Gabriel Sanz (Glitch) via Compfight

Ok, I admit it. That’s not the kind of egg cartons I’m talking about, but it was too cute an image to ignore.

Rachel from the wonderful blog over at Tinkerlab.com often sets up art challenges.

This one was with egg cartons. If you are used to seeing egg cartons and thinking “caterpillar” well think again as she puts out  a challenge  to her own kids and hundreds of other bloggers to see what they can make with egg cartons. Here is where  you can read about her initial post about the challenge.

At the end of the post are over 80 links to the sites that tried the challenge and what they came up with. I went through almost all of them so that I could pick out the ones I felt were the best, most creative answers to the challenge. I am listing them in no particular order.

Planters: http://www.childcentralstation.com/search?q=egg+cartons (not all the solutions were art based and at this blog they use the empty egg carton to plan grass.

Block play with egg cartons-http://kindergartenbasics.blogspot.com/2012/04/egg-cartons-as-building-blocks.html (Another non art solution, but you need loads of egg cartons for this one)

Make a mess with egg cartons and paint http://www.happylittlemesses.com/coloring-egg-cartons-the-boys-take-the-lead/ (Take a look at how this blogger just allowed her children free rein with the paints and egg boxes)

Treasure boxes from egg boxes http://nurturestore.co.uk/egg-carton-treasure-box (the kids made their own specialty treasure boxes out of the carton)

Egg carton printing  http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/04/egg-carton-printing.html (They use the bottom of the egg carton to dip into paint and then to print with them. Can be done individually with the pieces of carton when they are cut up as well)

Perfect for a rock collection http://inspirationlaboratories.com/egg-carton-creative-challenge/ (Paint the cartons and use them for collections, in this case, rocks)

Flower bells http://shareandremember.blogspot.com/2012/04/flower-bellsegg-carton-challenge.html (This one is actually my favorite as they cut up the boxes and used lots of materials to decorate and then added little bells inside them and hung them outdoors on the trees)

3D paintings of egg boxes http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2012/04/egg-carton-paintings.html (This blogger allowed her children all different shades and colors of paint and the finished results look lie 3D  artwork)

If you would like to go through every single one of the bloggers that gave ideas, go ahead and look at the first link I gave you.

Enjoy the eggs. (Don’t eat too many)