'If you buy eggs in cardboard containers, chances are that you end up recycling those cartons every week or so. Though it’s great that the cartons are being recycled instead of ending up in landfills, there are also ways to re-purpose them as handy household items. This is just a short list of 10 things you can do with your empty cartons: I’ve no doubt that your imagination could inspire you to come up with many of your own ideas as well. 1. Seed Starter Seedlings Photo by HDC You’ve likely seen this one a thousand times before, but it really is a spectacular way to start seedlings in the spring. Poke a hole at the bottom of each cup so that excess moisture can drain, and then add in the potting/starting soil of your preference. Dampen the soil with water, poke a couple of holes in each section with the tip of a pencil or chopstick, and drop 1 or 2 of seeds into each hole. Sprinkle a bit more soil over them and put them in a sunny spot, ensuring that you keep the soil damp. You’ll soon have wee seedlings popping up, and once they’re about 4 inches tall, you can transfer them into your garden. You can either widen the holes at the bottom of the cups for root growth and then plant them directly into the earth outside, or you can use a spoon to gently lift out each seedling and plant them individually. 2. Bulb Storage flower bud Speaking of gardening goodness, if you live in a cooler zone, you may have discovered that many flower bulbs can’t be left in the earth over the winter, as they’ll die. When you dig up the bulbs in the autumn, you can pack them in these cardboard containers and store them in a cool, dry place until springtime. The containers will keep them separated, and the cardboard itself will draw any excess moisture from the plants so they don’t rot. Place a bulb or two into each cup, and when the carton is full, tie it closed with twine. Just be sure to label the bulbs carefully by adding tags to the string you’ve used to close the container: writing directly onto the carton isn’t recommended because any dampness will make the ink run. 3. Fire Starter Pellets Firestarter Photo by Flitzy Phoebie Keep the butt ends of candles that have burned down, and then melt them all together in an old can or pot. Mix together sawdust, wood chips, and shredded paper, fill the egg cups halfway with the mixture, and then pour the melted wax into each egg cup. Once they’ve cooled and solidified, you can break them apart as individual fire-starters for campfires and fireplaces—just light one of the edges and the cup in your hearth, close to the kindling. 4. Floral Lights floral light A string of holiday lights can find a new purpose as a floral light set by adding egg cup flowers to it. Just snip the corners of each egg cup to separate each section into a “petal”, and paint the blooms in the shade(s) of your choice. Poke a hole at the bottoms of them, and slip them over each bulb.'
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