Eggcellent Flowers

I can hardly keep up with what day it is, as of late, but we still manage to make things and be creative throughout the day.

When trying to sort through the massive pile of recycling that has been haunting our kitchen, I came across some egg cartons that were begging to be used.  I've painted animals with students in the past, but didn't have the energy to deal with the inevitable frustration that accompanies such a complicated craft (complicated for the mind/eye of a 4 year old).  So we just made some simple flowers.

Forgive me for not photographing the entire process.  The neighbor kids were over, so all required my assistance and encouragement through the project.

You'll need just a few materials:

• paper egg carton
• paints/brushes/water
• scissors
• stapler
• pipe cleaners

STEP ONE

Cut apart your egg carton, trimming each "cup" so that the top of it is fairly even.

STEP TWO

Cut slits around the edges toward the center circle of the cup.  Don't cut into the circle, just to its edge.  Then spread out the flower "petals".

STEP THREE

Paint!  We used tempera, but other types would be fine too. Watercolor would make a paler tint than something like acrylic or tempera.

STEP FOUR

When dry, staple a pipe cleaner to the flower to act as a stem.  You could add paper leaves, or bend other pipe cleaners to make the leaves.  Then display in your favorite vase.  No wilting or allergies!

Happy creating!