Lovely handmade crafts

Let's make toys with milk cartons! Easy and fun DIY crafts!

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Did you know you can make all kinds of toys using milk cartons?

In this article, we’ll introduce milk carton toys that babies and toddlers will love!

Many households recycle milk cartons, but they’re also often reused for kids’ crafts.

You’ll frequently see toys made by teachers at daycare centers and kindergartens, too.

Milk carton toys are great for little ones who haven’t learned to control their strength yet, because if they break, you can quickly make a new one.

They’re really easy to make, so give it a try!

Let's make toys with milk cartons! Easy and fun DIY crafts! (21–30)

A lantern shade cut out from a milk carton

[Handmade Video] Hands Hint Club at Home: “Let’s Make a Lantern from a Milk Carton” [Official Hands]

A lantern shade cut out from a milk carton

Let’s make a lantern with a filigree-like look using a milk carton.

The finer the details, the more delicate your lantern will be.

First, open up the milk carton and cut off the top and bottom.

Once you have a rectangle, peel off the printed layer starting from the edge.

When it becomes plain white paper, draw any design you like on it and cut it out.

You can also draw pictures in the open spaces.

Cut the top edge into any shape you like, such as zigzags or waves.

Place it over an LED light and switch it on to finish.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Crane game made from a milk carton

[Milk Carton Craft] Easy! How to Make a Claw Machine

Crane game made from a milk carton

A claw machine made by recycling milk cartons is an eco-friendly craft you can try with everyday materials.

First, open up the carton, cut it into the necessary shapes, and secure everything firmly with duct tape.

Next, create the part where the string will be tied, and staple the arm’s joints while devising how they connect.

Make holes in the control handle, thread the string through, tie it tightly, and reinforce it with duct tape.

Once finished, you’ll have a mechanism that lets you operate an arm moving up and down to grab prizes.

The light weight and easy workability unique to milk cartons are key features, making it perfect for doing with children.

It’s a fun idea that lets you enjoy a sense of accomplishment while playing.

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Milk Carton Rolling Tower

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[Summer Vacation Craft/Independent Study] I made a rolling ball tower out of a milk carton 🌻#Summer Vacation Summer Vacation Independent Research Summer Vacation Craft translation #HandmadeToys work Independent Research Scrap Material Crafting Simple craft #AtHomePlay #craft
♬ Electro Swing Jazz – Retro, strange, mysterious(1137053) – Ponetto

Let’s reuse empty milk cartons to make a fun rolling tower where a ping-pong ball tumbles down! Cut the milk cartons and connect two of them to create a long cylindrical base.

Make holes and slits in paper plates, attach them in a stepped arrangement, and adjust the angles so the ball rolls smoothly through.

Add slits to the side of the cylinder so the ball won’t stop midway and will drop all the way to the bottom.

If you wrap the whole thing with a tube-shaped cover made from a clear file, the ball won’t fly out and it’s safer to play with.

A bonus is that kids can learn about gravity and incline through the speed of the rolling ball and the fun sounds it makes.

It’s an eco-friendly idea that uses recycled materials to create a moving, interactive project.

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buzzing top

[Wakuwaku-san’s Craft Workshop] Let’s make a “whirring spinning top” out of a milk carton!

buzzing top

This is a buzz-top that spins round and round when you pull the string.

Prepare the bottom or mouth section of a milk carton and use an awl or similar tool to make two holes in the center.

Thread kitchen twine through the holes and tie it.

Twist the string as if winding the top, then pull—your buzz-top will spin vigorously! If the twine is hard to thread, wrap the end with cellophane tape to help it slide through.

A plain milk carton can look a bit dull, so let your child decorate it freely with pens and stickers.

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Easy Spinning Top Made from a Milk Carton

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Simple spinning top made from a milk cartonSummer Vacation Craft Summer Vacation Craft #HandmadeToys #HandmadeEducationalToy #Milk Carton Crafts #Milk carton #AtHomePlay work Simple craft Educational toy #Summer Vacation
Fuzzy Navel – Conton Candy

Here’s an idea for making a spinning top you blow on using a milk carton.

First, cut the carton about 1.5 cm up from the bottom, then make slits at the four corners and open it up.

Next, rotating the carton in a consistent direction from each corner, cut along the edges of the bottom.

Leave about 1 cm uncut at the ends.

Bend the sections you just cut inward so they gather toward the center, and decorate with masking tape or stickers to finish.

If you blow straight down from above, it will spin around and around.

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