Transform An Old Egg Carton Into A Stunning Decorative Bowl With This DIY Idea

By Kate Nicholson
Empty cardboard egg cartons Slavica Stajic/Shutterstock

Need a pumpkin-esque bowl for all that Halloween candy you plan to hand out this year? Looking for a cute catch-all to perfectly complement the new mid-century modern entryway console you snagged at the thrift store recently? If you can operate a blender and are even a little bit DIY savvy, then you can tackle this easy project and expect truly stunning results. All you need to do to make a usable decorative bowl is tear up some egg cartons and soak them in water until they soften. Then, blend them into a pulp, press that pulp into an old bowl, and let it harden. Forget the timeless statement home decor you should only buy on sale; you can make your own for pennies on the dollar!

First, spend a little time collecting your egg cartons. How many you need really depends on the size and number of bowls you want to make. For example, U.K. crafter Caroline Webley of Caroline Webley Design used two dozen-size and one half-dozen egg cartons to make three bowls that were big enough hold her morning cereal. Don't eat eggs? No problem! Other types of paper work for this project, once it's free from the plastic film you so often find on food packaging. 

Newspaper works well, as do paper towels. It's a ​​clever way to repurpose old magazines around your home, too. Deciding which bowls to use as molds will help you work out how much paper you need to collect. Use bowls you already have in your home or get them cheap at thrift stores or big box retailers.

How to make egg carton paper clay and craft a bowl from it

@sibster_made

Paper clay is one of my favorites. We have made it in a few different different ways but when we make bowls, I like to stick to this recipe. First, we soaked two entire egg cartons in water for a few hours Then we blended them Squeezed out most of the water with our hands Added about one cup of flour and a sprinkle of salt Then we kneaded it until it formed a dough like consistency if you notice that your clay is too dry, you can try adding in small amounts of water and if your clay is too runny add a little bit more flour when the flour mixes with the water, It's going to form a sort of paste. For this recipe I like to do this instead of simply adding school glue like I do for other papier-mâché projects. when our clay was the right consistency, we grabbed some bowls and lined them with compostable cling wrap. I'll be honest I have done this without the cling wrap in the past, but you risk your clay getting stuck to the bowl, depending on what the bowl is made of. as the clay dries, it will shrink a little bit, and then you can remove it from your bowl When the bowls were completely dry. I added a coat of white paint which is completely optional, but it will help to seal it, making it a little bit more sturdy. When the paint was dry I added one coat of mod podge to the outside of the bowl and decoupaged it with a napkin by separating the layers of the napkin, until I only had the top decorative layer. I left my bowls to dry and that was it! We are going to use these in the kids room to put crayons and other small art supplies. Although these bowls are surprisingly sturdy, I would not recommend putting something too heavy in them. they are also not food safe just decorative #paperclay #paperclayrecipe #paperclayart #trashintoart

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Outside of paper, you'll need a waterproof jug or bowl, ready access to a source of freshwater, wheat flour, and a blender or food processor. Get a roll of plastic wrap to line your bowl-molds. To decorate your dried bowls, you'll need some craft glue — such as Mod Podge — and patterned tissue paper. Dollar Tree stocks All-Occasion print, metallic, and solid tissue paper. With 8 sheets in a pack, they offer a creative way to use decoupage in your home. Hobby Lobby sells red, green, and white mixed-pattern tissue paper packs that would make bowls perfect for the Christmas table for under $3. Alternatively, you can skip this step entirely by mixing decorative elements into the pulp — think chunky glitter or dried botanicals.

Put the torn-up paper pieces into your waterproof container and cover with water. Soak them for anywhere between an hour to overnight until the pieces are completely soft to the touch. Pour the soggy paper into a blender or food processor (even an immersion blender will work in a pinch) with about a cup of flour. Add glitter or other additions, then strain the mixture through a sieve or squeeze it with your hands to remove as much water as possible. Turn it out onto your tabletop and knead it as you would bread dough until it feels smooth. Press the clay into your lined bowl molds, taking it right to the rim. Once the bowl is completely dry, coat the entire surface in Mod Podge (it's a glue and sealer in one) and press on your tissue paper. These decorative bowls can be used to hold everything from keys to wrapped candies to jewelry. With so much customization possible, you can create any look you want for any space in your home.

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