Turning trash into treasure is not only fun, it’s great for the planet. You’ll love this recycled art project that transforms a paper egg carton into a beautiful bouquet of flowers—perfect for spring décor, Mother’s Day (May) or a birthday gift. Instructions below explain how to mount your bouquet for a wall hanging. An alternative is to make the flowers to display in a vase by attaching flowers to bamboo skewers (painted green).
We’d love to see your crafty creations! Post them on IG, tag us @sandiegofamilymagazine and use #ShareSanDiegoFamily for a chance to be featured.
SUPPLIES
Cover for workspace
Scissors
Paper (aka cardboard) egg cartons
Acrylic paint
Hot glue gun
Buttons
Green paper or chenille stems
Canvas or cardboard
DIRECTIONS
- Cut egg carton cups apart and into different shapes to make a variety of flowers:
- For flowers with rounded or pointed petals, snip down the sides of an egg cup to the base, then round or make a point on each section to create the petals. You can stack “cups” together to create a flower with more petals.
- For button-type flowers, cut the cup down until it’s about ½ inch deep, then cut a smaller circle to attach to the center.
- For daisy-type flowers, fringe edges to create lots of petals.
- For bell-shaped flowers, use the center dividers of the egg carton, keeping them as elongated as possible.
- Create flower centers with buttons or by experimenting with a variety of smaller shapes.
- Paint the flowers and centers in colors of your choice.
- Allow to dry.
- Assemble flowers using hot glue.
- Arrange flowers in a bouquet on a canvas or piece of cardboard; add stems and bend as desired.
- Glue everything into place.
- Hang up and enjoy or give as a gift to a loved one.
Alyssa Navapanich is an award-winning art educator who teaches art to elementary school kids in East San Diego County.
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