How to Make a Rabbit Hutch

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

old coffee table
cage wire
cage wire cutters or tin snips
quality door frame molding
8 small corner braces
mitre saw
brads or nails
hammer
wood staples
wood staple gun
2 offset hinges
screws
rabbit proof latch or latches to secure the door closed
wood stain to match or contrast your coffee table
nontoxic water seal
wood glue

Step 1

Determine if you want a solid back and one or both sides on your rabbit hutch.

For the purpose of this article we will be using a solid back and one side and then leaving the other side and front open. This helps contain the litter inside the rabbit hutch.

We will also be using a solid bottom.
Step 2

Measure the sides of your coffee table both lengthwise and width wise from the inside of the coffee table.
From now on the coffee table will be referred to as a rabbit hutch.

Take care to make sure that your measurements are correct, the rule of thumb here is measure twice and cut once!

Cut your wire to the measurements you came up with for the front and one side of your rabbit hutch.
Step 3

Once you are sure your wire is cut correctly you can staple it to the inside frame of the rabbit hutch, using care that there are no sharp wires poking out and that all staples are deeply set and not poking out of the wood.
Step 4

Now assuming that you want a solid bottom that you will fill with bedding and clean daily.

for the solid bottom you will need to cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom of your coffee table. You will measure from the inside of the coffee table side to side and front to back for the bottom, you will also need to measure for the one end and the back of your rabbit hutch.

Most lumbar and big box home improvement stores will do the cuts for you if you have the measurements, expect to buy a half or whole sheet of plywood though as they do not sell by the foot.

For the solid bottom you will attach it from the inside of the frame using a hammer and brads or nails to secure it in place. You may need to cut out some of the corners to make it fit depending on your particular piece of furniture. Additional bracing in the form of angled corner braces, or "T" braces may be necessary to insure your bottom will stay secure, only you can make that determination based on the dimensions of your rabbit hutch.
Step 5

Stain and polish or wax rub one side of the pieces of plywood you had cut for your rabbit hutch. You want them to closely to match or contrast the color of the frame to the rabbit hutch.
This will add to the beauty of the hutch and take away that "home made" look making it look more like a nice piece of furniture.
Step 6

We will be using a full wire door for the purpose of this article.

You want this door to fit nicely inside the rabbit hutch so keep this in mind, so then your measurements should go from top to bottom and left to right minus 1/2 inch on each, to allow for both the hinge and ease of movement of the door when you open and close it.

You will be making 2 frames for this piece of wire, one for the inside of the door and the other for the outside of the door.

Remember measure twice and cut once, if you make a mistake it will cost you another trip to the home improvement store.

You will use your mitre box to make your cuts at a 45 degree angle. Look at the door frame of your house to see how this should look when you are finished. The top and bottom frame should cut outwards and the side frames should be cut inwards this way you get a nice clean corner.

Attach your flat corner frames to the inside of each corner on both frames you will be making. These are essential to keep your door from flexing and possibly breaking later.

Once you have both sides assembled you should check again to make sure that they will fit the way you want them to and your door will open and close the way you want.

Once you are sure everything looks good you can attach your wire to the flat side of one door frame using the staples. Double check fit once one frame is attached to make sure everything looks good, then using your brads you will nail the other frame to the first one.

It is essential that you make sure your brads are not longer than the 2 door frames are thick or they will poke out the other side!
Step 7

We will be putting the hinges on the bottom of the door so that your house rabbit can use the door as a ramp to get into and out of his rabbit hutch easily.

Then place the door into it's place and insure that it will attach how you want it to. Use a marker to mark the places where the screws will go into the door frame.

Pre-drill these holes so that the door frame molding does not split and then attach your door to the front of your rabbit hutch.

Check again to make sure you have a proper fit and then attach your door latch to keep the door closed and your rabbit safely inside when necessary.
Step 8

Use a corner molding to cover the hinge and give a tight seal against the door when it is closed. Use wood glue to secure it in place and then seal the seam with wood glue to act as a moisture barrier.

Continue with the corner molding across the entire inside framing of the rabbit hutch, not only will this aid in providing a good water seal but it will also protect your house rabbit from injury. Use wood glue to secure the molding in place.
Step 9

Use the water seal to seal the bottom and inside of the rabbit hutch according to the directions on the container.
Make sure that the sealer you use is non-toxic!
Once this sealer is dried you will take your wood glue and glue the seams of the rabbit hutch.
This will help prevent the wood from warping in the case your rabbit urinates more than the bedding can sop up.
Step 10

Step back from your work and give it a good look-see.
You want to make sure that there are no sharp edges or exposed corners of wire, and that the door looks and fits the way you want it too.

After the appropriate amount of time has passed according to label directions on your sealer and wood glue, you can introduce your house rabbit to his new home.

Remember the door should also be able to act as a ramp so that your house rabbit can enter and exit the rabbit hutch.