Breathe New Life Into Empty Egg Cartons By Turning Them Into Adorable Flower Pots

By Charlotte D. Miller
Empty egg cartons stacked on a wooden shelf Larisa Stefanuyk/Getty Images

Egg cartons have a way of piling up, leaving you wondering what to do with them. Sure, paper egg cartons are both recyclable and compostable, so tossing them into a bin isn't exactly wasteful — but wouldn't it be more fun to give them a whole new life yourself? Sure, you can use one egg carton to bring harmony to a cluttered fridge, but realistically, you have a few more sitting around. And what if we told you there's a clever and creative way to turn those extra cartons into adorable flower pots? 

This DIY hack works so well because paper egg cartons are made of pulped paper, meaning, with a little creativity, you can break them down into a paper paste (almost like clay) and reshape them into something entirely new. The best part? It's super easy and a blast to make. All you need besides the egg cartons is water, a blender, and a little flour and salt. With the right steps, you'll create a paste that you can mold exactly as if you were making a papier-mâché bowl. With some finishing touches like color and patterns, you'll have beautiful, eco-friendly flowerpots that are as stylish as they are sustainable. Let's dive in!

How to turn egg cartons into a papier-mâché pot

@sibster_made

Paper clay is one of my favorites. We have made it in a few different different ways but when we make bowls, I like to stick to this recipe. First, we soaked two entire egg cartons in water for a few hours Then we blended them Squeezed out most of the water with our hands Added about one cup of flour and a sprinkle of salt Then we kneaded it until it formed a dough like consistency if you notice that your clay is too dry, you can try adding in small amounts of water and if your clay is too runny add a little bit more flour when the flour mixes with the water, It's going to form a sort of paste. For this recipe I like to do this instead of simply adding school glue like I do for other papier-mâché projects. when our clay was the right consistency, we grabbed some bowls and lined them with compostable cling wrap. I'll be honest I have done this without the cling wrap in the past, but you risk your clay getting stuck to the bowl, depending on what the bowl is made of. as the clay dries, it will shrink a little bit, and then you can remove it from your bowl When the bowls were completely dry. I added a coat of white paint which is completely optional, but it will help to seal it, making it a little bit more sturdy. When the paint was dry I added one coat of mod podge to the outside of the bowl and decoupaged it with a napkin by separating the layers of the napkin, until I only had the top decorative layer. I left my bowls to dry and that was it! We are going to use these in the kids room to put crayons and other small art supplies. Although these bowls are surprisingly sturdy, I would not recommend putting something too heavy in them. they are also not food safe just decorative #paperclay #paperclayrecipe #paperclayart #trashintoart

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To try this hack, start by tearing up two egg cartons into small pieces and soaking them in a bowl of water for a few hours, or even better, overnight. Once they're nice and soft, remove the soaked paper from the water and transfer the damp paper to a blender, add a little extra water, and blend until it turns into a pulp. Once that's done, drain and squeeze out any remaining excess water (consider using a cheesecloth to get the job done even more effectively). 

Now, it's time to turn that pulp into workable clay. Add about a quarter cup of water, one cup of flour, and a sprinkle of salt. Trust us, this doesn't suddenly turn into a cooking recipe! The flour helps absorb excess moisture so you can shape the clay, while the salt prevents mold. Knead the "dough" until you have a consistency that you can easily shape, adding water and flour as needed. 

Now comes the fun part: choosing your shape. You can pick a bowl, a small pot, or anything else you like the shape of. Just be sure to line it with plastic wrap first so your paper clay doesn't stick. Then, simply press and shape the clay around your mold, smoothing it out as you go. Once it's dry, pop it out and paint it — or like @sibster does in her video, glue decorative napkins onto it for a patterned look. This hack is great because the possibilities are endless. With all the patterns and shapes you can dream up, you could even create a papier-mâché vase for your flowers. Let your imagination run wild! 

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