They Make Rustic Farmhouse Decor From Old Egg Cartons With A Unique DIY

There are plenty of places to source farmhouse decor. From shopping antique stores, browsing the thrift store, or heading to HomeGoods or World Market, the options are pretty much endless (and oftentimes overwhelming). But sometimes the most satisfying addition is something you make yourself, especially if you already have one of the main materials. So don't toss that old egg carton just yet. Your next farmhouse accessory could start with one.

YouTube creator Zad Crafts turns one into a cute little rooster with painted wings and a feathery paper tail. The carton's rough texture gives the finished bird a rustic look, while brown paint, teal accents, and a red felt comb bring it to life. Turning the packaging into a decorative bird is one of those smart ways to use empty egg cartons instead of throwing them away. The finished rooster would be a fun addition to a rustic kitchen shelf or could become a decorative plant stake by attaching a dowel to the bottom. Just make sure you keep it indoors and clear of wet soil or splashes so it doesn't get soggy. 

For this DIY, you'll need a dry paper egg carton with roughly six usable cups, plus extra scraps for details. You'll also need scissors, a hot-glue gun, watercolor paint, a brush, red felt, cardstock, and two black beads for eyes. Add in a wooden dowel if you'd like your rooster standing among your plants.

Begin by cutting out the egg cups and trimming their edges. Use hot glue to attach two cups at the rims to form the body. For the tail's base, trim another cup, make a hole in it, and attach it to one end of the body. At the opposite end, stack and glue three trimmed cups with zigzag rims to build the neck and head. Cover awkward seams by hot gluing small torn pieces of the carton, then paint the bird in shades of tan and brown. Cut two wings from leftover cardboard, glue one to either side, and add teal accents at the tips. Then add a yellow-painted cardboard beak, red felt comb and wattle, and two black bead eyes to complete your rooster.

For the tail, paint cardstock teal or dark blue on both sides and let it dry. Cut it into narrow strips, snipping little slits along both sides while leaving each center intact to mimic feathers. Gather the pieces into a fan, hot glue their bases together, and secure the bundle inside the tail opening with more hot glue.

The best DIY rustic decor ideas leave room for your own taste, so you definitely don't have to stick with the creator's palette. This is the most realistic coloring for your typical rooster, but there are different kinds of chickens you could recreate. You could even go totally off-book and paint them bold pastel or bright colors, or replace the paper feathers with bright craft ones. Make a few in different shades, and you've got yourself a little flock.