Empty toilet paper rolls are easy to toss without giving them a second thought. But before you throw them away, take a look at what you can make with them. With some paper, paint, glue, and a few other basic supplies, those little cardboard tubes can become toys, decorations, organizers, and even seed starters.
These are the kinds of crafts that work well for a rainy afternoon, a weekend at home, or a family craft session. Most don’t require much in the way of supplies, and kids can have a lot of fun putting their own spin on them.
Here are 18 toilet paper roll crafts worth trying.
Lovebugs
These little lovebugs are a fun choice for Valentine’s Day, but there’s no reason to save them for February. Kids can paint the rolls, add eyes, wings, hearts, and other decorations, then give each bug its own personality.
Get the Craft: Lovebugs
Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starter
You don’t need to spend much money to start seeds at home. Empty toilet paper rolls can be turned into small seed-starting containers, giving you a handy way to reuse something that would otherwise end up in the recycling.
Get the Craft: How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starters
Colorful Googly Eye Butterfly
This cheerful butterfly is a fun one for kids who love bright colors and silly googly eyes. Grab some construction paper, pipe cleaners, and a few buttons, then let the kids decide how their butterflies should look.
Get the Craft: Colorful Googly Eye Butterfly
Monkey Cardboard Tube Craft for Kids
Turn a plain cardboard tube into a cute little monkey with a few basic craft supplies. Kids can follow the instructions or change up the colors and details to make their own version.
Get the Craft: Monkey Cardboard Tube Craft for Kids
Toilet Paper Roll Penguin Craft
With construction paper, googly eyes, and a toilet paper roll, kids can make their own little penguin. It’s a simple project that doesn’t take a huge pile of supplies, and kids can make a whole group of penguins in different colors.
Get the Craft: Toilet Paper Roll Penguin Craft
Toilet Paper Roll Fish
These little cardboard fish come together pretty quickly. Kids can pick their favorite colors, add fins and eyes, and make each fish look a little different.
Get the Craft: Toilet Paper Roll Fish
Monarch Butterfly Toilet Roll Craft
A toilet paper roll can become the body of a colorful monarch butterfly with a few simple craft supplies. This is a fun project for kids who enjoy cutting, coloring, and adding their own details.
Get the Recipe: Monarch Butterfly Toilet Roll Craft
Truffula Tree Craft
Kids can make their own version of the colorful Truffula trees from Dr. Seuss’ books using cardboard rolls and craft supplies. It’s a fun project for story time or a day spent making crafts at home.
Get the Recipe: Truffula Tree Craft
Cardboard Tube Space Shuttles
Ready for a little space adventure? Cardboard tubes can become miniature space shuttles with some paper, paint, and a few simple decorations. Kids can make their own fleet and decorate each shuttle differently.
Get the Recipe: Cardboard Tube Space Shuttles
Frankenstein Craft
Save a few toilet paper rolls for Halloween and turn them into little Frankenstein figures. A little green paint, some paper, and googly eyes are enough to get started.
Get the Recipe: Frankenstein Craft
Toilet Paper Roll Houses
These tiny houses give kids plenty of room to get creative. They can use different colors and patterns for the walls, doors, windows, and roofs, then build a whole little neighborhood from cardboard rolls.
Get the Recipe: Toilet Paper Roll Houses
Toilet Paper Roll Honeycomb
A few toilet paper rolls can be turned into a honeycomb craft for a fun bee-themed activity. It can also be used as a chance to talk about bees, their homes, and how they make honey.
Get the Recipe: Toilet Paper Roll Honeycomb
Roll Car Craft
Turn cardboard tubes into little race cars with this easy craft. Kids can decorate them with colorful paper, add wheels, and create their own racers for pretend play.
Get the Recipe: Roll Car Craft
Simple Circuit Owl Craft
This owl craft adds a little science to craft time. Kids can use a toilet paper roll to make the owl while learning the basics of a simple circuit.
Get the Recipe: Simple Circuit Owl Craft
Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
These homemade binoculars are great for a rainy-day activity or for taking outside once the weather clears up. Kids can decorate their tubes before heading outside to look at clouds, birds, trees, or anything else they spot.
Get the Recipe: Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
Cardboard Tube Jellyfish
A cardboard tube makes a fun base for this jellyfish craft. Add eyes, tentacles, and some color, and kids can make their own collection of underwater creatures.
Get the Recipe: Cardboard Tube Jellyfish
Toilet Roll Gift Box
These little unicorn gift boxes are a cute way to reuse toilet paper rolls. They can hold small gifts, jewelry, candy, or other tiny items and would make a fun addition to a birthday or holiday gift.
Get the Recipe: Toilet Roll Gift Box
Tissue Paper Cardboard Flowers
Turn toilet paper rolls and tissue paper into colorful flowers for spring. Once they’re finished, kids can hang them on a wall, place them in a craft display, or use them to brighten up a window.
Get the Recipe: Tissue Paper Cardboard Flowers
