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Arts and Craft Projects for Kids

Trash to Treasure with the Crafty Critters

By February 7, 2013December 23rd, 2020No Comments

Today’s post comes to us from Amanda at Crafty Critters.  Crafty Critters is a website dedicated to providing easy and fun crafts for kids.  Be sure to check out their site for even more fun crafting ideas!

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What do you do with your toilet paper rolls when they are empty? Throw them in the garbage? Recycle them in the blue bin?

Let’s make crafts and let our imagination run wild instead of just simply throwing away these handy toilet paper rolls!   Such a simply, round piece of cardboard can be turned into so many fun and unique things.

Three Great Ideas with Toilet Paper Rolls:

  • A Valentine’s Day treat holder, filled with a yummy surprise.
  • A fuzzy wuzzy polar bear
  • Squid pencil holder – a great organization tool for your pens and pencils

Valentine’s Day Treat Holder

This is a great craft to not only use up those empty toilet paper rolls, but to also give your friends a treat on Valentine’s Day!

Recommended Age Group:  4 years old and up

Approximate Time to Complete: 30 minutes

Supplies:
Empty toilet paper roll, Red and pink paint, Paint brush, Glue, Scissors, Red construction paper, Pink pipe cleaner, Valentine treat of your choice.

Step #1: Paint your empty toilet paper roll. Make sure it is festive for Valentine’s day – something red and pink! Set this aside to dry.

Step #2: Cut a heart shape out of red construction paper. Write a special message on one side with a marker or pen.

Step #3: Glue your heart to one end of the pipe cleaner. Press and hold it in place until it dries.

Step #4: Fold in one end of your toilet paper roll. Make sure it is folded enough so it seals the end (and nothing can fall out).

Step #5: Fill the roll with your chosen treat – in our case, cinnamon hearts – and fold the other end over, the same way you did in step four.

Step #6: Bend the other end of the pipe cleaner into a shape, or twirl it. We decided to create a heart shape. Glue this onto your valentine treat. Allow it to dry and you are ready to give your treats out.

Create a bunch of these for all your friends and classmates for Valentine’s Day! It’s a great way to show your friends how special they are to you… and recycle too!

Fuzzy Polar Bear

This is a great winter craft and it is fuzzy too. We use some cotton balls to give our polar bear some fur and keep him warm through the winter weather.

Recommended Age Group:  3 years old and up

Approximate Time to Complete: 20 minutes

Supplies: Empty toilet paper roll ,White, black and pink construction paper,Googly eyes,Cotton balls (approx. 10)
Glue, Scissors

Let Us Teach You: Click here to learn this

Squid Pencil Holder

Are you just like everyone else and keep you pencil crayons and markers in a pencil case? Why not be unique and organized all in one! We’ve use some empty toilet paper rolls to make a pencil holder for all your pens, pencils, markers, crayons, etc.

(add image of squid pencil holder, align beside writing below)

Recommended Age Group:  5 years old and up

Approximate Time to Complete: 45 minutes

 

Supplies:
Three empty toilet paper rolls, Paint (various colors),Paint brush,White paper, Cardboard, Scissors, Glue

Let Us Teach You: Click here to learn this

Some Other Great Ideas

The possibilities with toilet paper rolls are nearly endless.

  • You can make many different animals and insects – like bumble bees, birds, pigs, etc.
  • Create some name card holders for the kitchen table.
  • Napkin rings.

Our Crafty Critters are always looking for new and interesting ways to re-use “trash” and make it beautiful. Be sure to keep watching for what our Crafty Critters are up to at www.easy-crafts-for-kids.com!

Happy Crafting!

Amanda & The Crafty Critters

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