Week 33 – Crafty Christmas Pt2 (Toilet Roll Crafts)
Hello and welcome to another Giving Tuesday!
We can’t quite believe that we’ve gone through 33 weeks of different activities, ideas, skills, hobbies and other stuff we think is fun. With just two more weeks to go, we’re feeling pretty proud of ourselves, and really hope we’ve helped to make Lockdown #1 and Lockdown #2 a bit more fun!
This week, we’re looking at Christmas Crafts (part 2)… Things You Can Make From A Toilet Roll!
This under-appreciated craft item forms the central role in many excellent craft activities, and we’ve provided a few Christmas-related ones here for you to try.
Christmas Wreath
You’ll need
- 16 toilet roll tubes
- green paint and a paintbrush
- red pompoms, beads or jingle bells
- glue
Directions
Cut the toilet roll tubes into four slices each, and paint them green.
Once they’re dry, stick them together at one end, to make flower shapes. Then assemble the “flowers” into a wreath shape and glue. Add red jingle bells or pompoms to decorate.
Simple, effective and fun!
Here’s a video tutorial in case you get stuck:
Toilet Roll Christmas Tree
You’ll need
- 32 toilet roll tubes (!)
- green and brown paint
- brushes
- baubles
- glue
Directions
Paint 28 of your rolls a nice, deep green and leave to dry. Paint 4 of them brown and leave to dry.
Take 7 of them, and glue them together side by side.
Then take 6 of them, glue them together side by side, then place them on top of the first layer. Glue into place.
Repeat with 5, then 4, then 3 then 2 then 1, so that you end up with a triangular, Christmas tree shape.
Glue your 4 brown rolls to create a trunk, and then glue them to the base of the tree.
You can glue baubles into the rolls to decorate or use any other Christmas decorations to hand.
Or, why not turn it into an advent calendar, and fill 24 of the holes with treats or gift. Simply replace each one with a bauble or decoration on the run-up to Christmas, but remember not to glue them into place, otherwise, you won’t be able to reuse it next year!
Here’s a quick video tutorial to help you along:
DIY Christmas Crackers
Last week we shared a Christmas Cracker making craft and video tutorial. Cathy, our resident ‘craft magician’ has given us another fantastic set of instructions to make some more (if you haven’t already tried!).
Making your own crackers is a great activity for all the family; if you’re super creative, you can make reusable ones that you can keep forever and bring out every year, but if you’re pushed for time then you can make paper ones instead.
You’ll need
- toilet roll tubes for the inside
- thin Christmas wrapping paper or tissue paper (roughly A4 size)
- glue
- ribbon
- snaps (available from eBay)
- and (of course) a joke, hat or gift for the inside
Directions
Lay your paper out on the table and place your toilet roll in the centre. Gently score the paper just above and below the tube, as this will help the ends to scrunch nicely. Then wrap the paper around the tube, and glue into place.
Then carefully twist one end of the paper, to make that “Cracker” shape, secure with some sticky tape and a piece of ribbon. Feed your cracker snap through, and don’t forget to pop your hat/joke/treat into the cardboard tube.
Then twist the other end of the cracker and secure.
More fun crafts with toilet tubes…
Of course, there are lots of other things you can make with your toilet tubes.
We particularly like these magical fairy houses (click on the image to view instructions). What fairy would resist moving into one of these?
Or how about some toilet roll superheroes (click on the image to view instructions)?
Don’t forget, if you’ve got a great idea of your own for a toilet tube Christmas Decoration (or any other cool item), please do let us know!
Other activities for the winter months
If creating with cardboard really isn’t your thing or it’s still way too early to be making Christmas things, check out our other suggestions for some fun activities this week:
- Paper Snowflake Templates
- National Trust’s Peter Rabbit Activities
- 50+ ways to escape the everyday at home
- English Heritage Family Days Out
And Home-Start UK has shared these wonderful Christmas Placemats to download and print out for the children to complete, either now, or you could save them for your Christmas Day Dinner!
