Use Glue To Transform An Egg Carton Into The Cutest DIY Fox Decor For Your Patio

As the weather cools and we spend more time enjoying the breeze, fall feels like the perfect occasion for cozy crafting. Even better if you're able to upcycle items from around the house to create budget-friendly decor that adds the perfect finishing touch to a backyard patio. Whimsical woodland charm is a popular fall crafting theme, which was presented perfectly by YouTuber Zad Crafts. In a video, they show how a little patience and lots of glue can create a fall patio centerpiece adorned with a cute little fox, leaves, toadstool mushrooms, and pinecones.

This DIY is an example of how you can add rustic charm to your porch on a budget. Plus, the items you need are probably already in your home and yard. Gather cardboard egg trays, white craft felt, acrylic paint, hot glue and 3-in-1 PVA glue, assorted log slices, small bits of tree branches, artificial leaves in autumnal colors, pine cones, a candle, and pistachio shells to make this sweet craft. While the piece is best displayed on a covered patio, there are some extra steps and tools that will make it more durable and resistant to water and sun damage: FlexSeal Fabric Shield for the felt pieces and Krylon Make It Last Clear Sealer to finish the entire piece.

To make the fox, cut apart the egg carton and separate the cups. You'll need one cup for the head and two for the body. Use the extra carton material to trim small ears, a nose, a tail, and whiskers for your new forest friend, then affix them with hot glue onto one of the cups. Separate the rest of the carton into thinner layers to "sculpt" the fox's features, brushing on PVA glue to strengthen the cardboard as you go. Spray your felt with the FlexSeal and allow it to dry completely before cutting bits for the interior of the ears, muzzle, tip of the tail, and chest fur.

Trim the fox's head cup smaller than the body pieces; attach it with hot glue and shape it separately. Tear the carton into thin layers and build up the body shape and a "neck," coating with glue each time as you obscure ears, nose, whiskers, and tail attachment points. Hot glue the neck inside the head, then paint the completed fox with a layer of white acrylic paint. Let dry and then paint deep orange or terracotta. Next, hot glue the felt accents to the face and body, making sure to seal the edges. Use a tiny paintbrush to add white eyes, black irises, and a black nose. Hot glue the artificial leaves to the branch tips, then affix them to a large log slice. 

To make the toadstools, take a few branches and top them with red-painted pistachio shells with white dots (these will be the mushrooms) and pinecones. Then, add the fox, extra leaves, and toadstools to the large log slice. For the candle, place it on a smaller log slice so it isn't sitting directly on the larger one. You could also add artificial acorns to the scene. Spray the entire piece with sealer and allow it to dry for two hours before adorning your patio. It feels good to find creative ways to repurpose old or unwanted items, and this little fox, settled into a cozy woodland scene, is the perfect example of a feel-good fall.