Sitting on a pile of empty toilet paper rolls? Fantastic! Don’t you dare toss those cardboard treasures into the recycling bin just yet. They are pure gold for sparking creativity and keeping little hands busy on rainy afternoons or any day, really. Transforming these simple tubes into amazing creations is easier than you think and costs next to nothing. It’s a brilliant way to teach kids about recycling while having a whole lot of fun. Forget expensive craft kits; the humble toilet paper roll is your ticket to a world of imaginative play, from wild animals to soaring rockets and magnificent castles.
Before you dive in, gather some basic supplies. Most of these you probably already have stashed away somewhere:
- Empty toilet paper rolls (and maybe some paper towel rolls for variety!)
- Non-toxic paints (acrylics or tempera work great) and paintbrushes
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue (white school glue or glue sticks)
- Construction paper in various colours
- Markers, crayons, or coloured pencils
- Googly eyes (always a hit!)
- Optional extras: yarn, string, glitter, stickers, felt scraps, pipe cleaners, buttons
Got your stash ready? Let’s get crafting!
Roll Into the Wild: Animal Creations
Toilet paper rolls have the perfect shape to become the bodies of countless critters. It’s amazing how a bit of paint and some cleverly placed paper scraps can bring these cardboard tubes to life. Encourage your kids to think about their favourite animals – the possibilities are endless!
The Wise Owl
Whooo wants to make an owl? These are super simple and look adorable perched on a shelf. You’ll need a roll, paint (browns, greys, or even fun colours!), paper scraps for wings and beak, and googly eyes.
- First, gently flatten the roll slightly. Then, push the top edges inwards on both sides, creating two curves that meet in the middle. This forms the owl’s head and ear tufts in one go! Secure with a dab of glue if needed.
- Paint the entire roll your chosen owl colour and let it dry completely.
- Cut out two wing shapes from construction paper or cardstock. Little feather cuts along the edges look great. Glue these onto the sides of the roll.
- Cut a small triangle for the beak and glue it on the front, just below the ear tufts.
- Stick on two googly eyes above the beak. If you don’t have googly eyes, drawing them on with markers works just as well.
- You can even add texture by dabbing paint with a sponge or drawing feather patterns with a marker once the base coat is dry.
Slippery Snake
Create a long, slithering snake that can actually wiggle! This one requires a few more rolls, depending on how long you want your serpent to be.
- Take three or more toilet paper rolls. Cut each roll into smaller rings, about an inch wide. You’ll get several rings from each roll.
- Decorate the rings! Paint them green, stripey, spotty – whatever snake pattern your child fancies. Alternatively, cover them with coloured paper. Let everything dry.
- Punch two holes opposite each other in each ring, except for the head and tail pieces. The head piece needs two holes on one side (for the string) and the tail piece needs two holes on the opposite side.
- Cut a long piece of string or yarn. Tie a large knot or a bead at one end.
- Thread the string through the tail piece, then through all the body rings, and finally through the head piece.
- For the head, you can use one ring as is, or shape it slightly. Glue on googly eyes and maybe a little red paper forked tongue sticking out.
- Tie off the string at the head end, leaving a little slack between the rings so the snake can bend and wiggle. Trim any excess string.
Friendly Fox
These foxy friends are full of character. Orange paint is key, but feel free to experiment!
- Paint a toilet paper roll bright orange and let it dry thoroughly.
- Similar to the owl, gently pinch the top of the roll to create pointed ears. You might need to make small diagonal cuts first and then fold to get a sharper point. Glue the points if needed.
- Cut an oval or heart shape from white paper for the fox’s belly and chest. Glue it onto the lower front of the roll.
- Cut a bushy tail shape from orange paper (or use the same roll material before painting). Add a white tip to the tail using paint or white paper. Glue the tail to the back of the roll.
- Use a black marker to draw on a cute fox face – eyes, nose, whiskers, and maybe the inner parts of the ears.
Don’t stop there! Think lions with yarn manes, zebras with marker stripes, buzzing bees with paper wings, or goofy monsters with pipe cleaner arms and multiple googly eyes. Let your imagination run wild in your cardboard zoo.
3… 2… 1… Blast Off! Rocket Ships
Prepare for an out-of-this-world crafting adventure! Toilet paper rolls are the perfect shape for budding astronauts to build their own rockets.
Building Your Basic Rocket
Every space mission needs a vessel. This basic rocket is easy to assemble and ready for decoration.
- Cover the toilet paper roll body. You can paint it silver, white, red, or any colour suitable for space travel. Or, wrap it tightly in construction paper, securing it with glue.
- Make the nose cone. Cut a circle out of construction paper or thin cardstock. A good size is usually about twice the diameter of the roll’s end. Cut a slit from the edge to the centre of the circle. Overlap the cut edges and twist to form a cone shape. Secure with glue or tape. Glue the finished cone onto one end of the toilet paper roll.
- Add the fins. Cut out three or four identical fin shapes from sturdy paper or cardstock – triangles or trapezoids work well. Fold a small tab along the straight edge of each fin. Apply glue to these tabs and stick them evenly spaced around the bottom end of the rocket body.
- Decorate! Now for the fun part. Add windows with markers, stick on star stickers, use glitter glue for cosmic sparkle, or write the rocket’s name on the side.
Adding Flair
Want to upgrade your rocket? Try cutting thin strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper or crepe paper. Glue these inside the bottom opening of the rocket to look like flames blasting out. You could draw a little astronaut face on paper and glue it inside a drawn window. For a bigger spacecraft, try gluing two or three rolls together before adding the cone and fins, or use a longer paper towel roll.
Your Cardboard Kingdom: Castles and Towers
Who needs plastic bricks when you have toilet paper rolls? Build sturdy towers, sprawling castles, and secret forts fit for knights, princesses, or maybe even dragon hoarders.
Simple Towers
The easiest way to start your kingdom is with individual towers.
- Decide on a colour scheme. Will it be classic grey stone, or a colourful fantasy palace? Paint the rolls accordingly. You can draw brick patterns or stone textures with markers once the paint is dry.
- Create battlements. Using child-safe scissors, carefully cut square notches around the top rim of the roll. This instantly gives it that classic castle look.
- Stack them up! Arrange your finished towers to start forming your castle structure.
Safety First! Crafting often involves scissors. Always make sure an adult supervises any cutting, especially for younger children. Choose child-safe scissors with rounded tips when possible. Sharp tools and little fingers require careful attention.
Expanding the Castle
Ready to build something bigger? Combine multiple rolls! Use tape or glue to connect towers side-by-side. Paper towel rolls make excellent taller central keeps. Cut doorways and windows into the rolls before assembly. You can create drawbridges using a flap of cardboard attached with tape or glue, perhaps with yarn ‘chains’. Make flags from paper triangles glued to toothpicks or craft sticks and stick them into the tops of the towers. Let your child design their own royal fortress – maybe it has secret passages made by connecting rolls horizontally, or lookout posts on top.
Tips for Tidy Crafting and Extra Fun
Let’s be honest, crafting, especially with paint and glue, can get messy! Lay down old newspapers or a cheap plastic tablecloth before you start to protect your surfaces. Keep wet wipes handy for sticky fingers. Using washable paints is always a lifesaver for clothes.
Provide the materials, demonstrate the basics, but then step back and let your child’s imagination take the lead. Maybe their owl wants rainbow wings, or their rocket needs pipe cleaner antennae. Perhaps the castle needs glitter ramparts! The best creations often come from unexpected detours and happy accidents. Don’t worry about making everything look ‘perfect’; focus on the process and the fun of creating together.
So, the next time you finish a roll of toilet paper, think twice before tossing the tube. You’re holding the key to unlocking hours of creative, imaginative, and eco-friendly fun. From the depths of the jungle to the far reaches of space, or the battlements of a mighty castle, these humble cardboard rolls can become anything your child dreams up. Happy crafting!
