rabbitat

The cottagecore aesthetic, popularized by romanticized TikTok videos, is absolutely perfect for bunny lovers!

Cottagecore drips with nostalgia and a longing for a simpler life. Think “going back to basics” – baking bread, taking care of a backyard garden, learning how to knit, reading a book while on a picnic, etc.

It’s permiated many aspects of life, not only daily activities and hobbies.

Some people have taken to dressing cottagecore (florals, longer skirts, and puff sleeves). Others have transformed their homes (buying vintage furniture, hanging prints of botanicals, painting their walls dark green). There are even Spotify playlists that can help you get in the cottagecore vibe!

Common visuals include:

Mushrooms
Flowers
Herbs
Toads
And, of course, bunnies!!!

Launching myself headfirst into cottagecore, I decided to get Baby, my lionhead, on board!

What you’ll need

There’s no hard and fast rule whether or not something qualifies as “cottagecore.” I’d say the best thing is to look at your space and follow the vibes.

To give you some inspiration, here are some of the things I gathered:

Fake greenery: I didn’t want real plants in case leaves dropped and he accidentally ate one.
Christmas lights: Our apartment doesn’t have great lighting, so I draped lights around the top of his pen. They’re connected with the light switch so they’re off at night.
A string of fabric carrots: This can also be strung along the top of the playpen.
A wooden castle: Baby won’t be running towards it in slow motion wearing a flowing gown… but he could!
A canopy doll bed: He sometimes sits on it while he eats, but it’s too small to lay down on.
A woven basket: Baby doesn’t jump up on his castle, so I can put a basket on top of it with some extra toys in there. If it is in reach, just make sure the material is bunny-safe.
A miniature mailbox: It’s just adorable! No other reason!
Grass mats: We’ve found Small Pet Select‘s sea grass mats to hold out the longest against his super chewing. Couldn’t get it in time for the cottagecore makeover because it keeps selling out! But Amazon has another good alternative we’ve tried

Where to buy cottagecore props and decor

Cottagecore is all about vintage, so why not take advantage of that?

I’ve gotten the majority of my props from tag sales and flea markets. You’re almost guaranteed one-of-a-kind items that have serious character.

I was able to find Baby is very own little picnic set at a small flea market in Connecticut!

Keep your eye out for items for 18-inch dolls. Although not always the case, props for these dolls typically match rabbit proportions. This is how I found my canopy bed, the mailbox, and the cute little apples for sale sign/mini crate.

Another place to look is estate sales. These items are usually pretty cheap, especially if you go in the last hour. Sellers just want to get rid of the stuff at that point. There are oftentimes antiques or cute painting you can incorporate into your bunny’s space.

You can also check sales at craft stores. The best time to go is after Easter, when they’re trying to sell off all their carrot and rabbit themed inventory.

What type of castle to buy

There are some cardboard castles that you can construct at home, but we try to stay away from those. Some rabbits, including Baby, have a bad habit of eating cardboard instead of just biting it off. With his past issues with GI Stasis, we just don’t want to take the chance. For the money they cost, I also wouldn’t want a castle easily destroyed by bunstruction.

I got my castle from Small Pet Select! They’re really well made, so I don’t have to worry about it collapsing if Baby jumps on it.

The castle I have is open on two sides, so Baby doesn’t feel cornered while he’s in there. It also has little windows on the closed sides (spoiler alert: you will die from cuteness when your bun peaks out the window). The castle is hand-made with Kiln-Dried #2 Untreated Pine, so even if Baby did happen to take a nibble, he’s still safe.

Some bunny parents buy a couple castles and combine them with wooden ramps. This is a cool idea if you have a dedicated bunny room, but I’d suggest getting one to see how your rabbit likes it before splurging on a giant setup.