Stop Tossing Your Egg Cartons: Turn Them Into A Cutesy Spring Garland

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Egg cartons have a way of piling up, especially if you live in a household that loves baking and breakfast food. Instead of tossing them into the garbage or recycling, consider repurposing egg cartons around your home. There are dozens of ways to use egg cartons for both decorative and functional purposes. One creative idea is to transform them into festive spring garlands.

The best way to embrace spring and warmer weather is to create decor that's evocative of the season. The individual cups for eggs in a cardboard or Styrofoam egg carton are the perfect shape to make miniature flowers. When divided up and strung together, they form a gorgeous flower garland that no one would ever guess was once an egg carton. This hack is extra homey, since it's made entirely from scratch from common household items. It's also relatively simple and family-friendly. One could even pair this idea with the Dollar Tree spring DIY wreath to thoroughly decorate their home with cutesy spring decor.

It doesn't take much to assemble this craft. For materials, you only need a paper-based or Styrofoam egg carton and a string. As far as supplies go, you'll require scissors, hot glue, an X-Acto knife, several paint brushes, and multiple springtime paint colors. You should also pick up black and white craft paint, so you can adjust the color shades. It's possible to make this garland on any piece of string, whether it's a piece of twine or even extra fishing twine. However, if you want to make a light-up garland, you'll need to purchase string lights. Ensure the bulbs are small so they don't overwhelm the flower design, and make sure they're LED so they don't give off too much heat.

Start on the "flower" part of the garland by separating the egg cups with a pair of scissors. Each cup will have four raised sides that emulate petals. If necessary, round them off with scissors to make them look more like blossoms. Don't throw away any leftover egg carton pieces, as they'll be useful later. Paint each carton cup, or petal, in the color of your choice using acrylic paint. To make your design more spring-like, opt for shades that emulate popular springtime flowers, such as lilac crocuses and yellow daffodils.

Don't be afraid to mix white or black paint with your primary chosen colors. This will result in a lighter or darker shade, which will add depth and realism to your design. Dab the inside and outer edges of the egg carton cup to create more of a natural, ombre appearance. Also use a paintbrush to dab a yellow center to represent the stamen and pistil.

Cut up the remaining egg carton to make tiny leaves for the garland. If this task feels too arduous, though, you can always buy an artificial vine instead, such as the Asfroy Artificial Eucalyptus Leaf Garland. Or, if you prefer your garland without leaves, this project also looks gorgeous with just the flower aspect. Slit the center of each flower, then thread the string lights (or regular string) and vine through. If you cut the tiny leaves yourself, you must paint them and hot glue them to each flower.

Once the flowers are fully threaded through, your garland is ready to style. Battery-powered lights and regular string can hang in most areas, but plug-in lights won't have the same freedom. Hang the garland over an archway, mantel, window, or drape it across a table or countertop with another DIY spring-inspired centerpiece. Just be wary not to hang it near any candles, lit fireplaces, or incandescent lights, since neither cardboard nor styrofoam is heat-resistant.