Milk Carton, Bottle & Jar Ideas
We love making things from everyday items. It’s recycling at its best and some of our favourite things to use are milk cartons, bottles and jars.
So here’s a huge list of milk carton crafts you could try. Go and raid the recycling bin now!!
1. FAIRY HOUSE LANTERNS
We painted a jar with white emulsion paint and used twigs which we glued on to create the windows. Decorate your lantern with permanent marker pens before popping in a battery operated tea light.
Love all things fairy? check out our tree stump fairy house.
2 BEACH TRIP MEMORY JAR
Collect sand in a jar when you visit the beach and place in a photo to remember your day.
3.ETCHED LANTERNS
Paint the outside of your jar with emulsion paint, leave to dry before using a cocktail stick to etch your patterns. Finish by popping in a battery operated tea light.
4.PERSONALISED DRINKS JARS
Paint your with gloss paint to personalise then. Check out our other Fun with food ideas.
5.ELMER ELEPHANT
We made our Elmer elephant using an empty milk carton & some coloured paper, 
You could pop in a battery operated tealight to turn him into a lovely nightlight.
6.MUSICAL BOTTLES
Fill bottles with different levels of water and add a few drops of food colouring, used a wooden spoon to tap the bottles for different sounds.
7. POPPY DAY LANTERNS
We used permanent marker pens to decorate milk cartons for remembrance day and filled them with fairy lights. It’s the perfect Remembrance Day activity.
8.LIGHT UP FAIRY VILLAGE
Here’s how to make your own illuminating magical village.
9.MILK CARTON WATER PLAY
Make holes in the lids of milk cartons to turn them onto bath time watering cans. Check out our other baby activities.
10. SEA GLASS LANTERNS
Collect smooth sea glass and use glue to stick it to bottles to make a lovely vase.
Fill with battery operated fairy lights.
11. TORNADO IN A JAR
Keep warm, dry and away from the rain indoors but create your own weather front. It’s really simple. We filled a jar 3/4’s full of water and added a drop of washing up liquid and replaced the lid tightly. We then shook in a round and round motion & left to settle watching the tornado form.
12. AUTUMN LANTERNS
Decorate empty milk cartons/shampoo bottles with permanent marker pens and fill with a string of battery operated fairy lights.
13. RIBBON WINDSOCKS
Carefully cut the end off of a milk carton and make some holes to attach ribbons. (If you love this then check out our Duvet windsock and sheet fun.
14. MUMMY LANTERNS
Use PVA glue to stick tissue paper to your jar before adding google eyes. Finish by popping in a battery operated tea light.
15. TIME CAPSULE JARS
Fill a jar with small items, a photo, a letter, a toy and bury it for years to come.
16. MILK CARTON BUTTERFLIES
Make some beautiful and simple butterflies to brighten up your garden…see how here.
17. MILK CARTON CATCHERS
Carefully cut the ends off of milk cartons to make catchers. Use rolled up socks as balls.
18. PETAL PERFUME STATION
???? I used to love making petal perfume potions as a kid, so I picked some petals and laid them out on a plate with a small jar of water for a sweet smelling after school invitation to play.????????????
19. MILK CARTON WATERING CAN
Carefully poke holes into milk carton lids to make your waters.
20. DRIFTWOOD LANTERNS
Use an elastic band to secure drift wood around a jar. Pop in a string of battery operated fairy lights.
Check out our Beach activities here.
21. MILK CARTON BIRD FEEDER
22. LAVENDER LANTERN
Use an elastic band to attach sprigs of lavender to a jar, pop in a battery operated tea light or alternatively a tea light which would heat the lavender up and emit a lovely smell.
23. PICNIC POTS
We love having fun with food.
24. SALT ART JARS
Use chalk to rub into salt before filling in layers into your jar. Check out our summer activities.
25. NATURE DISCOVERY BOTTLES
Fill bottles with water and natural treasures then secure lid tightly. Check out our baby activities.
26. FAIRY IN A JAR
See how to make a fairy in a jar here.
27. PENNY HUNT JAR
28. VISUALLY SENSORY JARS
Fill plastic bottles with water and food colouring and place in a bright place to stimulate young babies.
Check out more baby activities here.
29. STAINED GLASS ELMER LANTERN
Use permanent marker pens to decorate your jar before adding google eyes and s cardboard trunk and ears. Finish with a battery operated tea light.
30. CONSTELLATION LANTERN
Do see more Star Gazing Ideas.
31. READING LAMPS
32. MOTH ATTRACTOR
Decorate a milk carton before placing a torch or headlamp behind it to light it up and attract moths.
Check out our Fun Camping Ideas.
33. CRESS BOTTLEHOGS
Cut the side from a bottle and fill with soil and cress seeds, poke some drainage holes in the bottom and add googly eyes.
34. BEACH VIEWING BOTTLES
Fill plastic bottles with sea water and shells for some toddler observatories.
35. TODDLER NATURE OBSERVATORY BOTTLES
Fill a bottle with water and flowers.
36. NET FISHING
Take a jar with you to net fish in streams so you can view what you catch.
37. REMEMBRANCE LANTERNS
Use paper and glue to make remembrance day lanterns.
The uses for jars and milk cartons really is endless!!!
