A RECYCLED MILK CARTON VILLAGE

I started stockpiling our empty milk carton containers as soon as the weather got chilly last fall. After seeing some very inspiring little handmade villages {here & here}, we had to take advantage of these cold winter days indoors and give it a try! They've been a work in progress for quite a while... They got their first coat of paint, the holidays came and went, and they sat half-done in our craft cupboard for a good couple of months. But now that we're in the thick of winter and only halfway through the month of February, I'm kind of glad we took our time. We finally finished them and they are oh so fun!

And they're easy. All you need is;

SUPPLIES
Empty milk cartons

Paint {I also used a large tub of inexpensive white craft paint not pictured here}.

A couple of brushes, at least one large and one small.

A black Sharpie, for outlining your painted doors and windows.

And/or: Paper, tape/glue, scissors, and markers/crayons if you want to skip the paint all together and cover your cartons with paper.

DIRECTIONS

Wash the insides of the cartons with hot, soapy water. This might require fully opening the tops of the cartons and then gluing them shut again {after painting}.

Paint! {Ours took a few coats of white to cover most of the labeling.}

Asher had a blast getting to use the "big kid" acrylic paints on his little houses, and both boys loved setting up a little village equipped with masking tape roads on the floor and matchbox cars.

Have you done any fun crafts with your kids lately? Share some thoughts or a link in the comments so we can see what you're up to!

And for another recycled craft idea, see our egg carton masks here.