Every time I throw out empty toilet paper rolls, I think “I should do something useful with these!”
Well, today I did! And I enlisted the help of my kids. Win/win! You wouldn’t think these colorful, treat holdin’ characters were once used to dispense toilet paper!
I bet you already have the supplies on hand to make your own toilet paper roll crafts!
Supplies needed to make your own monster toilet paper roll crafts:
- Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
- Acrylic Craft Paint (your choice of colors)
- Moveable (Googly) Eyes
- Washi Tape
- Acrylic Pom Poms
- Chenille Stems (pipe cleaners)
- Foam Brush
- Hot Glue Gun/Glue Sticks & Scissors
- Decorative Edged Scissors (pinking shears, etc)
- Scrap of White Cardstock
- Clear Treat Bags
- Ribbon (for treat bags)
The first thing you want to do is cut your toilet paper roll crafts. Decide what you would like for your “monster” and trim it accordingly.
Some ideas I used: Trimming the monster’s “hair” with decorative edged scissors.
Trimming by just making jagged edges with regular scissors.
Rounding the top of the toilet paper roll to create a big “mouth” on the top.
I had fun cutting “mouths” in the middle of some of the rolls. This was pretty easy to do. Fold the roll slightly, and snip into the roll with your scissors to start a hole.
Fold the roll back out, and using the scissor snip- cut a circle shape. Or oval. Or triangle. Or whatever! It’s your monster!
When you have all of your cuts made, you can begin painting your toilet paper roll crafts.
Keep in mind, there will be treat bags covering up the inside of the monster toilet paper roll crafts – so you don’t need to spend time painting the insides.
The easiest way I found to paint them, was to insert a couple of fingers into the roll-that way you can rotate the roll as you paint.
An even easier way- if you are wanting to mass produce a whole bunch of monsters would be to string all the rolls on a piece of yarn, and spray paint them!
Allow the paint to dry, then begin adding details.
You can bend chenille stems and pom poms into fun antenna eyes.
Cut some white cardstock with decorative edged scissors for some funky teeth.
Washi tape is an easy way to add character to your monster toilet paper roll crafts .
Chenille stems and pom poms make great alien arms too!
Mix and match googly eyes! Get creative!
Then, fill your treat bags with whatever you would like.
Tie the treat bags with ribbon, and insert into finished toilet paper roll crafts.
Enjoy your little treat monsters!
And feel good about recycling what would have otherwise been trash.
More Project Ideas
Shaunte is a 30-something, chocolate-loving, SAHM from Utah. She has been scrapbooking since 1997, the dreaded era of photos cropped with deco scissors. Since then, her work has evolved into a clean, linear, photo-focused style. Her favorite subjects to scrap are her husband and five kids (never a lack for subject material there).
Unfortunately in the U.K. the use of Toilet roll tubes is strongly discouraged in organised childrens crafts ie craft clubs summer/holiday clubs etc as is the use of egg boxes because of health/hygiene reasons, salmonella etc. Including sweets in them would most definitely be a No No .
Sad its got to that stage as so many simple crafts revolved around these basic items.Health & Safety and risk of litigated being the main reasons
Hi,
I would like to know if we could use your image and post on our page to encourage mums to get their kids to create these fabulous crafts.
Thanks
This could be perfect for kids, OR for the adult whose getting in touch with the KID in them. The timing is perfect and I see this as a great project for girls or boys who haven’t experienced the art of paper crafting.
For Pete’s sake, so darned cute. Such an incredible imagination, I’m so impressed. Great project to do with/for kids. Makes me wish I had small grand kids again. Happy Spring