This article is part of a series of articles dedicated to the topic: Creative Ways to Repurpose Household Objects.
Object #5: Toilet Paper Rolls (or Tubes)
Believe it or not, this is a thing. People really truly do repurpose toilet paper rolls.
And there is actually a surprising number of different uses for these little guys! Their uses range from serving as organizers and other types of containers for other household items to being crafted into full-blown works of art.
As I delved into this subject more, I was intrigued to discover what a wonderfully versatile material toilet paper rolls can be.
Below are some of my favorite ways to be creative using toilet paper tubes!
Use them to store your loose wrapping paper, to keep the paper neat and wrinkle-free:
Decorate a bunch of these tubes with colorful paper or fabric and create a handy DIY kitchen tool organizer.
This organizer could also be used in other rooms to organize different types items, but it lends itself to becoming an organizer for the long, skinny type of tools and utensils that are often found in kitchens. I go through my process for creating this project in detail here.
Grab a pair of scissors and slice up one end of a toilet paper roll into even sections. Then use it as a unique tool for painting your next fine art masterpiece.
There’s an artist I’ve been following on a YouTube channel called AB Creative who has really perfected this technique. If you’re interested in trying your hand at this, check out her video called “FANTASY Dandelion Acrylic POURING Tutorial – Toilet Roll Painting Method.” She’s really talented, and we share the same initials (AB)!
And speaking of fine art masterpieces…
It is absolutely amazing how creative a person can be, with a healthy dose of imagination and ingenuity! There are many artists (and craftists… if that’s a word) out there who are literally molding toilet paper rolls into
surprisingly attractive pieces of art.
I have most often seen these types of creations being used as wall hangings but they are also being turned into sculptures and other types of art.
The short summary on how people are creating these wall-art pieces is, they slice up TP tubes into uniform but rather thin sections, form them into a design and glue them onto a backdrop, like cardboard or poster board. The pieces can be glued or even stapled together, and are often painted or covered with some type of colored paper.
- The website FirstPalette has an really clear, easy to follow run-down on how to turn toilet paper or paper towel rolls into flowers and ornaments. It’s a great activity that you can do with your kids!
- Check out the imagination of French artist Junior Fritz Jacquet as detailed in this article on the My Modern Met site. He molds these cardboard tubes into beautifully expressive sculptural faces.
- Here’s a lovely example of a piece of art you can hang on your wall from the Creativity Hero. (love that name!)
Here are a few more possible uses for this item:
- Use them to keep long, stringy items neat and untangled, such as wires, cords, yarn and pipe cleaners.
- Form them into different shapes and dip them into paint to use as stamps, for an inexpensive and easy activity to do with your kids.
- Fill them with small goodies and cover them with pretty wrapping paper to make some holiday/Christmas or New Year’s crackers/poppers.
- Gather up the kids to decorate some TP rolls and turn them into finger puppets, binoculars or anything else you can dream up. Let your imagination go crazy and have fun with it!!
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Please share this article & drop a comment below if you have any creative alternate uses for this household item. Thank you for reading!
