Save Your Egg Cartons For This Stunning DIY Holiday Wreath

If you're looking for an easy and budget-friendly way to make your own holiday wreath this year, start saving your egg cartons. With just the cardboard from the cartoon, a pair of scissors, some hot glue, a little paint, and some small holiday decorations, you can create a cute wreath to hang on your front door or display in your home. Because this project is very simple and inexpensive, it can be a great craft to do with the whole family and could be lots of fun to complete.

A video posted on TikTok by @hottrend.diy.tip.trick shows how to cut egg cartons into strips and bend them into a wreath shape with the cups of the carton facing outwards. With this method, you can add ornaments around the outer edge. If you prefer not to include ornaments, there are other ways to make wreaths out of egg cartons, such as gluing the individual cups inside one another, that produce slightly-different looks. Once your wreath is made, you can decorate it with ribbons, twinkle lights, and ornaments, or just simply paint it.

To start making your wreath, cut your egg cartons into long strips, discarding the lid. You will likely need at least four strips, which would require two cartons that can each hold one dozen eggs. Now, trim the edges of the rows and cut a small triangle out of both sides of each cup. This will form a zig-zag shape, allow the cups to bend properly to form your wreath, and provide more room to hold ornaments. Spraying them with water will also allow them to bend easier. The ends of the strips can then be fastened together with hot glue in a circular shape. Before gluing, make sure that the side of the egg cartons with the openings is facing outwards, as these cups will be used to hold decorations later. 

Alternatively, if you don't wish to add ornaments around the perimeter of your wreath, you could allow the protruding sides to face out to create a different look. Or, if you'd like a completely different style of wreath, tear out all of the individual cups from the egg carton, leaving them with subtly-jagged edges. The cups can then be glued inside each other one at a time, bending the cardboard as you go to create a circle. This method will make a thicker and fuller-looking wreath, as pictured in the left image below.

Once your wreath is formed, you can paint it green for a traditional style or try using other holiday colors such as silver, gold, white, blue, or red. Then, you could cover it with glue and sprinkle glitter on top to create a shinier decoration. Those who are going for a more rustic vibe could choose not to paint the wreath and keep the natural cardboard color instead. If you're including ornaments on the zig-zag option, glue them with the top side down inside the egg cups. Your ornaments could be all the same colors, alternating colors, or a variety.

For those who have more egg cartons, try cutting a row of cups in half to create a thinner zig-zag. Then, fold and glue along the inside of the cups to make a star shape with five points, which can be painted red to resemble a holiday flower. Try adding glitter or a decoration in the center of the star to make it pop. These star shapes could also be painted yellow or silver to resemble the star at the top of a Christmas tree. Make as many of these cardboard shapes as you'd like and use them to fill the space on your wreath. Finally, you can further customize your project with ribbons and bows for the perfect holiday decoration.