Craft Recycled Bouquets with Egg Carton Flowers

Egg carton flowers are fun to make and a super craft project for participants of all ages, from preschoolers to youth and even adults. A perky bouquet of multi-colored cardboard flowers can make a very special gift for Easter or Mother's Day, a lovely accent for a May Day basket, a wonderful package tie-on for Christmas or Valentine's Day and a sweet countertop adornment anytime.

Best of all, egg carton flowers are a clever ecologically friendly craft for kids, because this project employs recycling, as crafters reuse empty egg cartons to produce their blossoming artwork.

What are the steps for making delightful and simple egg carton flowers?

First, gather all of the basic materials for making egg carton flowers:

Cardboard egg carton

Old newspapers

Scissors (one per crafter)

Craft paints (multiple colors)

Paintbrushes (at least one per crafter)

Chenille pipe cleaner stems (green)

Several small buttons

Green construction paper

Next, follow these simple instructions for making egg carton flowers:

Spread old newspapers flat on a counter, a table or another flat surface. Using scissors, carefully cut apart the various cuplike sections of a cardboard egg carton. (This step is best performed by an adult or older child.) Distribute these cardboard egg carton cup sections, at least one per crafter.

Instruct crafters to decorate their cardboard egg carton cups with paints. These will become the blossoms of the egg carton flowers.

Invert painted cardboard egg carton cups (bottoms up) on old newspapers to dry thoroughly. Once the cardboard egg carton cups are completely dry, crafters may trim them into desired floral shapes (using scissors). Markers may also be used to create detailed designs on the egg carton flowers.

Punch a chenille pipe cleaner stem through the bottom of each egg carton flower. (For firmer floral stems, simply twist multiple chenille pipe cleaner stems together.) Poke the center of each chenille pipe cleaner stem through a button, and twist its end, to make the center of each egg carton flower.

Twist each chenille pipe cleaner stem underneath the egg carton flower blossom as well, to affix the floral stem securely in place.

Distribute child-safe scissors to crafters. Instruct participants to cut out leaves from green construction paper for their egg carton flowers. Poke chenille pipe cleaner stems through construction paper leaves, pushing the leaves up to desired spots on the stems.

Crafters may choose to make single egg carton flowers or entire bouquets, which may be placed in flower pots, vases or even affixed to crafty wreaths.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
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