Reuse Your Used Cartons

Recycling your cartons helps create useful new products such as paper products and building materials. But you can also reuse cartons yourself! Check out these fun and interesting ways to get crafty at home.

Bee Hydration Stations

(Photo: Kylene Sevy)

We’re inspired by our Carton Council Sweepstakes winner, Kylene Sevy, and her bee hydration stations made out of cartons. This project is quick and easy to create – using nontoxic paint, decorate the outside of an emptied out juice or milk carton. After the paint has dried, cut a door big enough to invite your neighborhood bees inside, as pictured above. Then, place soda bottle caps filled with a sugar and water mixture onto the bottom of the carton (Kylene used a mixture of 30% sugar and 70% water). The bees in her area – and hopefully yours too – will stay hydrated this summer! 

Bird Feeder

(Photo: Andrew McCaul)

We think this bird feeder is absolutely adorable. You’ll keep cartons out of landfills and make some new feathered friends! All you need is a washed out juice or milk carton, scissors, glue, birdfeed and course, paint, buttons and anything else you’d like to glam out your DIY bird feeder.

Lighthouse Lantern

(Photo: Nora Vrba)

These lighthouse shaped lanterns are perfect to light up a warm summer night. You can also save them for Halloween, and any other occasion that calls for adorable outdoor lighting. Find out how to make them here.

Planter

Emptied juice or milk cartons are perfect upcycled planters because their carton material is already water resistant! This makes for a great kids’ craft too, letting them have some fun creating whatever characters they want. Learn how to make a planter from cartons here.

Pantry Containers

We love these cute milk carton pantry organizers! You can decorate them any way you’d like and use them as convenient storage for candy, seasonings, rice and anything else you might need. Check out the steps to make your own here.

What are other carton creations you’ve made? Share with us on Twitter and Facebook, and don’t forget to spread the message, #RecycleYourCartons!