink pipe cleaner always stays longer than the yellow ones. The center pink pipe cleaner needs enough extra length to be pulled and released repeatedly, while the two yellow side pipe cleaners are trimmed shorter to match each other exactly, so both arms move in sync.
Tape the three pipe cleaners together at one single joint point. This joint, located just below the cup’s bottom hole, links all three movements — pull the center one, and the tension transfers through the joint to both side pipe cleaners at once.
Draw the face before assembling the mechanism. It’s much easier to draw a centered, symmetrical bunny face on a flat circle of paper before it’s threaded onto a moving pipe cleaner.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 — Draw the Bunny Face and Heart Hands
On white cardstock, draw a round bunny face with two tall ears extending up, and separately draw two small heart shapes on pink cardstock for the hand paddles. Cut all three pieces out.
Step 2 — Color the Ears and Face Details
Using pink and black markers, color the inner sections of both ears pink, then add two round eyes, a small nose, whisker lines, and pink cheek blush circles to the bunny’s face.
Step 3 — Tape the Three Pipe Cleaners Together
Lay one pink pipe cleaner and two yellow pipe cleaners side by side, and tape them together firmly at one end to form a single joined bundle — this taped joint is the key connection point for the entire mechanism.
Step 4 — Trim the Yellow Pipe Cleaners to Match
Measure and trim the two yellow pipe cleaners so they are exactly the same length as each other, shorter than the pink center pipe cleaner, which stays at its full length.
Step 5 — Punch the Three Holes in the Cup
On a pink paper cup, punch one hole in the very center of the bottom, and two more holes on opposite sides of the cup, positioned roughly halfway up the height of the cup.
Step 6 — Thread the Pipe Cleaners Through the Cup
From inside the cup, push the pink center pipe cleaner down through the bottom center hole, and push each yellow pipe cleaner out through its corresponding side hole, so all three cross through the cup and exit at their designated points.
Step 7 — Test the Pull Motion
Gently pull the pink pipe cleaner’s bottom end downward from beneath the cup — the tension should pull both yellow side pipe cleaners inward through the cup at the same time, ready to swing the arms once attached.
Step 8 — Attach the Face and Heart Hands
Tape the bunny face securely to the top end of the pink pipe cleaner inside the cup, and tape each heart-shaped hand paddle to the top end of each yellow pipe cleaner.
Step 9 — Pull the Straw and Watch It Wave
Hold the cup steady in one hand and gently pull the pink pipe cleaner from below with the other — the bunny face rises up out of the cup while both heart hands swing outward at the same moment, then everything sinks back down when released.
Fun Variations to Try
Chick version: Swap the bunny ears for small round wing shapes and use yellow cardstock for the face, keeping the exact same pull mechanism for an equally charming spring chick puppet.
Different hand shapes: Use small paw shapes, star shapes, or flower shapes instead of hearts for the hand paddles, for a completely different look with the same fun motion.
Two-puppet show: Make two puppets in different colors for a simple pull-string puppet show between siblings or friends.
Longer travel distance: Use a taller cup and longer pipe cleaners for a more dramatic pop-up motion when pulled.
Glitter ear accent: Add a light coat of glitter glue to the inner pink ear sections once dry for a sparkly, extra festive Easter version.
Tips for Best Results
Keep the two yellow pipe cleaners exactly matched in length — even a small difference means one arm will swing further or faster than the other, throwing off the synchronized wave effect.
Test the pull motion thoroughly before attaching the face and hands — it’s much easier to adjust hole placement or pipe cleaner length while the cup is still bare.
Use a sturdy paper cup rather than a flimsy one — the holes need to hold their shape through repeated pulling without tearing or stretching.
Display and Gift Ideas
This makes a wonderful hands-on Easter basket filler — a toy that’s genuinely fun to play with, not just look at.
Package two or three in different colors as a puppet show starter set for younger siblings or a classroom play corner.
Set up a “pull and surprise” station at a spring-themed party where kids can decorate and build their own bunny puppet to take home.
Final Thoughts
This peek-a-boo bunny puppet proves that a few simple pipe cleaners and some clever hole placement can turn a plain paper cup into a genuinely delightful toy — one gentle pull, and a sweet bunny pops up waving both its heart-shaped hands.
Thread the pipe cleaners. Attach the face and hands. Give that straw a gentle pull. Watch it rise up and wave — it’s honestly impossible to only pull it once.