Parenting Today
Using paper towel rolls for crafts is a budget-friendly option that contributes to environmental sustainability. Repurposing these rolls helps reduce waste and minimizes the demand for new materials. It provides an excellent opportunity to teach kids about recycling and upcycling, instilling a sense of environmental responsibility from an early age.
Paper towel rolls are also versatile and readily available, making them an accessible crafting material. You can easily transform them into various shapes, sizes, and forms, fostering creativity and imaginative play. By encouraging children to see the potential in everyday items like paper towel rolls, we stimulate their artistic abilities and promote a mindset of resourcefulness and eco-consciousness. So, the next time you reach for a paper towel roll, think beyond its initial use — it might just be the starting point for a world of imaginative crafting possibilities!
Here’s a list of fun and unique paper towel roll crafts for kids of all ages.
Paper Towel Roll Animals
The cylindrical shape of the roll serves as an excellent starting point for various animals, from long-bodied creatures like snakes to short and stout animals like elephants. The material’s flexibility allows for easy bending, cutting, and shaping, enabling children to experiment with different forms.
- Butterflies and Bugs. Use the paper towel roll as the body of your child’s favorite bug. Add wings, antennae, and colorful patterns to your butterfly, ladybug, bee, or other creature.
- Wild Animals. You can also turn paper towel rolls into lions, monkeys, elephants, crocodiles, and more with supplies like paint, scissors, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners.
- Animal Puppets. Turn paper towel rolls into various animals by adding features like ears, eyes, and mouths made from colored paper. Kids can use them as puppets by slipping their fingers inside or attaching marionette strings.
Paper Towel Roll Vehicles
The paper towel roll’s shape and length provide a natural framework for various vehicles, including cars, trucks, trains, and even rockets. Crafting vehicles from paper towel rolls introduces engineering and design concepts while encouraging creative play. It’s a hands-on way for children to explore the basics of form and function while repurposing everyday items.
- Race Cars. Color, paint, or decorate a paper towel roll to resemble a race car. Use stickers or markers to create car details. Then, add four cut-out circles or bottle caps to the bottom for the wheels.
- Train Cars. Like with the cars, kids will decorate the paper towel roll and attach wheels. Keep the train cars separate or tie them together with string. Then, they can add additional features, such as smoke stacks with cotton balls to represent the smoke.
- Rocket Ship. Decorate the paper towel roll to look like a rocket ship using paint, foil, or colored paper. Add a cone-shaped top. For the final touch, attach red and yellow ribbons or thinly cut streamers to the bottom for the flames.
Useable Items from Paper Towel Rolls
Use the paper towel’s tube shape and sturdy structure as a reliable foundation for crafting functional items. These practical crafts often require problem-solving as children learn how to transform materials into something useful. Completing a craft that serves a purpose instills a sense of accomplishment in children and boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
- Pencil Holder. Decorate the outside of the paper towel roll, attach a bottom, and use it as a pencil holder.
- Desk Organizer. Go beyond a single tube to create a desk or art supply organizer. Connect several paper towel rolls vertically and secure them with glue or tape. Decorate the outside and use them to store pens, pencils, markers, paintbrushes, and other supplies.
- Napkin Rings. Cut the paper towel roll into smaller sections. Then, decorate with paint, markers, washi tape, or colored paper to match a theme or season. Embellish with ribbons, flowers, pinecones, or other outdoor items. It’s especially fun to do for holiday gatherings or birthday parties.
Use the Rolls to Create Pieces of Art
Paper towel rolls can also be used as artistic tools to create elaborate designs and allow children to explore their creativity.
- Fireworks Painting. Cut fringes out of one side of the roll. Dip the ends in different colored paints and stamp them on paper to create a firework effect.
- Artwork. Paper towel roll rings can be painted and shaped into wreaths, wall art, flowers, and more.
Whatever paper towel craft you choose, remember to emphasize the importance of reusing materials to reduce waste and help the environment while having fun with these creative and eco-friendly crafts! Then, sit back as your kids use their imagination and dive into hours of play with their newly made toys or useful items.