Transform Old Egg Cartons Into A Charming DIY Vase

You'll have to crack more than a few eggs for this DIY, but you won't have to worry about the finished product cracking. That's because this project idea from Pegah Art uses non-fragile recyclables, yet the vase is stunning with a textured exterior. The shape of the vase comes from two tin cans stacked, and the exterior is covered in the little dividers from egg cartons. (You might be surprised what you can do with them — like reusing old egg cartons to DIY whimsical hanging decor.) Since the entire vessel is made from recyclable materials, this makes for a cheap (or possibly free) craft that also conserves resources.

To cover the homemade vase, you'll cut the tops of the dividers off from the tray part of an egg carton. The dividers the original creator uses are square-shaped from molded fiber egg cartons — that's the cardboard-style container. It won't work well with plastic or Styrofoam cartons. Bulk egg trays at the store would be more likely to supply you with the needed material, or you can buy empty cartons new. These Bark and Lindy Egg Flats have similarly shaped dividers if your egg cartons don't have the same shape. Or, roll with another shape for a different look — take a peek inside the egg cartons available locally to see which ones have divider shapes that you like.

Two cans create a tall vase form, but you could also stick with one small can or a wider option. Or, repurpose a straight-sided glass cylinder vase for the shape and cover it with the egg carton pieces. You'll need glue to attach the pieces and paint to cover the vessel.

Create the shape for the vase by gluing together two clean, empty food cans, right side up. Using two cans is simply to add height to the vase, so you can skip this step if you want a shorter one. Once you glue the cans together, wrap tape around them from top to bottom for extra stability. Cut the tops of the dividers from several egg cartons — it will take a lot to cover the vase. Make sure they're the same height, with a flat-cut bottom to create a consistent shape around the vase. How tall you cut the sections is up to you. Save the rest of the carton — there are lots of smart ways to use empty egg cartons around your house.

Now you're ready to glue the cardboard squares onto the cans. Run a line of hot glue around the cut edge of the first square and align it with the top edge. Continue gluing each square individually, placing them side by side. When you move to the next row, you can align the squares with the previous row or offset them. Spray paint the entire vase once you have it completely covered with squares.

For variations, consider mixing in other materials to cover part of the container. You could wrap thick twine around the center to break up the sections of egg carton squares, for example. Or, tie a ribbon around the center. Arrange dried or faux flowers on top of the vase to finish off the display. You can even turn the leftover egg cartons into the cutest flowers to display in the vase.