My garbage cans are full of paper rolls. They come from the center of wrapping paper, toilet paper, plastic wrap, tin foil....they're everywhere. What can you do to reuse them? Here are ten ideas to get a second life from these handy tubes.
- Protect your tapers. My long skinny candles get broken when I store them alone in the drawer. Store two to three tapers in a paper towel tube to keep them from getting banged around.
- Organize Hair Accessories. Use a toilet paper tube to keep ponytail holders in place. We wrap the ponytails along the outside in the middle and put clippies and bobby bins along the edges.
- Plastic Bag Storage. Shove plastic grocery bags in the ends of a wrapping paper or paper towel roll. They take up much less space and you can easily pull one out of the end when you need it.
- Get Organized. Set small rolls straight up in a small box. Use it to organize pencils, paint brushes, scissors, or pens on your table top.
- Keep cords from getting tangled. Cut a slit down the side of the tube. Roll up tv cords, extension cords or appliance cords and insert them into the tube to keep them from getting tangled.
- Playground Equipment for Pets. You know those expensive habitrails you can buy at the pet store for your gerbil or hamster? Build your own with toilet paper rolls and tape. The kids will have fun and so will your pet.
- Seed Pots. Here's a great tutorial on how to make free seed pots with your rolls.
- Make Homemade Party Poppers. We shoot these off on new years. You can make your own by following THESE instructions.
- Wrap small gifts. I like to use TP rolls to wrap and decorate small gifts. Put the gift inside, wrap pretty tissue around, leaving the paper hanging off the ends. Then tie a ribbon around each end to make it look like a large wrapped piece of candy.
- Compost it. If all else fails shred it and throw it in the compost. Cardboard breaks down easily and can feed your soil.
9 comments:
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing them!
I love your ideas for reusing paper rolls!
I'll have to check out your other reusit posts! Particularly the dryer lint post!
I'm having a giveaway on my blog:
www.under-the-big-oak-tree.blogspot.com
Hi Gayle
You always come up with some new idea for re-using things. My children have decided this year to collect all the toilet paper rolls and have a big tp roll fight - that should be interesting!! I do like some of your ideas better. Thanks
Helena
What great tips, maybe I can keep some of my paper rolls out of the garbage can now.
Wow! great ideas! I love re-using/re-purposing household items. Thanks for the great post!
I use TP rolls (thanks mom) to keep all my extension, appliance and charger cords all neat and contained in my "junk drawer". Just roll them up and "sleeve" them with a TP roll or cut down PT roll. Works like a charm an surprising how long they last before you have to trade them in on a brand new one.... ;O)
oh I forgot, as a retired pre-K/Kindergarten teacher, they made amazing telescopes, binoculars, bug boxes (just cover one end with foil the other with plastic wrap (using rubber bands of course) that way they can see through the plastic wrap and can easily remove the tin foil to add to their collection. They were the best addition I ever made to my car center, they made perfect tunnels for hot wheels sized cars. We used them with taped on streamers for parties and dance. Taped together they were harmless swords. The harder ones from the center of foil and such made excellent rolling pins for play dough.
Sorry for the length but teaching is the fastest way to learn to be frugal and reuse.
Great ideas! Thanks!
Oh your kiddos can use them as lightsabers. <> My husband and sons never miss a chance to relive a Star Wars moment!
Post a Comment