Easter Egg Carton Craft

This craft is a great way to reuse an egg carton. It is also a craft that can last year after year unlike dying hard-boiled eggs that can really stink up the fridge if no one in the house likes eating eggs. While I will admit it is still fun to dye eggs this craft is also fun for kids as well as adults. You can even do an Easter egg hunt with them using candy inside them, although this candy option will not make them last year after year, since you are expected to open them and remove and eat the candy.

Supplies:

Egg Carton (cardboard ones work best for painting, but Styrofoam ones will work)
Scissors
Paint in a Variety of colors
Paintbrushes
Tacky Glue
Candy such as jelly beans (optional)
Rice, small beans, popcorn kernels (optional)
Sequins, small beads, etc. (optional)

1. Start by cutting the egg carton into individual cups. This may need to be done by an adult if doing craft with young kids who are not ready to use scissors or are not yet skilled enough to work with cutting out the egg cups. You need two cups per egg you want to make, so make sure you cut out the amount you need for the amount of eggs you want (hint: decide how many you want and multiply by two). Do not let the cups you are not going to use go to waste. You can save them for other craft projects later. The possibility of using egg cartons in crafts is endless.

2. Next paint the outsides of each cup as your imagination guides you. You probably want to think in pairs of two cups for your design or you could paint each on unique and mix it all up in the next step when you put them together. You can paint each one a single color, make a cup half one color and half another color, or you could even make stripes of color. Let your imagination run free on this step. Let them completely dry before moving on.

3. If you are going to weigh the egg down or want it to be like a little maraca now is the time to fill one of the egg cups for each of the eggs you are making (i.e. half of the cups you have should be filled, same number as desired end number of eggs) with uncooked rice, small beans, popcorn kernels, etc. Another option if you do not care about saving the eggs year after year is to fill them with jelly beans or other small candy.

4. Now it is time to glue the two cups together and make them be egg like shapes. Put tack glue around the rim of one (this one should be the weighted one if you have put anything inside half your cups). Place the other cup on top of the one with glue and then line them up so they are rim to rim. They do not always perfectly line up and usually it is close enough that it does not matter. If you are having problems with getting them to stay together because of this, you can trim a little around the rim with scissors. Hold together for about a minute or until they stay together on own. Then wait for them to completely dry before continuing on.

5. Now you can paint on more accents (like dots) if you desire. It is also time to add sequins, little bead, glitter, or other decor to it if you desire. This is another step to allow your imagination be your guide.

6. Viola! You now have a cool homemade egg. You can now decorate your house with them and/or use them for this years Easter egg hunt. Even if you did not fill them with candy you can have an Easter egg hunt with them. Actually you can have several over and over again if the kids (and/or you) really enjoy them. Remember you are never too old to enjoy a fun Easter egg hunt, so not only is this craft not just for kids this step is also not just for kids. For added fun for older kids and adults you can make the hunts into scavenger hunts and put clues to finding the next egg next to the egg or inside them and have them lead to a surprise gift or activity.