Keep An Old Egg Carton To DIY Adorable And Functional Chicken Decor For The Kitchen Counter

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Some of the best kitchen countertop decor straddles a line between being functional and just plain cute. Take this adorable chicken egg holder DIY. In concept, it's simple to make. You just need to cut off a portion of an old egg carton and decorate it with a rooster's face and plop an egg into the chicken's caboose. But don't let all its cuteness fool you. This egg carton DIY is a decorative, yet practical way for you to serve soft- or hard-boiled eggs on your kitchen counter. And, don't be surprised if the presentation turns out to be so adorbs, you'll want to crow about it all afternoon.

For this, you'll use a paper rather than a Styrofoam egg carton. Each egg carton chick holds one egg, so you may need several empty cartons if you're making quite a few chickens. Each chick gets his face from some deftly sculpted clay. If you're feeling really artsy, get a plain type, like Crayola Air Dry Clay, because you can then both sculpt and paint the chickens' faces. If you'd like to take a shortcut, use colored version, like ESSENSON Colored Modeling Magic Clay. 

Your endeavors also require a few tools and supplies. You'll need some scissors. If you're painting the clay, be sure to have some acrylic paint and brushes on hand, too. And, don't forget the craft glue. Plus, few things will add whimsy to your chicken's face quite like some DECORA Black Wiggle Googly Eyes. Finally, you'll need some eggs. They're part of the chick's body, too.

Start by cutting the egg carton apart: Each chicken's body has a "hill" and a "valley" portion. The higher, mountainous portion becomes the chick's neck and the canvas for its clay face. Make a beak, a beard, and a comb on its head from the clay. Now's the time to paint the features if you've used plain clay. Allow it to dry, and then glue it onto the mound. Or, if you'd like to try something a little simpler, use construction paper or colored craft felt to make the chick's features. Then, add two of the googly eyes on each side of the face. Finally, drop an egg into the cup to finish the chick.

You'll want to concentrate on using the DIY as a temporary decor piece to dress up the space, due to the ephemeral nature of eggs. It's kinda like the fresh floral centerpiece on the table at Thanksgiving — short-lived, but pretty while it lasts. For example, when you're setting up a fall brunch buffet for friends, put the egg carton chicks on top of a gorgeous countertop organizer, like a riser. This would be a cute way to serve some soft-boiled eggs at your party. Your guests could just put chick, egg, and all on their plates as they pass by. Or, if you have a kitchen island that has a breakfast bar attached, set up individual place settings on the island's countertops. Use the egg carton chicks as a way to decorate your breakfast bar set-up. They'll add instant character to your kitchen countertops when you're celebrating a special breakfast.