Toilet paper tubes. I am quite certain that everybody has them lying around in the house somewhere, either kept in an extra kitchen drawer, left empty in the bathroom dispenser or, if you have not yet been enlightened about the potential uses of toilet paper tubes, thrown in the trash bin.
Think twice about junking them. Electrical cords and Christmas lights can be stored and organized by wrapping them around the empty tubes. Or, you can use them to hold important documents and artwork, especially if you use paper kitchen towels that come in longer tubes.
If you have kids, you may also use discarded toilet paper tubes to create little milk cartons and canned food for you little one’s play pantry.
Here’s another idea, which may be great summer project for you and your kids: using just a few tubes, a little cardboard, plastic straw and wooden spoons, create a fun plane mobile you can hang in the kids’ room.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Tissue paper roll
Corrugated cardboard
Plastic straw
Ice cream wooden spoon
Scissors
Cutter
Glue
Hoop (you may use an embroidery hoop or a small hula hoop)
String
Procedure:
Step 1: Cut cardboard to make parts of plane
Step 2: Make five horizontal “slots” on the tissue roll (two slots in front on each side for the wings, two at the back on each side and one on top for the tails).
Step 3: Insert wings and tails into slots and glue in place.
Step 4: Insert two circle cutouts on each end of the tube and glue in place.
Step 5: Glue top wing in place.
Step 6: Cut pieces of plastic straw and glue between the upper and lower wings on each side for support.
Step 7: Glue wooden spoon and a small circular cut out in front to form the propeller.
Step 8: Make several pieces and attach onto hoop with string.
Read more:
How to make a stenciled silhouette shirt
How to turn an old skirt into a top
How to make a shrug in 30 minutes or less
Irene is a crafter, DIY-er and a blogger. She does most of her crafts and projects between her private practice as an orthodontist and dentistry professor. She is also a wife, a mom and a self confessed Martha Stewart wannabe. Get to know more about her on her blog, homeeconanay.blogspot.com
