Don't Toss Old Egg Cartons: How To Reuse Them Create A Whimsical Fairy House

Repurposing items that would otherwise be discarded and turning them into household crafts, whether for practical or decorative purposes, is its own type of magic. One quick and easy project that adds even more magic to the DIY process involves turning an old egg carton into an adorable, enchanting fairy house. It's resourceful, inexpensive, and a great weekend craft for kids. It also has plenty of room for creativity and customization, so you can use an array of supplemental materials, as seen in an Instagram video posted by @mummy_and_my_three, to make your own take on it. 

In the video, content creator Jessica Wetherall-Buckle uses colored markers and paper mache made from a combination of white glue, tissue paper, and corn flour to make the fairy house truly come to life. She decorates a clean glass jar with paper mache, using the mixture to sculpt small pieces into windows, doors, and other fairy-like designs that affix to the glass jar. Details are added using a hobby knife such as the Fiskars Softgrip Detail Knife. While the paper mache dries, she cuts the egg carton into petal shapes and glues the edges together to form a flower roof. From there, she colors the paper mache before attaching the flower-shaped roof. The basic project is simple, but there are several ways to further personalize this craft.

When it comes to selecting the jar you'll use, a Mason jar can work for your enchanting fairy garden decor, but the embossed lettering might make the craft slightly more challenging, which is why Wetherall-Buckle used an empty Nutella jar. A clean, empty glass jam or pickle jar would also make a great little house. Multiple commenters mentioned that this is the perfect craft for cute DIY lighting. "Omg I'd put fairy lights in there to make it a little fairy cottage," one person wrote. By placing a small LED tea light inside the jar, you can then use the fairy house as ambient lighting indoors or outdoors; just make sure the handle is strong enough if you plan to hang the jar.

Overall, this craft is simple, but it may take more than a few minutes to make, which can be a bonus if you're looking to occupy a child's attention for a solid chunk of time. However, one way to speed up the process is to use air-dry clay instead of paper mache. Air-dry clay doesn't stick well to glass on its own, but you can use an adhesive primer or score the glass to make it work. If you want to skip the glass jar altogether, Wetherall-Buckle posted another video on TikTok showing how to make an all-cardboard fairy house with a paper towel or toilet paper roll as the base. This approach will also make your fairy house lighter, so it should be easier to hang from high places. All it takes is a few cheap materials and a little creativity for this whimsical, kid-friendly craft.