Reuse Old Egg Trays To DIY Unique Cement Planters

Got a ton of egg cartons laying around? Don't get rid of them just yet. Just as you can reuse them to create DIY flower pots, you can also turn them into decidedly chic planters. Other than six 18-egg cartons, you'll also need some cement, sand, wire to reinforce the base, and some small plastic cups. 

This hack starts with pouring cement into the egg cartons. Placed right side up, they make for a fun mold. Once the cement itself has hardened, you'll use it to build a planter. With that in mind, it probably goes without saying that your first step is to find a spot to do said pouring. It should be level, and if need be, you may want to create a frame to keep everything in place. You don't need anything fancy here — some 2x4s or even garden pavers will do. Lay down a sheet or newspaper to avoid making a mess, and you can get right to pouring. Once all of your cartons have been filled, let them dry. This could take a day or so, so don't rush the process. Take the time to think about which plants you'll pop into it once it's done!

When the cement has dried, remove the slabs from the egg carton mold and start arranging them vertically. If you are seeing any wobbling, use the 2x4s or pavers to keep everything upright. Then, pop some sand into the center, filling it up about ¼ of the way. Use cement to stick the exposed individual cement blocks together and allow to dry again. This layer shouldn't take as long to dry, but be sure to double check before moving to the next step. 

Once the cement is dry, fill the rest of the planter with sand. Use one layer of cement to cover it, pop in your wire reinforcement (if you have any left over from a past project, now's the time to use it!) and add another layer on top. Pop four plastic dessert cups into that wet cement. Again, if you have any left over from a party, this is the perfect opportunity to upcycle them. Alternatively, Amazon sells great options for around $9. Don't worry about being stuck with a ton of them, post-craft — it's easy enough to transform plastic pots into cement planters as a DIY, too, so you can create a whole selection of them. 

After you've popped in the plastic cups, place a pipe tube in the center to create a drainage system. Et voila, you've got a base. Leave it all to dry, and you're one step closer to your cement planter.

Once everything has dried, pour out the sand, remove the tube, patch up any remaining open sections with cement, and leave it to dry for the final stretch. Since you're applying the cement on the inside, though, this would be a great time to personalize the outside of your planter. 

Paint it in a color that works with the rest of your decor, or create a pattern on it. You could also take inspiration from whatever you're planning on planting in it, and create a pattern using the relevant flower or plant. Having said that, if you prefer the look of cement pots, you could also leave your DIY egg carton-turned-planter as is. 

When everything has finally dried and is decorated according to your tastes, all that's left to do is pop in some soil and your plant or flowers. It's that simple! Going forward, you may even want to try the craft again with different sized cartons and shapes. However you choose to make your planter your own, you'll be doing your bit for the environment. Talk about a genius way to use old egg cartons in your house.