You Can Turn An Egg Carton Into Pretty 3D Flower Wall Art
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
What do you do with your cardboard egg cartons when the eggs are finished? After you've made countless omelets, frittatas, and baked goods, you may be tempted to just toss your cartons in the recycling bin. Did you know that some recycling centers don't accept them? Instead of adding to your local landfill, don't throw out old egg cartons without trying a genius DIY. You can use them as seed starting trays, drawer organizers, or even beautiful 3D flower wall art. That's right! You can transform a simple cardboard egg carton into a work of art that you'd be proud to display on your wall for years to come.
An empty cardboard egg carton is the star of the show for this DIY, but you'll still need a few other supplies and tools. These include a paintbrush and some craft paint — you'll need a variety of shades, including purple, blue, red, and orange, so this Shuttle Art Acrylic Paint Set for about $35 would be a useful purchase. In addition, you'll need a black marker, a gold marker, and some paper glue, like Aleene's All Purpose Original Tacky Glue for almost $9.
Last but not least, you'll need to get some small square picture frames. You could scour the shelves of thrift stores for frames to repurpose, or you can buy them new. Go simple with this set of eight Eihpdei Small Solid Walnut Shadow Box Frames for about $20, or ornate with this five-piece set of AceOrbit Mini Gold Baroque Square Picture Frames for around $18. Materials gathered, you're now ready to put those old egg cartons to use.
Create 3D flowers from torn-up egg carton cups
The first step in transforming egg cartons into stylish DIY home decor — or, to be more precise, into 3D flowers — is to make the petals. Cut or tear the lid from the cardboard egg carton, if it has one, and then tear each cup apart from its neighbors. After you've gathered the cups into a pile, tear each cup into four triangular pieces. Now, it's time to get painting! Paint the thin end of about eight triangles dark purple or dark blue, then expand outward in ever lighter shades until you finish painting each triangle. Each petal should have an ombre effect. Repeat this same process with red and pink paint, and orange and yellow paint, setting aside the petals to dry as you finish them.
@aija.creative Tear up that egg carton! Honestly still can't get over how an egg box turned into this wall art piece! This is just a quick sneak peek, if you want to see the whole messy process, the full video is live on my YouTube channel! Grab a cup of coffee and come watch how it all came together. #eggcartoncraft #3dwallart #easydiy #upcycleddecor #craft
Once all the petals are dry to the touch, you can add some personality and dimension. Draw an assortment of curved lines and dots on the petals using the black marker. Don't make them all the same — the petals will look more organic with different decorations. Now, it's time to assemble your flowers. Remove the transparent glass or plastic from the frame, but keep the cardboard backing. Arrange the blue petals in a circular pattern in the center. The thin ends of the triangles should all point inwards. Glue these petals in place, then glue another three petals on top in the gaps between the first five petals. Apply dots of gold to the center of the flower using the gold marker, then repeat the entire process with all the other petal colors. You're done!
Personalize your 3D flowers and the frames to which they're mounted
You can get really creative with this DIY. For starters, you can decorate the flowers to suit your existing decor. Try switching out the recommended hues for any color pairings you prefer. Forest and lime green would look lovely, as would a monochromatic approach using charcoal and light gray. You could even mix and match different colored petals in a single flower. Just be sure to stick to the ombre effect to ensure the flowers look realistically 3D. If you want to add more shine to the flowers than the gold marker provides, use Artistro Extra Fine Tip Glitter Paint Pens to draw the details on the petals. Different frame styles are also a great way to personalize this DIY and make your hard work stand out. You don't have to stick to square frames.
We love the idea of using antique-style gold frames in various sizes and shapes to create a more visually interesting display. These JuGeoZhi Mini Resin Picture Frames are oval-, rectangular, and shield-shaped, and the set of 15 costs just $10. You could also create ready-to-hang wall art using this Ccdcc Rustic Wooden Real Glass Vertical Hanging Photo Frame, where three frames hang vertically together from rope. It would make a great gift filled with your handmade blooms. Got the creative bug and leftover supplies after completing this project? Turn an old egg carton into retro hanging wall decor with another DIY that's the perfect complement to these beautiful flowers. You might finally complete that gallery wall you've been working on for months!