How to Make a Rabbit Hutch Cover

So you have built a rabbit hutch and find yourself needing to make a cover to provide necessary shelter for your rabbit. Rabbit hutch covers can be made out of many different materials, although some require more work than others. If you are looking for a rabbit hutch cover that is relatively easy and inexpensive, consider making the cover out of tin. Tin is very durable and using it to make a cover requires only a few tools and a couple of hours.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 sheet of tin
  • Tape measure
  • Chalk line or straight edge
  • Pencil
  • Tin snips
  • 12 Phillips head screws, 3/4 inch long
  • Drill or Phillips head screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • 1 small nail
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Instructions

  1. Building the Cover

    • 1

      Measure the length and width of the top of your existing rabbit hutch. Write down the dimensions so that you won't forget them. For this example, let's say the measurements are 3 feet by 2 feet. Broken down into inches that is 36 inches by 24 inches.

    • 2

      Determine how much overhang you would like the rabbit hutch cover to have on each edge. Just like the overhang on a house, the overhang on a rabbit hutch cover is the edge that will extend past the edge of the hutch itself. One thing to consider when determining the overhang is that you will need access to the door of the hutch. With this in mind, you may want to have less overhang near the door than on the other edges of the rabbit hutch.

    • 3

      Add the desired amount of overhang to the measurements you took earlier. In this example, your hutch is 24 inches wide and 36 inches long and you want an 8-inch overhang all the way around your hutch except for the front, where you want only 4 inches for easy access to the door. Figure the total length and width needed for the rabbit hutch cover by adding 16 inches to the length and 12 inches to the width like this:

      24 inches + 8 inches + 4 inches = 36 total inches for the width
      36 inches + 8 inches + 8 inches = 52 total inches for the length

      So, the size of the rabbit hutch cover will be 36 inches by 52 inches.

    • 4

      Measure out your 36-inch by 52-inch measurements and mark them directly on the sheet of tin using a pencil.

    • 5

      Create a rectangle using your measurements. The easiest way to do this is to use a chalk line to just pop a chalk line directly onto the tin. If you are using a straight edge, simply place one end of it on one mark and the other end on another mark and connect the dots with pencil. The results should form a rectangle and provide you with a pattern for snipping the tin.

    • 6

      Snip out the rabbit hutch cover using tin snips. Carefully snip the tip following the pattern you have created. Keep in mind that tin is very sharp when snipped. Proceed slowly and be very careful to avoid cuts.

    Attaching the Cover

    • 7

      Set the finished rabbit hutch cover on top of the rabbit hutch.

    • 8

      Measure the edges and adjust the cover until there is 8 inches of overhang on all sides except the front, which has only 4 inches of overhang.

    • 9

      Attach the rabbit hutch cover securely onto the hutch by screwing in 3/4-inch screws directly through the top of the tin into the wooden frame of the hutch. Begin by placing a screw in each corner of the cover and then add screws every 7 or 8 inches across the length and width of the cover to ensure it is secure. This is a very easy task if using a drill with an adapter. If using a screwdriver, make a starting hole through the tin using a hammer and small nail and then finish screwing in the screw with a Phillips head screwdriver.

    • 10

      Smooth the sharp edges of the tin. Carefully feel along the edge of the tin for any burs or sharp edges and gently smooth them out by tapping that area with a hammer.