Use Cardboard & Egg Carton Scraps To DIY The Cutest Daffodil Garland

When winter turns to spring, and the daffodil bulbs you planted in the fall begin to bloom, you can cut off a few flowers to display in a vase. They'll brighten up your space for a few days, but then — as all flowers eventually do — they'll begin to wilt. Next time, instead of depriving your yard of bright blooming buds, consider making paper flowers, which can look like the real deal, and last forever.

With a few scraps of cardboard and an old egg carton, paper daffodils are easy to craft, and you can even string them through twine to make a garland. Although garlands are often associated with the winter holidays, they're also an effective way to brighten up a mantle during the height of spring showers.

This garland won't take long to complete, and you'll be able to find most of the materials you need at your local craft store. For this project, you'll want to have an old egg carton and a flattened cardboard box on hand. You'll also need a daffodil stencil (you can draw one up on thick paper!), a hot glue gun, a hole puncher, a sturdy pair of scissors, optionally a pair of pinking shears, a cheap paint brush or two, and some craft paint, like tempera or acrylic. Daffodils usually bloom in whites, yellows, and reds, so you can choose your colors accordingly.

Finally, you'll also need twine, which you'll hang your garland from. This project is one of several easy ways to repurpose twine around the house, including hanging plants or crocheting placemats.

First, with the help of your daffodil stencil, trace out the flowers on a flattened cardboard box. Cut out these tracings with scissors and punch a hole in each. Again, if you have trouble finding a stencil, you can always try freehanding. Simply draw two shapes — three petals each — and cut them both out, placing one on top of the other to make a flower with six points. Repeat the process until you have enough flowers. You can also cut out the petals individually, or use crepe paper to craft them.

Next, cut out the inverted, cup-shaped spacers between each row of your egg carton. These will serve as the corona, or trumpet, of each flower. Turn the carton pieces so the cupped opening is facing up, and glue one to the center of each cardboard flower. If you have pinking shears, cut around the edges of each corona with your scissors to give them a realistic crowned appearance. For a lively look, paint the petals a light yellow, and the centerpiece a darker yellow before stringing onto your twine. This project is just one of several easy ways to repurpose twine around the house, including hanging plants or crocheting placemats.

Once you get comfortable with daffodils, you can always experiment with other flower varieties, like tulips and crocuses. If you still have old egg cartons left over afterwards, there are other genius egg carton DIYs to try for both organizational and decorative purposes.