DIY Upcycled Milk Carton Flower Vase Hack

I’ve got no idea why, how or when but I feel like I’m permanently caught up in a chaotic whirlwind, chasing my tail and playing catch up since having the girls! One of the casulaties of this new crazy lifestyle is my inability to remember and plan for friends birthdays, get togethers, coffee etc.

Gone are the days when I could indulge in a bit of forward planning, window shop for a gift, let alone think about what I’m going to wear. Now it’s wide eyed panic, the morning of the day in question, followed by a mad dash to the supermarket or petrol station to grab a bunch of flowers, bottle of wine and some nibbles.

Of course I want my gesture to have a little personalisation and thought attached to it, so …

bring on the Thrifty Diy Upcycled Milk Carton Flower Vase Hack (fanfare of music).

You Will Need

An empty milk or Juice carton (tetra pack)
Crepe Paper /Tissue paper
Scissors
String, raffia or ribbon
A handful of stones or other slightly weighted waterproof material
Water
Small beads, double sided sticky tape (optional)

Cut your milk/juice carton (tetra pack) to size using a pair of scissors. For these Germini (Mini Gerbera) I chose to keep the full height of the carton but I cut it lower for the Hydrangea.

Measure out a length of string that wraps around the carton three times and leaves some dangling.

Measure out a double layer length of Crepe Paper that is longer than the height of the carton (you are going to fold it back on itself). I use the width or the crepe paper roll to wrap around the carton and cut a long length that I fool in half.

Next fold back one of the edges to make a neat seam and shorten the crepe paper so that is sits just proud of the carton top.

Turn the crepe paper over (keeping the fold in place) and carefully wrap it tightly around the carton so the the end seam finished in the middle of one of the carton sides. This will be the back of your vase.

Find the centre of your piece of string and place this at the back where the seam is and wrapt around three times just under the base of the fold. Secure with a knot. I like to add a small bead at the end of the string to give it some weight and help pull it down but it’s not essential.

Add a small handful of stones to the carton to add weight and stabilise it.

Finally add your water and flowers.

I find this is the perfect combination for last minute picnics, girly get togethers, impromptu guests and coffee mornings (elferflower presse is a great alternative to wine if it’s too early in the day for a glass of the old vino!).

The Walkers Tear n’ Share bags are brilliant ‘portable’ snacks for indoor and outdoor gatherings as the clever design means that the bag turns into a bowl once opened (less washing up or things to carry!). They’re nice thick, crunchy crips that come in five flavours. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the top of the bag and voila … tasty nibbles ready to share in their own handy bowl. And on top of that you stop the whole … “what flavour are they?”

This DIY Upcycled Milk Carton Flower Vase totally transforms your bunch of flowers into a beautiful, bespoke, personalised gift. It’s thrifty to make, easy to transport (you can add water once in situ), safe for outside get togethers (no broken glass) and can be made to suit individual decor. What’s not to like!?

This is a Walkers sponsored post to highlight the new innovative Tear n’ Share crisps and their re-useable packaging which is jolly handy. All words and images are my own