DIY Decorative Mirrors w/ Recycled Egg Carton Paper Flowers

DIY Decorative mirrors with recycled paper flowers are shabby chic home décor accessories for guest bedrooms or other area of home that need some extra romance.

This DIY project is a really cool crafts for kids as well that uses recycled materials.  It is one of many at the Fine Craft Guild. Every day we feature new DIY projects you can do and many are made with recyclables. Like this egg carton crafts today.

OK. Let’s go make egg carton paper flowers and create some decorative mirrors or picture frames today.

How to Recycle Egg Cartons into a Decorative Mirror Frame

Make rose-adored picture frames or mirror frames in a couple of easy steps:

Step 1.

Cut the individual egg carton cups. Estimate that you’ll need 60 / 18 egg cartons for the smaller. You’ll need 3-4 egg holders per flower.  So, start saving those egg cartons.

Step 2.

Cut the flower petals.  You need to make 3-4 flower petal layers to create a full flower. Make each layer of petals a tiny bit bigger, going outward.  Go for similar shaped petals, but don’t be a neat freak. You don’t need to be.

Tip A:

See how the round bottoms of the egg holders in the chalk-colored paper egg box are larger than the one on the pink flat egg tray? I find that the pink tray is easier to use for this project. However, I am demo-ing with the grey-colored egg box, so both materials are really usable.

Step 3.

Once you have a couple of flowers shaped up, use your hot glue gun and start shaping the paper flower layers together.

Tip B:

See how I cut a hole in the center of the flower? I find that it is easier to fold and shape the petals when I do so.

At this stage, you can use  the cut holes in the center and make fairy light flowers for a child s bedroom decoration. Or, continue with making a paper flower mirror frame or picture frame.

Step 4.

Once you have assembled enough flowers to cover the entire frame, and when they have dried a bit, it is time to add them to a background frame.

Tip C : You can choose to make your entire frame from scratch by gluing a mirror onto a sheet of wood, adding hooks, drilling holes, painting the surface etc. Or you can simply use an inexpensive IKEA mirror frame. Or an old mirror frame found at the back of your cupboard or at a Goodwill store. I suggest you do this instead, as you’ll have much faster results with less ado.

Lay the flowers onto the frame and arrange and re-arrange them till your picture frame design looks great. Then start gluing them on. Go section by section.

Work symmetrically. This is most important for a beautiful looking resulting picture or mirror frame.

Optional step 5:

Spray-paint or hand paint your flowers. Add a coat of varnish or glue / ModPodge for protection and a shiny finish.

Mirror frames image: BHG (AU) at Yahoo Lifestyle “how to make a decorative mirror”