11 Egg Carton Crafts for Kids That’ll Save Your Sanity on Rainy Days
Looking for a fun way to keep the kiddos busy while being eco-friendly? We’ve got you covered with some amazing craft ideas using those cardboard egg cartons sitting in your recycling bin!
Turn ordinary egg cartons into adorable works of art with these super simple craft projects that will keep your little ones entertained for hours.
We love finding creative ways to reuse everyday items, and egg cartons are perfect for all sorts of neat crafts – from cute animals to pretty flowers.
These projects are perfect for rainy days, playgroups, or just when you need a quick activity to fight off the dreaded “I’m bored” complaints. Plus, most of these crafts only need basic supplies you probably already have at home!
1) Egg Carton Caterpillar
Let’s turn trash into treasure with this super cute caterpillar craft! We love that it uses items we already have at home – just grab an egg carton, pipe cleaners, and some basic craft supplies to get started.
Paint or color your egg carton sections in fun, bright colors.
We find that cardboard egg cartons work better than foam ones since they’re easier to paint and decorate. You’ll get two adorable caterpillars from one egg carton jellyfish too!
Get creative with googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae to give your little bug some personality.
Our kids love making silly faces on their caterpillars – the goofier, the better!
Want to make it extra special? Try creating The Very Hungry Caterpillar version with a red head and green body. It’s perfect for story time crafting!
This craft is great for tiny hands and developing motor skills. Plus, it’s impossible to mess up – each unique caterpillar has its own charm!
We’ve seen some with sparkles, stickers, and even tiny paper hats.
2) Colorful Egg Carton Flowers
We absolutely love turning ordinary egg cartons into beautiful blooming flowers! This craft is super fun and lets us recycle materials turn egg cartons we’d normally toss in the trash.
To get started, we’ll need to cut out the individual egg cups from the egg carton. Each egg cup becomes a lovely flower base.
Cut the edges to make them look more like flower petals – don’t worry if they’re not perfect!
Next comes the fun part – painting!
We love using bright spring colors like pink, purple, and yellow. Make a small hole in the bottom of each painted cup with a pencil – this hole is where we’ll put our stems later.
For extra pizzazz, we can add sparkles, buttons, or colorful, pom poms-poms to the center of each flower.
Green pipe cleaners make perfect stems, and we can cut leaf shapes from the flat parts of the pipe cleaners in the egg carton.
These adorable flower crafts look amazing displayed in a vase or glued onto construction paper to make cool wall art.
Our kids always feel so proud showing off their eco-friendly masterpieces!
3) Egg Carton Crown for Little Royals
Let’s turn our little ones into royalty with this super cute crown craft! We love that it uses materials we already have at home.
You’ll need an empty egg carton, paint, glue, and some sparkly decorations. Buttons and some pom poms-poms make perfect jewels for our royal masterpiece.
Start by cutting the egg carton into crown-shaped points. We found that four strips with six half-cups each works perfectly to create that classic crown look.
Paint the crown any color your little prince or princess wants – gold and silver are our favorites!
Once dry, let your kids go wild decorating their royal headpiece with fake gems, glitter, or anything sparkly.
We’re obsessed with how this craft combines creativity and pretend play.
Plus, it’s a great way to teach our kids about recycling – who knew using recycled egg cartons all together could be so royal?
Remember to help younger kids with cutting and hot glue. We want our crafting time to be safe and fun for everyone!
4) Funky Egg Carton Owls
Let’s turn those empty egg cartons into adorable owl friends! This super easy craft is perfect for kids of all ages, and we love how each owl ends up with its own unique personality.
We start by cutting individual cups from the egg carton – these will be our owl bodies.
Paint them in fun colors like purple, blue, or orange. Or go natural with brown and white for a more realistic owl look!
Time to make those big owl eyes!
We love using googly eyes because they are so much fun to give our owls such playful expressions.
Add a small triangle of colored paper for the beak, and don’t forget those cute little wings made from paper or felt.
Want to make your owls extra special? Try gluing on real feathers or bits of colored paper as feathers.
Our kids get super creative with decorating their owls – some even make little glue and add sparkly glitter!
These little cuties make the perfect window decorations or desk buddies.
And guess what? A group of owls is called a parliament, so why not make a whole family of these feathered friends?
5) Egg Carton Treasure Box
We absolutely love this craft because it transforms ordinary egg cartons into magical treasure chests! Your kids will go wild for these egg carton treasure boxes that they can actually use to store their precious little treasures.
The best part? We’re pretty sure you already have everything you need right in your kitchen.
Just grab an empty egg carton, some paint, and let your creativity run wild! We find that gold paint really gives it that authentic treasure chest vibe.
Want to make it extra special? Let’s add some sparkly stickers or sequins to make it shine.
Our kids love decorating the inside compartments too – they’re perfect for sorting tiny treasures like pretty rocks, special buttons, or those random little trinkets kids always seem to collect.
This craft is such a hit for pirate-themed play activities.
We’ve seen kids spend hours organizing their “precious gems” in the little compartments. It’s amazing how something so simple can bring so much joy!
Fun tip: Try making these as party favors or gifts! We’ve found that other parents love these handmade treasure boxes just as much as the kids do.
6) Egg Carton Rainbow Garland
Let’s turn those empty egg cartons into something magical! This rainbow garland craft is super cute and perfect for brightening up any room.
We’ll need some basic supplies: egg cartons, paint in rainbow colors, string, scissors, and either cotton balls or pompoms.
The fun part is cutting the egg carton cups into flower-like shapes – don’t worry if they’re not perfect!
Paint each flower shape in different rainbow colors.
We love using bright, bold shades to make our garland really pop!
While the paint dries, we can get our string ready and maybe snack on some cookies (crafting is hard work, right?).
Once everything’s dry, we’ll string our rainbow flowers together.
Add some fluffy cotton balls or pompoms in the center of each flower for extra pizzazz.
These colorful decorations look amazing hanging in a playroom or bedroom window!
This craft is a total win-win – we’re recycling and making something pretty at the same time.
Plus, it’s the easy steps so simple that even our littlest crafters can join in on the fun.
7) Egg Carton Dino Egg Hunt
Who says Easter eggs get to have all the fun? We’re about to turn those leftover egg cartons into the most epic dino egg hunt ever!
Cut your egg carton cups apart and paint them in cool dinosaur-inspired colors like brown, green, and speckled patterns.
We love adding spots and stripes to make them look like real dino eggs!
Create your own prehistoric world by hiding these DIY dino eggs around your house or backyard.
Pop small dinosaur toys or treats inside each “egg” before hiding them.
Our kids go absolutely bonkers for this activity! It’s perfect for dinosaur-themed birthday parties or just a random Tuesday when you need something super fun to do.
The best part? We can reuse these eggs for future hunts!
Just store them in a box and pull them out whenever the dino-hunting mood strikes. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to keep those old egg cartons in out of the trash.
Pro tip: Write numbers inside each egg cup and make a matching list of hiding spots.
This way, we can make sure all our dino eggs make it back to their nest at the end of the hunt!
8) Egg Carton Pirate Ships
Want to set sail on an egg carton crafts an epic crafting adventure? We’re obsessed with turning ordinary egg boxes and cartons into amazing pirate ships that will make your little ones squeal with joy!
Grab those empty egg cartons from your recycling bin and get ready for some seafaring fun.
Cut the lid off and flip that egg carton flower it upside down – trust us, it already looks like a ship’s hull!
We love adding paper sails, maybe a craft stick mast, and some fun decorations to make it extra special.
Your kids can go wild with paint colors – whether they want a classic wooden ship look or a rainbow pirate vessel.
The best part? This craft is super budget-friendly and perfect for rainy day entertainment.
We’ve watched kids spend hours sailing their egg carton ships around the house, creating stories about treasure hunts and other sea creatures and monsters.
Don’t forget to add some finishing touches!
Little paper flags, a jolly roger skull, or even tiny paper pirates can turn this simple craft into an awesome imaginative play toy.
We promise this will be one of those projects your kids will want to make again and again.
9) Egg Carton Bracelets
Let’s get fancy with some super cute egg and egg carton crafts for jewelry! These fun egg carton crafts are perfect for creating unique bracelets that your kids will be proud to wear and show off to their friends.
Start by cutting individual cups from the egg carton.
We like to smooth out any rough edges with scissors to keep little wrists safe and comfy.
Paint the cups in bright, fun colors – the more the merrier! Let your creativity shine.
Time to make them sparkle!
We love adding glitter, stickers, or sequins to make these bracelets extra special.
String the decorated cups together using yarn or ribbon, making sure to tie secure knots between each cup.
The best part? Each bracelet will be totally unique!
We’ve found that kids love making these as friendship bracelets to trade with their besties.
Plus, it’s an awesome way to teach our little ones about recycling while they create something beautiful to wear.
Pro tip: Make sure to measure your child’s wrist before stringing the cups together.
We usually find that 4-5 cups work perfectly for most kid-sized wrists. Add a bow at the end for extra cuteness!
10) Egg Carton Fairy Houses
We absolutely love turning ordinary egg cartons into magical fairy houses! This super cute craft lets our kids’ imaginations run wild while recycling using egg cartons at the same time.
Egg egg carton flower fairy houses start by simply tearing apart the individual cups from the egg carton flower craft can.
Don’t worry about getting scissors – these tear apart easily with our hands! We just clean up any rough edges afterward.
Let’s get creative with decorating!
We paint our tiny houses in pretty pastel colors and add cute little windows and doors.
Some of us like to make tiny flags for the tops too!
Want to make it extra special?
We love adding bits of moss, tiny twigs, and even sparkly glitter to make these houses truly magical.
Our kids go crazy for these special touches!
These adorable fairy houses look super sweet displayed in a garden or on a windowsill.
We stick them on craft sticks and pop them in a pot filled with pebbles to make them stand up.
The best part? Each house turns out totally unique!
Our kids love building blocks and making whole fairy villages, and we’ve got to admit – we have just as much fun making these as they do!
11) Egg Carton Fire Truck
Let’s turn those empty egg cartons into the cutest little fire truck ever! This craft is perfect for our tiny firefighters-in-training and it’s super budget-friendly since we’re using materials from our recycling bin.
Kids can create this awesome 3-D fire engine with just a few simple supplies.
We love how this project helps develop fine motor skills while sparking creative play.
To make the basic structure, we’ll need two egg cartons – one for the cab and another for the truck base.
Paint everything bright red, and don’t forget to add those cool, flashy sirens on top!
The best part? This DIY toy comes with spinning wheels that actually turn!
We can use bottle caps or buttons for the wheels – whatever we have lying around will work perfectly.
Add some finishing touches like a ladder made from craft sticks, and maybe even a tiny firefighter in the driver’s seat.
Our kids absolutely love making siren noises while zooming their handmade trucks around the house!
Why Egg Carton Crafts Rock
Let’s face it – those cardboard egg cartons sitting in our recycling bins are basically free craft gold! We’ve discovered that turning trash into treasures is not only super fun but also teaches our kids amazing things along the way.
Eco-Friendly Fun
We’re totally obsessed with how simple egg carton crafts can help kids learn about recycling while having a blast.
Instead of tossing those cartons in the bin, we’re giving them new life!
It’s like magic watching our kiddos turn ordinary, using egg cartons” into amazing creations like butterflies and turtles.
They start thinking differently about trash and learn that one person’s garbage can become another’s masterpiece.
Plus, we’re secretly teaching them about environmental responsibility without any lectures. Win-win!
Budget-Friendly Bliss
Who doesn’t love free craft supplies? Those recycled egg cartons that we’d normally throw away become instant entertainment – talk about stretching our craft budgets!
Kids can make everything from cute little animals to fancy flower decorations without us spending a dime on supplies.
We usually just need:
Paint we already have
Glue sticks
Scissors
Basic craft supplies from our stash
The best part? We don’t stress when projects don’t turn out perfect because we’re not wasting expensive materials.
Our kids feel more free to experiment and get creative!
Tips for Crafting with Kiddos
Creating art and craft together with kids can be super fun, but it takes some planning and the right mindset to make it a blast for everyone! Let’s explore ideas on how to set up for success and some ideas to make crafting time extra special.
Gathering Safe Supplies
Always start with clean egg cartons that are safe for crafting.
We recommend using cardboard egg cartons instead of foam ones since they’re easier to paint and decorate.
Keep scissors, paint, and glue within your reach but not the kids’.
Place newspaper or a plastic tablecloth on the work surface – trust us, this will save so much cleanup time later!
Have wet wipes and paper towels ready before you begin.
Paint shirts or old t-shirts are a must – we’ve learned this lesson the hard way!
Making It a Team Effort
Getting kids excited about crafting starts with letting them help plan. Ask which colors they want to use or what animal they’d like to make.
Break tasks into manageable chunks for little hands. Maybe you cut while they paint. Or they glue while you hold pieces together.
Praise their creative choices! There’s no wrong way to make art. If their butterfly looks more like a blob, that’s totally okay – it’s their masterpiece!
Give everyone a special job. Even tiny tots can help sort supplies or pick colors. This makes them feel like an important part of the creative process.
