38 Easy (And Unique) Toilet Paper Crafts Your Kids Will Love

Follow this tutorial which will show you how to turn a simple toilet roll tube into a ferocious (or friendly) shark, complete with teeth and scary, starey eyes.

Who’d have thought something as plain as an empty cardboard tube could be turned into a magical creature, with nothing more than a few crafty bits and a sprinkle of unicorn magic?

Print out the free templates included in this step by step guide, and you will be able to create not one but two dinosaurs from one empty kitchen paper roll.

Collect a few cardboard tubes and set the kids to work designing and creating their own tigers, using orange and black paints, markers, and some googly eyes to finish.

These Star Wars figures are brilliant, and would be an absorbing craft for kids to get involved in with a little help from Mom or Dad for some of the more fiddly bits.

Beautifully cheerful, these rainbow windsocks can be made by hanging rainbow colored streamers from a painted blue roll, which is finished with a happy-looking cloud on the front.

These jumping jack bugs are operated with a simple string pull, and can be decorated with just a black marker, although they would look even more impressive if painted with different colors.

You and your little ones can make an entire village of enchanted fairy houses by following this guide on how to create these magical dwellings which actually light-up inside.

Ideally suited to both Easter trees and Christmas trees, these pretty toilet paper roll birdhouse ornaments look beautiful when painted in bright colors and hung with coordinating string or ribbon.

There’s something fascinating about dropping a marble into a hole and letting gravity do its thing, and this cardboard tube run allows kids to create their own marble maze at very little cost.

This would be a great craft activity to do with the kids after sitting down together to watch Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – they could re-enact their favorite scenes with their very own character.

Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas which are the most effective, and this toilet roll pen tidy is certainly simple. Paint the insides to add color, and stick them all into a cardboard box.

Perfect for an inexpensive fishing game, or as play food for a make-believe store, these paper roll fish can be decorated with stripes, scales, dots and more for an activity that keeps on giving.

For the ultimate way to teach kids about sustainable living and recycling, create a collection of growing pots using empty toilet roll tubes and fill them with compost in which to plant seeds.

An old favorite, binoculars made from toilet roll tubes add a big fun factor to playtime, and this step by step guide shows you how to create pretty patterned ones.

Look at these cute little heart robots! Made from cardboard tubes and aluminum foil for the ‘electronic panel’ bits, these little sweeties are ideal for Valentine’s Day or any day crafting.

This train set is awesome, and can be painted in the brightest colors you can find (or you could stick to a traditional color scheme); what’s more, it can be pulled along!

Kids can build their fine motor skills as well as ‘buildings’ with these fun make-at-home blocks, which can be decorated with scrapbook paper and stacked as high as the sky.

Make these little leprechaun kings in time for St. Patrick’s Day and you can decorate the home or party venue with lots of cheerful but very mischievous red-haired imps.

This orange octopus will brighten even the dullest of days, especially if the kids draw a great big smile on him, and who wouldn’t smile with such lovely curly tentacles?

This is one craft for kids where they can really let their imagination run wild; with a crazy color body and rainbow pipe cleaner arms (lots of them), these aliens are fabulous.

This birdfeeder is a simple craft idea that the kids will be able to enjoy for a long time afterwards, as they sit indoors and watch their feathered friends feast on their creation.

Most confetti poppers aren’t suitable for little hands, but if you don’t want them to miss out on the fun, why not make a set of these safe-for-kids poppers instead?

Turn a handful of empty toilet paper tubes into various shaped cardboard stampers by following the easy directions in this blog post, then just dip in paint and stamp away!

You’ll need both kitchen towel rolls and toilet paper rolls for this marionette craft for kids, which (with the addition of chestnuts) can be turned into an adorable dachshund puppet.

These party crowns are super simple to make and look incredible – nobody would guess they were made from toilet paper tubes! Decorate with washi tape, cut into shape, and voila!

Sea horses hold something of a magical fascination for many kids, so why not teach them about them with the help of these sweet cardboard puppets which will bring learning to life?

Googly eyes and paint are your best friends when it comes to toilet paper roll craft ideas; just look at these adorable elephants, which would look fabulous sitting on a shelf.

These flowers would make a beautiful alternative to a bouquet on Mother’s Day or birthdays, but don’t let the material fool you – these blooms have a surprisingly rustic look.

Ten pin bowling is always a great game to while away a rainy day, but if you don’t have a set don’t worry, this tutorial will show you how to make your own.

Paint, glue, and cardboard tubes are all they’ll need to create these sweet rosy red apples, which could be used as ornaments or even pretend fruit for a play grocery store.

Introduce toddlers to the world of stamping by making a cute heart-shaped cardboard heart, which can be dipped into red paint to make adorable Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in the family.

These owls are, quite frankly, stunning. They’re made using toilet paper rolls and then decorated with googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and paint, or even sequins if you want yours to really sparkle.

While some people are scared of clowns, no-one could help falling in love with these adorable pranksters, especially when your kids paint the biggest smiles ever on their funny little faces.

You wouldn’t believe you could make such a pretty unicorn from a couple of cardboard tubes, but you can, and what’s more, you can bring it to life because it’s a marionette, too.

There’s no right or wrong way to make a monster, which makes it an ideal activity for kids to use their imagination – this guide will show them how it’s done.

This is a fun activity for kids to help them develop coordination, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills, and all you need is a bowl, a cardboard tube, and some pom poms.

This guide will take you through the steps needed to turn a cardboard tube into a Rockhopper penguin, which would make the perfect springboard to learning about these adorable little birds.