Take Egg Trays From Trash To Works Of Art With This Mosaic Home Decor

Because many households go through dozens of eggs every year, it's no surprise that empty egg cartons are typically plentiful. Usually made out of sturdy cardboard, plastic, or styrofoam, there are an abundance of cool and genius ways to use old egg cartons in and around your home. These creative upcycling projects range from simple ideas about reusing cartons for storage to DIY decorative projects like making dreamy hanging decor and stunning floral arrangements. With a little paint and ingenuity, you can also turn these compartmentalized crates into cool mosaic-style wall art pieces with a lot of texture and dimension. The egg trays can be personalized to your liking and then hung on the wall to add more interest to your space.

While you can probably find old egg cartons in your garbage or recycling bin, you can also ask for spare cartons from places that buy or sell eggs in bulk like supermarkets, farmers' markets, and restaurants. These places often buy them in larger trays that accommodate several dozen eggs at once. You can also use smaller cartons for this project, but you will need more of them. The number of trays or cartons you need depends on how large you want the finished product to be.

Begin by planning out your design and laying it out on a flat surface, trimming away the outer edges of the trays and any lids. The gorgeous piece in the image above was created by varying the shades of acrylic paint around the eyes and then color blocking the rest of the piece with various bright colors. You can paint whatever you desire, whether you'd prefer to create something like a landscape or florals or to just add a colorful abstract piece to your home. Choose the design that fits your decor best. Once the egg cartons are all painted and dry, use double sided tape, putty, or small finishing nails to attach the egg trays to the wall in your desired layout.  

If you'd rather add more texture and pattern over color, you could also create a decoupaged design. Do this by covering the nooks and crannies of the cartons with decorative paper and Mod Podge. Either use one pattern or vary them for more of a maximalist decor piece. Consider adding on other decorative items as well like faux flowers, ribbons, or other embellishments. Many people also believe that egg cartons can buffer sound and echoing, thereby improving the acoustics of a room. Therefore, your artwork may also come with this added benefit as well — though keep in mind that this isn't the most effective way to soundproof a room.