Lately it seams like our family is eating an abundance of eggs. Making the egg carton containers endless around our house. So, I thought I’d see what kind of toddler crafts we could use to upcycle our egg cartons. I went on Pinterest and was surprised with how many ideas that were out there. My daughter loves flowers, and our family loves to hike so, we started with making a flower wreath and a treasure chest.
Egg Carton Flower Wreath
Supplies needed:
- 1 egg carton
- Scissors
- Exacto or craft knife
- Paint
- Paint brush
- Paint palette (optional)
- Glue
- Leftover box
Step One
We started by practicing with scissors to cut apart each egg cup. My daughter has never really used scissors before so, she really enjoyed this part, and it required a lot of time to complete. We also cut of the top of the egg carton and the folding flap.
FYI—Scissors are a great fine motor coordination and grip strengthening activity. As an occupational therapist I see and hear about kids falling behind in these areas which, impacts their writing abilities. Implementing fine motor coordination and grip strengthening into your child’s activities will be very beneficial for grade school.
Step Two
Next, we painted each egg cup to resemble flowers.
Step Three
Now I cut the leftover box into a wreath shape with the scissors and exacto knife.
Step Four
Then onto arranging the flowers onto wreath, allowing enough space for all flowers to fit evenly. Afterwards, we glued each flower onto the wreath. We let the wreath sit overnight to allow the glue ample time to dry.
Step Five
I cut a hole at the top of the wreath with the exacto knife and added a zip tie to hang the wreath.
Step Six
My daughter enjoys decorating and she helped hang our flower wreath on our front door.
*Disclaimer- this took us working on it daily for approximately a week to complete. There were so many cups to cut out and paint. My toddler is two years old; this craft would be better suited for an older child with a longer attention span.
Egg Carton Treasure Chest
We enjoy hiking as a family and now that our toddler can walk more, she has not been enjoying hiking as much. I looked for ways to make hiking more engaging and found many treasure hunting ideas. Since we had the extra egg cartons, I thought one would make a great treasure chest. Especially, with its locking features already incorporated in the egg carton.
Supplies needed:
- Markers
- Egg Carton
Step One
My toddler and I talked about different colors we typically see when hiking. Then we chose those marker colors. I’ve also tried using crayons to color the cups and have found that markers work easier and quicker.
Step Two
Next, my toddler colored each cup a few different colors with the colors we previously picked.
Step Three
We took our treasure chest with us out on a hike. I talked to my toddler about finding the color treasure our treasure chest required. Throughout the hike my toddler helped look for certain colors. It was fun to see her checking her treasure chest, determining what color see needed to find next, and then watching her locate that color and put it into her treasure chest. It was noticeable how much it helped her enjoy hiking. We’ve have done it a few times since and I’ve noticed we can’t do it every time or it’s not nearly as magical and fun.
Some More Fun and Creative Ways to Reuse Old Eggs Cartons
These versatile boxes can be used for a variety of craft projects. we will share some other fun and creative ways to reuse old eggs cartons. From Easter decorations to bird feeders, we have something for everyone.
Easter Decorations: One of the most popular ways to reuse eggs cartons is to turn them into Easter decorations. You can cut out different shapes and sizes to create baskets, flowers, and other festive designs. The best part is that you can use your imagination and get creative with it!
Bird Feeders: Another great way to reuse eggs cartons is to turn them into bird feeders. Simply cut a few small holes in the sides of the carton and fill it with bird food. You can hang it from a tree or attach it to a fence post. This is a fun project for kids and adults alike!
Storage Container: If you’re looking for an inexpensive storage container, eggs cartons are a great option. You can use them to store everything from craft supplies to nuts and bolts. They are also a handy way to transport small items when traveling.
Craft Supplies: If you’re a crafter, eggs cartons make the perfect storage container for your supplies. Not only are they lightweight and easy to carry, but they also come in different shapes and sizes. This makes it easy to find the right one for your needs.
There you have it! These are just a few of the many ways to reuse old eggs cartons. So get creative and have some fun!