8 Creative Ways to Use Toilet Paper Rolls

Toilet paper is something that the vast majority of us use, and with that, we are inevitably left with little toilet paper rolls. Luckily, toilet paper rolls are made of cardboard which is viably recyclable and potentially even made from recycled materials. (Hopefully, those greener toilet paper options in the supermarket are getting more and more popular.)

All that said, it’s wonderful when we can find ways to repurpose the materials we have rather than relying on others to recycle them. That involves shipping and factories and contamination and whatever other hiccups might happen along the way. If we repurpose them usefully at home, we can use the cardboard rolls again and avoid buying other stuff.

While none of us are likely to be able to repurpose every cardboard toilet roll we use, it doesn’t hurt to give it a go when we can, and there are a lot of ideas for how to do it.

Biodegradable Seed Starters

For gardeners, this is a great way to repurpose loads and loads of toilet paper rolls. One end of the toilet paper roll is snipped into fourths so that it can be folded to close that end of the toilet paper roll. Fill the rest of the cylinder with soil and plant seeds in them. When it comes time to plant, the toilet paper roll can go right into the ground where it will biodegrade.

Cord Holders

With most electronics comes a collection of errant cords shoved behind the entertainment center, stuffed beside the end table, and tucked away on the backside of the desk. When the time comes to have to clean back there or unhook something, it’s a confusing, scary nightmare. Toilet paper rolls make awesome cord holders. All of the extra cordage can be coiled up and stuffed into its own toilet paper roll to keep things tidy.

Wall Art

Toilet paper rolls might not seem well-suited for artistic wall hangings, but they are. They can be cut into little cylindrical slices glued together in beautiful patterns. The results can be wonderful eye candy for the wall, or it can work in the middle of an end table or coffee table with a vase or decorative bowl on it.

Holiday Decorations

Come the holiday season, many of us feel a need to put out a few decorative flourishes to show that we aren’t total Scrooges. As for the kids, they love to have a themed art project to get them into the spirit, maybe show the grandparents. Toilet paper rolls are great bases for making cute little Santas, jack-o-lanterns, turkeys, reindeer, monsters, firecrackers… Save for art projects during the holidays!

Sidewalk Chalk

While we are on the subject of art, we might as well point out that cardboard toilet rolls can be an ideal mold for making sidewalk chalk for the kids to play with. Mix a cup of water with two cups of plaster of Paris and add some food coloring or paint. Let this set overnight, and on the next day, it’s time to get creative on the sidewalk or driveway.

Gift Boxes

When we give presents, particularly small ones, we need to put them in some sort of container. Toilet paper rolls are great gift boxes for small items. The item can be stowed away safely inside the toilet paper roll, and the gift can be wrapped a la a Tootsie Roll.

Fire Starters

This repurposing project is an awesome way to repurpose not one, not two, but three things that would normally make it to the recycling bin or landfill. The ingredients are toilet paper rolls, dryer lint, and candle wax (use old candle ends). Pack dryer lint into the toilet paper roll, pour a little wax into the lint a couple of times during the process, and that’s a fire starter.

Kids’ Crafts

We’ve already noted that toilet paper rolls are great for making DIY holiday ornaments, and in the same way, they are perfect for all sorts of kids’ crafts. Windsocks, advent calendars, model cars, model trains, animals – the list of toilet paper roll craft possibilities goes on and on. It can be a lot of fun for younger children.

Saving those toilet paper rolls can lead to lots of DIY repurposing that can be both useful and entertaining, and the planet will be all the better for it.

Related Content:

• Toilet Paper Adds to Forever Chemicals in Wastewater, New Study Finds
• Toilet Paper Chemicals Threatening Vulnerable Orcas
• Sustainable Alternatives to Conventional Toilet Paper
• 10 Unconventional Ways to Use Old Paper Towels and Toilet Paper Rolls Around the House
• 5 Fun Crafts Using Paper Napkins

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