Egg Carton Christmas Crafts: 13 Free Ideas That Look Way More Expensive Than They Are

Egg carton Christmas crafts are proof that the prettiest decorations do not have to cost a thing. That gray cardboard box you were about to toss is soft, easy to cut and soaks up paint beautifully, and each little cup already has the curve of a petal, a bell or a tiny tree. Paint it gold, cream or deep red and nobody will guess where it came from. Crafters online have noticed too: one egg carton wreath on Instagram has tens of thousands of likes this season. Start saving your cartons now, put on a holiday playlist and grab a pair of good scissors. Below are thirteen cozy ideas, from a front door wreath to little penguin ornaments, that look like they came from a boutique and cost you nothing but an evening..

Egg Carton Christmas Crafts Poinsettia Wreath for the Front Door

Start with the showstopper. Cut the cups into pointed petals, paint half of them deep red and half a soft cream, and glue them onto a ring made from the carton lids. Gold painted bumps from the carton make the berry centers. A big red satin bow finishes it, and suddenly your front door looks like it belongs in a magazine. This is the project that made one egg carton wreath go viral this year. Which color will your flowers be..

You will need: 6 to 8 cardboard egg cartons, sharp scissors, red, cream and gold acrylic paint, a cardboard or foam wreath ring, hot glue gun (adult help), a wide red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Cut each cup into a five point petal shape and paint them red or cream. 2. Cut small bumps from the carton, paint them gold and glue them in the centers. 3. Hot glue the flowers around the ring, tightly packed, and tie on the bow.

A White Rose Wreath That Looks Like Porcelain

If you love a softer look, this is one of the prettiest egg carton Christmas crafts you can make. Cut each cup into a spiral, roll it up into a rose and paint the whole wreath white or soft gray. Tuck in a few green leaves cut from the lids. The cardboard texture makes the roses look almost like porcelain. It works for Christmas and stays pretty right through winter. Hang it on a shiplap wall or over a mirror for a calm, elegant corner. Would you go white, blush or silver?

You will need: 6 cardboard egg cartons, scissors, white and soft green acrylic paint, a wreath ring, hot glue gun (adult help), a hook.

How to make it: 1. Trim each cup into a spiral strip and roll it tightly into a rose, gluing the base. 2. Paint the roses white and cut leaves from the lids in green. 3. Glue the roses and leaves around the ring.

Jingle Bell Ornaments in Red, Gold and Cream

Each single cup already looks like a little bell, so this is one of the easiest egg carton Christmas crafts on the list. Paint the cups in red, gold and cream, edge the rims with glitter glue and thread a real jingle bell inside on a ribbon. Hang them in groups of three for the biggest impact. They are light enough for the thinnest branches and safe around pets because nothing breaks. How many will your tree hold?

You will need: Single egg carton cups, red, gold and cream acrylic paint, glitter glue, small jingle bells, satin ribbon, a skewer for poking holes.

How to make it: 1. Trim the cups so the edges are even and paint them. 2. Run glitter glue along the rim and let it dry. 3. Poke a hole in the top, thread the ribbon through a jingle bell and knot it inside.

Egg Carton Christmas Crafts Tabletop Tree

This sweet little tree makes a perfect centerpiece for a side table or a kitchen counter. Cut the cups into petal shapes, paint them sage green and dry brush the tips white so they look dusted with snow. Stack them in rings around a paper cone, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, and finish with a tiny gold star. Make a few in different heights for a little forest. Isn’t it amazing what a little paint can do?

You will need: 12 to 15 cardboard egg cartons, a poster board cone, sage green and white acrylic paint, a dry brush, hot glue gun (adult help), a small gold star.

How to make it: 1. Roll poster board into a cone and tape it. 2. Cut and paint the cups, then dry brush the tips white. 3. Glue the cups in rings from the bottom up and top with the star.

Egg Carton Christmas Crafts Snowflake Garland

Snowflakes are the simplest egg carton Christmas crafts to cut from the flat lids, and every one can be different, just like the real thing. Paint them bright white, touch the edges with silver glitter and string them on thin white twine. Draped across a window, they catch the winter light beautifully. Kids can help cut the simple shapes while you handle the fancy ones. It is a lovely way to decorate a room that does not have space for a tree. Where would you hang yours?

You will need: Carton lids, a pencil, small sharp scissors, white acrylic paint, silver glitter, glue, thin white twine, a large needle.

How to make it: 1. Draw snowflake shapes on the lids and cut them out. 2. Paint them white and add glitter to the edges. 3. Poke a hole near the top of each one and string them on twine.

A Gold Starburst Tree Topper

Store bought toppers can cost more than the tree. This one, like all egg carton Christmas crafts, costs nothing. Cut the cups into long pointed petals and layer them around a cardboard circle, like a giant dahlia, until you have a full starburst. Spray paint the whole thing metallic gold, and it looks like hammered metal. Glue a cardboard tube on the back so it slides onto the top branch. Guests will never guess it started life in the fridge. Ready to crown your tree?

You will need: 4 egg cartons, a cardboard circle about 12 cm wide, scissors, gold spray paint (adult use, outdoors), hot glue gun (adult help), a short cardboard tube.

How to make it: 1. Cut the cups into long pointed petals. 2. Glue them in overlapping rings onto the circle, from the outside in. 3. An adult spray paints it gold outdoors, then glue the tube to the back.

Holly Leaf and Red Berry Garland

Classic holly never goes out of style. Cut leaf shapes from the lids, paint them a glossy dark green and pinch the middle so they curl like real leaves. The round bumps in the carton become red berries with a coat of shiny paint. Tie them along a length of jute twine and drape it on the mantel or a staircase. With a few kraft paper gifts nearby, it looks straight out of a country Christmas card. Which room needs a little holly?

You will need: Carton lids and bumps, a leaf template, scissors, dark green and bright red gloss acrylic paint, hot glue gun (adult help), jute twine.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut the leaves, then paint them glossy green. 2. Cut out the carton bumps and paint them red. 3. Glue two leaves and three berries in clusters along the twine.

Egg Carton Christmas Crafts Gold Ornament Balls

Glue two cups rim to rim and you have a round ornament, one of the most classic egg carton Christmas crafts. Paint them in gold, champagne and copper, add a thin band of glitter around the seam, and hang them with ivory velvet ribbon. Piled in a white bowl, they look like an expensive designer centerpiece. They are also a smart way to fill a big tree without buying boxes of baubles. Make a dozen on a quiet evening and see how far they go. Would you guess these were egg cartons?

You will need: Single egg carton cups, glue, metallic gold, champagne and copper paint, fine glitter, velvet ribbon, a skewer.

How to make it: 1. Trim the cups even and glue them together in pairs. 2. Paint each ball and add a glitter band over the seam. 3. Poke a hole at the top and glue in a ribbon loop.

Flower Covers for Battery Fairy Lights

Turn a plain string of fairy lights into something dreamy. Cut each cup into a flower, paint them soft white, blush and cream, and poke a tiny hole in the center for each bulb. Use only battery LED lights, which stay cool to the touch, so the cardboard is perfectly safe. Drape them along a headboard or a bookshelf, and the room glows like a cozy cafe. It is a gift idea too, just wrap it in tissue. Who in your life would love this?

You will need: Single cardboard cups, scissors, white, blush and cream paint, a string of battery LED fairy lights (cool to the touch), a skewer.

How to make it: 1. Cut each cup into a five petal flower and paint it. 2. Poke a small hole in the center of each flower. 3. Push one LED bulb through each hole so the flower sits around it.

Egg Carton Christmas Crafts Advent Tray

A 12 cup carton is a ready made advent calendar. Paint the tray creamy white, tuck a tiny wrapped treat into each cup, and cover some with round paper lids marked with a red dot. Open one a day for the twelve days before Christmas, or make two cartons for a full countdown. Fill it with small chocolates, notes or little craft supplies. It is cheap, quick and the kids will remember it. What would you hide in the first cup?

You will need: A 12 cup egg carton, cream acrylic paint, small treats, wrapping paper, baker twine, round paper circles, red dot stickers, glue dots.

How to make it: 1. Cut off the lid and paint the tray cream. 2. Wrap a tiny treat for each cup and tie it with twine. 3. Fill the cups and cover some with paper lids fixed by glue dots.

A Painted Gift Box for Homemade Cookies

Homemade cookies deserve a pretty box, and egg carton Christmas crafts can even wrap your gifts: a six cup carton is the perfect size. Paint the outside a deep red, add a white snowflake on the lid and tie it with a cream velvet bow and a sprig of eucalyptus. Line the cups with parchment and fill them with cookies or fudge. It looks like something from a fancy bakery. For more ideas to hang on the tree, see our list of handmade Christmas ornaments. Who gets the first box?

You will need: A clean six cup cardboard carton, red and white acrylic paint, a fine brush, parchment paper, velvet ribbon, a sprig of greenery.

How to make it: 1. Paint the outside of the carton red and let it dry. 2. Paint a simple snowflake on the lid. 3. Line it with parchment, fill it with wrapped treats and tie the bow.

Penguin Ornaments With Tiny Knit Scarves

These little penguins are pure joy. Paint a single cup black with a white tummy, add two dot eyes and a small orange felt beak, and wrap a scrap of red yarn around the neck as a scarf. Hang them on a white or flocked tree and they look like they are waddling through the snow. This is a great project for a family craft night because everyone can give their penguin its own personality. Which one would you name first?

You will need: Single egg carton cups, black, white and orange paint or felt, red yarn, a black paint pen, white ribbon, glue.

How to make it: 1. Paint the cup black and add a white oval tummy. 2. Glue on the beak, draw the eyes and tie a yarn scarf. 3. Poke a hole in the top and add a ribbon loop.

Reindeer Faces With Twig Antlers

Finish your egg carton Christmas crafts by bringing the outdoors in with little reindeer made from cups and twigs from the yard. Paint the cups warm brown, add two dot eyes and a fluffy red pom pom nose, then glue two small forked twigs on top for antlers. Line them up on a windowsill or hang them on the tree with jute twine. They are rustic, charming and cost nothing at all. Kids love collecting the perfect twigs on a winter walk. Ready to build your herd?

You will need: Single egg carton cups, brown acrylic paint, small red pom poms, a black paint pen, small forked twigs, jute twine, glue.

How to make it: 1. Paint the cups brown and let them dry. 2. Glue on the pom pom nose and draw the eyes. 3. Poke two holes in the top, push in the twig antlers with a dab of glue and add a twine loop.