Crafting for a Cause: Recycled Egg Carton Critters for Kids

Looking for a fun and sustainable craft to keep the little ones busy and creative? These recycled egg carton critters are the perfect solution! Using what you already have at home, you can turn leftover paper egg cartons into adorable butterflies and dragonflies, no plastic required!

Not only do these crafts spark creativity, but they also help kids understand the value of reusing materials and reducing waste. It’s a hands-on reminder that eco-friendly fun doesn’t have to come wrapped in plastic. Let’s get crafting!

• A recycled paper egg carton (not plastic!)
• Child-safe paints and paintbrushes
• Card or scrap paper for the face
• Scissors
• Glue
• 2 cotton swabs or pipe cleaners (for antennae)
• Black marker

1. Cut the wings: Cut out four connected egg cups to form the butterfly's wings.
2. Paint it bright: Let the kids paint each wing section with their favourite colours. Get creative!
3. Make a face: Cut a butterfly-shaped head/body out of a scrap card and decorate with a smile.
4. Add antennae: Snap cotton swabs in half, paint them, and glue them behind the head. Alternatively, use pipe cleaners.
5. Assemble: Glue the face to the top of the wings and let everything dry.

Hang it in a window, attach it to a plant, or use it as part of an eco-themed display!

• A recycled paper egg carton
• Paints and brushes
• Scrap tissue paper or card for wings
• Scissors
• Glue
• A polyester pipe cleaner for antennae

1. Create the body: Cut out a long strip of four egg cups in a row.
2. Paint the dragonfly: Use paint or markers to add colour and bring your bug to life.
3. Cut wings: Use leftover tissue paper or card to cut two large wings. Decorate with pastels or paint.
4. Antennae: Fold the pipe cleaner in half and curl the ends. Tape or glue inside the first cup.
5. Glue it all together: Attach the wings across the body and let it dry.

This lightweight bug is perfect for hanging in bedrooms, play spaces, or garden fences.

Each year, over 300 million tons of plastic waste are produced globally, with a significant portion ending up in landfills, and a shocking amount comes from disposable items like cheap toys and other poorly made plastic goods. But with a little imagination, we can teach children the joy of using what we already have, like paper egg cartons that might otherwise go to waste. By choosing to reuse and repurpose instead of buying new (especially plastic), we’re showing the next generation that creativity doesn’t have to cost our planet.

Crafts like these are a small but powerful way to show that sustainability can be simple, joyful, and deeply creative. We’d love to see your eco-creations! Share your critters on social media and tag us with #DitchPlasticPackaging and #EcoCrafts. 

Let’s inspire one another to reduce, reuse, and rethink how we create and play, while having tons of fun along the way!