Go green for St Patrick’s Day! No seriously, go green and create sustainable crafts for your home decor this St Paddy’s Day. Only 9% of plastic is recycled and 12% is burned. 79% sticks around and takes over 1000 years to decompose. 8 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean each year so why waste another dollar on plastic or styrofoam decorations when you can make your own? These sustainable crafts are made from 100% recycled egg cartons and are easy to make with the kids. You’ll be saying “Kiss me, I’m plastic-free” by the time you hang your sustainable bunting banner. So here are two crafts you can make from leftover recycled paper egg cartons to get you into the Irish festivities. Read on to get started!
For these crafts you’ll need:
Three Leaf Clover Wall Hanger
Step 1: Cut out three separate egg carton cups from the recycled paper egg carton. With extra material, cut out a rectangle.
Step 2: Paint each egg carton cup and the rectangle piece with your choice of green paint. Set to dry.
Step 3: Once the paint is dry, place glue on one side of each egg carton cup and glue it together to form a triangle shape (one cup at the top, and two at the bottom). Next glue the rectangle piece under the side of the two carton cups. The green side should be facing out.
This should form a three leaf clover! This is perfect for hanging on your wall or creating many more to create a centerpiece for your table decor. You may also wish to glue many three leaf clovers together in a circular shape to form a wreath for your door. Give it a try to get into the festivities!
Four Leaf Clover Bunting Banner
Step 1: Cut out each individual egg cup from the recycled paper egg carton until you have 12 or more egg cups.
Step 2: Take each individual egg cup and cut a slit every few centimeters until you have 5 cuts. You should form the four leaves of the clover and the clover’s stem.
Step 3: Once you have cut each egg cup into the clover shape, paint each one with your choice of green paint. Set aside to dry.
Step 4: Cut a piece of string or hemp to your desired length (it must be long enough to string your clovers on and hang up).
Step 5: Once dry, take a single hole punch and punch a hole in one of the clover petals. Repeat for each four leaf clover you have created. Taking the string or hemp, thread this through each hole of the clovers until you have placed each along the string. Evenly space out each clover along the garland.
Voila! You now have a St Patrick’s Day bunting banner to hang along your mantel, wall or in a doorway. This festive craft is sure to get everyone feeling Irish for the day!
These easy-to-make crafts are great for a St Patrick’s Day activity and perfect for at home or the classroom with the little ones. Are you ready to go green and try these crafts with your kids? Don’t forget to talk to them about the importance of reducing plastic and foam waste, especially at holidays when we can already be so wasteful. Teach them the importance of using what they already have to make something new and how to properly recycle. Most importantly, if you try out these decorations in your home or classroom, we would love to see them! Share your creations with us on social media with the hashtag #ditchplasticpackaging.
With each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way! Sustainable habits and happy crafting!
