Egg Carton
Today, egg cartons come in all forms and sizes; some are made out of plastic, and some made out of the same cardboard-like material. Either way, disposing them off just like that is a pure waste, especially since eggs can be considered a household staple. Here are some ideas on how you can reuse those empty egg cartons before you throw them away.
School Science Project
Make a hairy caterpillar for a simple school science project. You will need a plastic egg carton, the longer the better. Try to use the ones which hold a dozen eggs, instead of half a dozen. Cut the egg carton into half width wise so that you get a row of six cups. Poke two to three holes at the bottom of each cup. Wet five cotton balls and squeeze the water out so that it is damp. Place a cotton ball into each cup but leave one of the cups at the end empty. Sprinkle a bit of alfalfa seeds onto each cotton ball and press them in. Keep the cotton ball damp. You should see alfalfa sprouts in a few days. When you have an alfalfa bush, take a white ping pong ball, and start drawing a face on to it. Use pipe cleaners to form antennas and stick them onto the ping pong ball. Place the head into the empty cup at the end and there you have it: a hairy caterpillar.
Mini Herb Garden
Because an egg carton has so many separate cups, they make a good container to start a mini herb garden on your window sill. Start by making three to four holes on the bottom of each cup using a nail. Cut off the top cover of the egg carton and use it as a base to keep dirt off your window sill. To do so, simply place the container with the different cup sections into the cover. You should always throw the water that has accumulated in the base and wash it every two to three days to avoid mosquitoes from breeding in there. Now, fill each cup up to two thirds with soil from your garden. Plant your herb seeds into each section. You may want to label them to avoid confusion later on. After a few days, you will see sprouts shooting. Let the sprouts grow and you will always have a fresh supply of herbs for cooking within reach. When the plant starts to grow bigger, move some of them into a bigger pot in your garden to avoid over-crowding. Herbs need to be constantly trimmed to maintain their growth.
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/themonnie/2735689978/
