Ideas by the Dozen { Egg Cartons }

As always here on Momtrepreneur, we’re turning “recycling” into “recreating”. So before you toss that egg carton in the bin, egg shells and all, have a look at these nifty mom- and child-friendly craft ideas:

1. Garden: Plant little bean stalks, herbs, succulents or easy-growing seedlings in the hollows of an egg carton – this is the ideal “incubator” to house them until they’re strong enough to be planted in the garden.
2. Sorting: The handy egg compartments are ideal for sorting and storing a variety of beads, buttons, hairpins and odd bits.
3. Protective Storage: The ideal safe-keeping box for all your breakable jewellery and trinkets.
4. Disposable candleholders: Turn the egg carton upside down and make a small hole in the base of each compartment through which you can insert a candle.
5. Floral bouquet: Turn the cups into beautifully decorated flowers by shaping the cups into petals and painting and adorning it accordingly. Attach to wire stems and voila!
6. Confectionary holder: There’s nothing like the surprise of opening an egg carton and discovering mini muffins, truffles or cupcakes inside!
7. Floral fairy lights: Decorate your individual egg carton cups and slip each one over a fairy light to create a whimsical string of floral lights.
8. Carton critters: Turn the individual egg carton cups into insects and critters – ideal for a kiddies’ birthday party. From long multi-cup worms to friendly spiders with pipe cleaner legs – the sky’s the limit!
9. Candy “eggs”: Prettify the individual cup, fill it with speckled eggs and Smarties, and top with another egg cup – perfect sealed candy favours for your next kiddies’ birthday party.
10. Gift box: Decorate your egg carton and use it as a themed gift box – for instance, housing a variety sewing, scrap booking or beading bits and bobs.
11. Animal noses: Paint the individual egg carton cups to look like animal noses – e.g. piggy or frog – and attach it to an elastic band which can wrap around your little one’s head.
12. Animal ears: In the same way, attach two cups to an elastic band and decorate them like animal ears!

Original images and their credits available on Pinterest