As I picked up a cup carrier (from a doughnut store-coffee house) to toss it out, an urge to toss it in warm water over came me. Honestly. I made a very sweet Gothic cross from the soggy cup carrier and the center I spared from the water.
First, I put whole thing in water, then pulled it out and hand tore the center. If you look at your cup carrier, you will see the larger indented center and 4 holes for cups looks like the top of a Gothic Cross! Sorry, I don't have a photo.
So save the center portion and squish the rest, use a Takena wood free paint stirrer from the hardware store, and smoosh your "free" clay-paper pulp around the wood. Eyeball the area you need to cover, and the area that will rest behind the center cross portion. You can make anything you want, the kids will have fun.
For a special gift idea, spritz some perfume or men's cologne, into the wet stuff, and when your creation is dry, you can punch a hole, embellish, and voila!: a car air freshener, a closet pomander, or drawer sachet. How about using tea tree oil (adults only) and make a flea repellent type sachet to tuck in the dog's bed. I painted my cross and will be making many things from this fun, easy, readily available repurposeable paper cup carrier. Have fun!
By manictide from Matawan, NJ
You can also use the cardboard egg cartons to make things. I have a craft book that shows how to use a metal trash can lid to form the paper pulp into a textured round form that you them add raised eyes, eyebrows & a mouth too. When it's dried,you paint it terra cotta color & it looks just like a piece of expensive clay!
