Keep Empty Egg Cartons And Turn Them Into Adorable Ladybug Decor

Ladybugs are a symbol of good luck for many people, while others just appreciate their cuteness or the benefits they can bring to a garden. If your home could use a little luck or whimsy, consider making your own little ladybugs out of egg cartons. There are plenty of ways to repurpose an egg carton, but this has to be one of the most adorable options. Plus it's highly efficient. One empty egg carton can make a dozen ladybugs, as each individual egg divot will become one adorable ladybug. To complete this craft, you'll need one or more empty egg cartons, red and black paint or markers, paintbrushes, and some scissors. Optionally, grab some glue, paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, or other arts and crafts supplies that you'd like to use up.

The divots in the egg carton, when flipped over, are round like a ladybug and easy to decorate. They can also be decorated like any beetle or other bug. If you aren't fond of ladybugs for some reason, you could follow the same steps to make a spider, bee, snail, or June bug. Egg cartons may be made from pulp, styrofoam, or plastic, and you can use any of them to make ladybugs. However, you'll need to prime or scuff plastic to paint on it, and styrofoam can only be decorated with acrylic paint. Plastic is so smooth that paint sometimes doesn't stick to it, and other types of paint can damage styrofoam. 

You can make the ladybugs in a few different ways, but each method starts by cutting the egg carton apart so that each divot is separate. Trim the excess off the edges and flip it over so that you have a neat dome. If you want your ladybug to have a three dimensional head, cut a second, smaller dome out of the egg carton or some paper. Glue it onto the side, so that it is flat against the dome, making the original dome the body and the new half-dome the head. You could use a similar technique to make a stinger if you wanted to make a bee.

Give the ladybug a base coat of red paint. If you made a three dimensional head, paint it black. Otherwise, add a black half-circle to the front of your ladybug's body. Add a black line down the center of the egg carton dome, running from the middle of the head straight back. Add a few black dots to both sides and your adorable egg carton ladybug is done! If you want, you can add some extra details. For three dimensional wings, cut two half circles out of red paper and glue them to the top of the egg carton, then add your dots. Use white paint, paper, or googly eyes to give your ladybug some eyes. You can also poke holes in the top of the head and sides of the body and run black pipe cleaners or wire through them to create antenna and legs.

So you have a whole swarm of adorable egg carton ladybugs and other beetles. What now? Well, the simplest thing to do is set them on a shelf or table, or maybe even give some away as gifts. You could craft some more ladybug decor and dedicate an entire shelf or section of your garden to them. Pair your mini ladybugs with this bowling ball ladybug decor for a whimsical display. You can also glue them onto other projects, like wreaths, picture frames, wall art, or signs. They'd be particularly cute attached to the side of a flower pot. You can take inspiration from this charming ladybug pitcher upcycle to deck out some of your old kitchenware as well.

However, there are also some fun ways you can take this craft to the next level by altering the egg carton ladybugs. Glue a safety pin, ribbon, or string to the back of the ladybug and use it as a curtain tie or napkin holder. The carton should also be thin enough to poke a small hole through the top, allowing you to run a string or bit of fishing line through it vertically. Use that to turn a single ladybug into an ornament or chain multiple together. A line of several egg carton ladybugs might make a fun pseudo-beaded curtain for your window or door, but they'd also be cute as a garland. Since they're just an egg carton and paint, you can experiment freely without worrying about ruining them.