That cardboard tube left when the toilet roll runs out is the most underrated craft supply in the house — free, perfectly sized for little hands, and endlessly transformable. Toilet roll tube crafts are a rainy-day staple: quick enough to finish before anyone loses interest, and open-ended enough to spark real imagination.
Here are the best ways to recycle those tubes into crafts kids genuinely love.
A quick safety note
An adult does any cutting, small loose parts come off the list for under-3s, paint should be non-toxic and washable, and it all happens with a grown-up nearby.
The best toilet roll tube crafts
Animals and characters
- Tube animals — paint a tube and add paper ears and tails for owls, cats, or rabbits.
- Crowns and superhero cuffs.
- Finger puppets for a homemade puppet show.
Play and learning
- Binoculars — tape two tubes together and add a string.
- Marble and car ramps — tape tubes to a wall at angles.
- Shakers — seal one end, add rice, seal the other.
Garden
- Biodegradable seedling pots — fill a tube with soil, plant a seed, and later pop the whole thing in the ground. A perfect pair with these milk jug planters.
Decor and gifts
- Napkin rings and advent boxes.
- Stamp printing — pinch the rim into a heart or petal shape, dip in paint, and stamp.
Keep a craft stash
Save tubes in a basket alongside egg cartons and boxes and you've got a ready-made recycling-bin craft kit for the next rainy day. For more of the same, try these egg carton craft ideas.
Made something great from a tube? Share it in the comments at ecoxee.com — the simpler the better.
Keep reading: How to Dry Orange Slices (Oven, Dehydrator & Air), How to Press Flowers: 4 Methods + a DIY Flower Press, and How to Tea-Dye Fabric: Natural Dyeing With Tea.
