"I've saved
bunches of empty paper towel tubes.
There has to be lots of great things to make with
them but I can't think of any. Help!"
Hundreds
of our readers wrote in with great ideas including rainsticks, napkin rings
pencil holders and more. Our idea for a
kazoo is posted here
and a previously posted
rainstick project is here. We've organized 30 more ideas from our
readers below.
Party Favors
"Cut them the proper size, wrap in crepe paper with extra paper at each
end. Cut the paper at the ends to make like fringe. Fill with candy and
party favors and tie paper ribbons at each end to secure contents. If you
wish to add stickers on the sides to make them even more colorful, kids will
love this. " --Gladys P., Houston, TX
Totem Poles
"Paint with Native American designs and make totem poles." --Joyce R., Plainfield, CT
Rattle Snake
"Cut into tubes into eight 2" rings and paint. Punch two holes in each one
weave a piece of yarn through to join the tubes. Tie a few jingle bells on
one end. The other end become the head. Make a tongue out of red
construction paper and glue in place. Paint on eyes." --Jennifer, Norton MA
Rocket Pencil Holder
Cover tube with white or silver paper. Cut circle and tape to bottom. Cut
three rocket-type fins and attach to bottom. Use half of a plastic egg for
nose of rocket. Decorate with stars and flag stickers. Remove egg add to add
pencils." --Deanna R., Lock Haven, PA
Flower Vase
"Cover with contact paper. Snip one end about 1/2 inch in, bend out and glue
to a cardboard base. Pour in some pebbles for weight before adding silk
flowers." --Shirley, Queensland, Australia
Candy Boxes
Place home made candy in the a tube and wrap with paper, tie the ends with
ribbon. " --Barbara A.
Pretend Binoculars
"Tape two empty TP tubes together and tie a piece of yarn to it so the kids
could wear them around their necks." --Anonymous
Preschool Beads
"Cut in small rings and paint. String on a cord." --Kathleen,
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Classroom Time Capsules
"Fill a tube with personal treasures such as a self portrait, a store, a
newspaper article that they thought was important at that time, their
favorite friend, movie, pet, color, etc. Wrap with tin foil and tie off
ends. Hang from the ceiling in a corner of the room. At the end of the
year, the kids drew another self portrait, wrote their name and so on. They
opened up their time capsules to see how much they changed since the
beginning of the school year." --Tammy, Athens, Ohio
Napkin Rings
"Cut paper towel tubes into rings, decorate, and use as napkin rings. You
can cover with paint or fabric strips, and glue on decorative buttons or
small foam shapes." --Anonymous
Camp Fire Starters
"Roll newspapers up and put inside of tube. Lay this in the bottom of your
next campfire and light. Arrange logs on top." --Anonymous
Dance Sticks
--Cover by wrapping with alternating colors of crepe paper. Attach long
streamers to one end."
--Dena, Nova Scotia, Canada
Angels
"Add a styrofoam ball to the top for a head. Use meat trays to cut out wings
and. Decorate." --Patricia B. Fort Worth, Texas
Magic Wands
"Cover tube in aluminum foil. Punch holes around one end. Tie pieces of
curling ribbon through holes and curl. Decorate with gems or shiny
stickers." --Deborah E., Salem NJ
Pencil Holders
"Paint different lengths and glue lengths and glue them to a CD with felt or
foam on the bottom. Decorate." --Linda, Canandaigua, NY
Castle Turrets
"Use a shoe box as main building and glue tubes at the edges. Paint." --Alice, Gainesville, FL
Marble Run
"Connect them and turn them different directions by cutting angles. Cut the
top out of some to see the progress of the marble as it makes its way
through the maze. A lot of fun!!" --Diane H. Iowa
Telescopes
"Cover the tube with paper and decorate. Trace around the end of the tube on
white paper. Draw and color a small picture and cut out the circle leaving
an edge to tape to the end. Look at a lamp or light to see picture shine
through." --Karel P.
Paper Bag Puppets
"Stuff a lunch size paper sack. Make a face. Glue yarn for hair. Secure the
end of the paper sack around the paper towel tube." --Karon B., The Woodlands, TX
Door Hanger Vases
"Glue a cardboard circle to one end to make a bottom. Paint and decorate
paper towel tube. Add artificial flowers. Tie a ribbon around the middle and
on the back so it will hang on the door knob." -- Ashley Jo, Oklahoma
Bird Feeders
"Punch two holes and tie a ribbon to hang. Spread ribbon all over it and
roll in birdseed." --Chula Vista, CA
Giant Dinosaur Skeletons
"Glue tubes to large pieces of paper to create a dinosaur skeleton. Think
ribs and line them up or fan them out. They can be cut to different lengths
if necessary. The ends can be unrolled a little or tightened into a point
for a horn." --Michelle W., Erie, CO
Robots
"Glue together boxes and paper towel tubes to make robots. Paint silver." -- Kailey, San Antonio Texas
Cosmetic Organizer
"Cut tubes to different heights. Glue together in clusters onto stiff
cardboard bottom. Paint and decorate." --Emily, Houston, TX
Chalk Molds "Cut paper
towel rolls into 3rds. Use duct tape to cover one end. Combine 2 cups of
plaster of paris, 1 tsp of tempera paint powder and 3 tsp of water. Pour
mixture into tube. Let set overnight. Tube should peel off easy the
next day." --Debbie M., Pond Eddy
Cheering Sticks
"Paint them and punch holes on one side. Tie colored ribbons for shakers at
ball games. Use team colors for the ribbons." --Vicky, Loveland, CO
Wind Sock
"Punch two holes on one end across from each other. Tie a string too hook on
a nail. Then on the other end glue crepe paper streamers to blow in the
wind."
--Vicky, Loveland, CO
Bracelet Forms
Cut rings to use as a starter form to make paper mache bangle bracelets.
Cover final painted project clear coat for protection."
--Anonymous
Banjo
Cut a hole in the end of a shoe box. Slide in the tube. Tape in place. Wrap
3 or 4 rubber bands long ways around it. Cutting small slits at the end of
the tube to hold them in place." --Mary, Spanaway, WA
Hamster Maze
"Cut holes in the tubes and slide them inside each other in different
directions to make an obstacle course." --Tatyana J.
Pretend Trees
"Paint crumpled newspaper green and glue around one end of the tube. Cut 1"
triangles out the bottom end and bend outward. Glue to a piece of
cardboard." --Anonymous
Rocket Power!
"Wrap plain paper around a tube and decorate. Glue on a small paper cup for
the nosecone. Add wings and use red, orange, yellow streamers at the bottom
for the exhaust." --Linda, Birmingham, AL
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Hundreds
of our readers wrote in with great ideas including rainsticks, napkin rings
pencil holders and more. Our idea for a
kazoo is posted here
and a previously posted
rainstick project is here. We've organized 30 more ideas from our
readers below.
VBS CRAFTS
