How to Upcycle Your BTS Meal Packaging, Pinoy ARMY Edition

After Korean superstar group BTS and fast-food giant McDonald’s announced their big collaboration in April 2021, Pinoy ARMYs had to wait nearly two long months to get their hands on the BTS Meal. Unfortunately for us, the Philippines was one of the very last countries to roll out the special promo — but it turns out that the lengthy wait for the BTS Meal and its pretty purple packaging was worth it.

The long period of anticipation allowed McDonald’s Philippines to prepare well; the rollout was quite smooth, and Filipino ARMYs were very touched to find that staff all over the country took great care to make sure that the packaging stayed free of grease or any other stains. The local management was clearly well aware of how precious it would be to fans, and that they had plans to preserve it or come up with their own BTS x McDonald’s merchandise.

Pinoy ARMYs were well-prepared, too: it seems that the extra long wait gave them lots of time to think about what to do with their packaging. While we’ve shared what some fans across the globe have come up with, it’s finally time to put the spotlight on Filipino ARMYs and their amazing BTS Meal packaging creations!

Also read: The Most Creative Ways to Preserve Your BTS Meal Packaging, According to ARMY

All the best BTS Meal packaging creations by Filipino ARMYs

Phone cases

One of the simplest yet #aesthetic ways to upcycle your BTS Meal packaging? Turn it into a design for your phone case. All you need to do is grab a clear mobile phone case, cut up your nuggets box and/or paper bag and voila! The purple design is just so eye-catching, no? For a little extra oomph, choose a clear case with a BTS design or add cute stickers! 

Photocard holder

This Filipino ARMY definitely gets points for creativity! After all, photo cards are pretty much held sacred in the world of K-pop fandoms. (Incidentally, we also wish we were still in school so we could proudly sport one of these as our ID holders.) We’d like one for each of our BTS photo cards, please!

Also read: 13 Relatable & Emotional Stages of Joining the BTS ARMY

Funko-inspired BTS Meal box

This has to be one of our favourite BTS Meal packaging creations by far: a Funko-inspired BTS Meal box. A member of the Anpanmoms group, this ARMY mom took the time and care to design it meticulously — and her hard work was absolutely worth it. It looks so legit, and we’re certain ARMYs would pay good money for it and display it proudly with their other BTS Funko pops (which this BTS fan actually did herself!).

You can view the whole video of how she put everything together here.

Wallets

Monchi Bonchi, a local business dedicated to handcrafting accessories, was able to come up with adorable accordion-style wallets with the BTS Meal paper bags! How cute are they? If you’re interested, they’ve put up a limited amount of these wallets for sale on their official Facebook page.

Fridge magnet

Besides the paper bags, nuggets boxes, and paper cups emblazoned with the BTS logo, you have to admit that the sauce packets are super pretty, too. We just love how this ARMY was so creative as to turn hers into a refrigerator magnet!

We’re pretty sure Filipino ARMYs are some of the most resourceful people there is — it seems they’ve found the most functional ways to upcycle their BTS Meal packaging! Don’t you think her sweet chili sauce magnet blends in perfectly with the others?

Photo cards

How much do you love these fan-made BTS Meal photo cards? While the McDonald’s meals themselves didn’t come with official freebies, this Filipino ARMY took it upon herself to create her own photo cards. We’re 100% sure fellow BTS fans would adore these!

Also read: The Most Comforting BTS Lyrics That Converted Me Into an ARMY

Keychains

We’ve seen cute keychains made with the BTS Meal’s special sauce packets, but these are something else! Local crafts store Craft Haven MNL takes things a step further by sealing these with resin. Plus, they definitely put their thinking caps on in order to make their BTS Meal merch look extra unique.

In case you find yourself lacking in the creativity department, Craft Haven MNL is more than happy to help you come up with something! Get in touch with them via their official Facebook page.

Coasters

Love catching up on BTS content with a glass of red — perhaps even with a group of fellow fans? One of the admins behind the Anpanmoms Facebook group effortlessly turned their packaging into super chic coasters you’ll want to whip out on wine nights! 

Yet another of Craft Haven MNL’s creations include these sleek coasters. They look so elegant, you may not even want to place your drinks on top of them! (Which is fine too, since they make for really cute decorative pieces. Another thing to add to your BTS corner at home, right?)

Tumblers

A lot of us were excited to DIY our own BTS Meal tumblers after seeing countless videos all over TikTok and Twitter! To reiterate, here’s a tip: just purchase your own “advertising cups,” cut your desired BTS Meal packaging to size, and place them in the space meant for photo inserts. So simple! (You can also purchase your own advertising cup here.)

But hey, you actually don’t need to spend on your own tumbler at all; one ARMY showed off her own DIY BTS Meal tumbler, which she made by combining her purple packaging with a reusable cup from Macao Imperial Tea. That’s definitely upcycling done right!

Bookmarks

BTS Meal bookmark, anyone? These pretty purple pieces are perfect for ARMYs who love reading just as much as Kim Namjoon does. *wink wink*

Nail art

The super innovative ideas just keep on coming! This particular Pinoy ARMY had the unique idea of cutting up pieces of her BTS Meal packaging and turning them into nail art. Such a creative way to proudly display your love for Bangtan!

Laptop case

We’ve seen BTS Meal packaging  items turned into stylish phone cases — but how about laptop cases? Because yup, the BTS Meal paper bag is big enough to cover a 13-inch laptop. All you need to do is cut it to size and place it under a clear hard shell case!

Also read: This ‘Study With BTS’ Video Is All the Motivation We Need to Get Through the Work Week

BTS Meal packaging art

Costumes for Sylvanian Families dolls

Trust Filipino ARMYs to think way outside the box: BTS fan and toy collector PiJe Dineros put her creative juices to good use and actually fashioned miniature couture gowns for her dolls!

She made use of the paper bag and created these dresses through origami and by individually cutting petal-shaped pieces. We’re in awe at how intricate and well-thought out these projects were!

Miniature BTS Meal

How about BTS Meal packaging… made with BTS Meal packaging? The very same Pinoy ARMY fashioned a mini version for her Sylvanian Family dolls to enjoy! Too cute, don’t you think?

Robot figure

This particular BTS Meal packaging creation went viral after mixed media artist Raymond Guevarra posted it on Facebook. Dubbed the “BTS Meal Robot,” it was crafted with a soda cup and chicken nuggets box. The artist eventually auctioned it off at Art Toys PH, where it was originally priced at ₱260. It went on to sell for a whopping ₱25,800!

Also read: BTS’ ‘Dynamite’ Outfits Helped Raise $162,500 for Charity

BONUS: BTS Meal art

We’ve seen art made with the BTS Meal packaging… but how about with the meal itself? This beautiful work of art by local artist Mabel was “painted” with nothing but ketchup and fries. We’re totally blown away!

P.S. If you’ve seen a viral BTS portrait made with thousands of buttons, it was created by the very same artist!

Also read: Support #ArtPH: 18 Young Filipino Illustrators to Commission for Portraits!

They say Pinoys are resourceful — and these BTS fans have proven just that! Do you have any other cool BTS Meal packaging creations to share with us? Feel free to drop photos in the comments section. We’d love to see them!