The Lowly Toilet Paper Roll

I love finding creative ways to reuse things.  Recently I've been wondering what to do with cardboard toilet paper rolls.  Thinking about reusing them conjured up images of puppets with construction paper glued to them.  Not what I have in mind.

This is more like it!

from Tali at Growing Up Creative/Eco Kids Craft.  

It looks so elegant, doesn't it? 

Click here to go to her tutorial.

I like the fact that you can paint it to match your decor as Audra at Simpsonized Crafts...and then some! did

Here is an idea from Unclutterer.

Apartment Therapy took that idea and prettied it up 

with a scrap of wrapping paper.

Mother Earth News suggests making them into biodegradable seed-starter pots.  

(Composting them is another option.  Apparently worms love 'em!) 

One more idea: my son brought home a poster-sized map he had made at school.  The teacher had rolled it up and slid an empty toilet paper roll over it to keep it contained.  It was a revelation to me.  I know that sounds silly, but sometimes it's the little things, you know?  It makes it so much easier to keep stuff rolled up! No more rubber bands!  And it's aesthetically pleasing.  I've already implemented it at home.