# Glitter Paper Roll Tubes
> Wrap empty toilet paper tubes in contact paper with the sticky side out. Kids press on beads, buttons, discs, pipe cleaner bits and tissue paper, then shake glitter over the tubes to make shimmering creations. No glue needed.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/paper-roll-craft/
- Ages: 2–5 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 25 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, patterns, sensory-exploration, color-recognition, vocabulary
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Empty toilet paper tubes (household)
- Clear contact paper ("protector sheet")
- Paint for the tubes (brown in the post) (optional)
- Buttons
- Pony beads
- Small plastic discs (counting chips) (optional)
- Pipe cleaners, cut into short pieces (optional)
- Tissue paper, torn or crumpled into bits (optional)
- Glitter
- 1 piece Divided tray or sectioned platter (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (adult use) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of buttons: Materials from nature, or just tissue paper (The author says collage choices should be kid-specific: 'From simply tissue paper to materials from nature it is all up to the kid's interests.')

## Safety
- Beads, buttons, small discs and pipe cleaner pieces are choking hazards. Supervise closely, especially with toddlers and children who still mouth things.
- Glitter with young kids needs constant supervision. As the author put it: 'A box of glitter, a pre shooler and a toddler. This screams supervision every nano second.' Keep glitter away from eyes and mouths.
- An adult cuts the pipe cleaners and contact paper. Cut pipe cleaner ends can be sharp, so check them before handing them out.

## Before you start
- Collect empty toilet paper tubes. Optionally paint them and let them dry.
- Wrap each tube in contact paper with the sticky side facing out, sticking the ends to each other to hold it in place.
- Cut pipe cleaners into short pieces and tear tissue paper into bits.
- Fill a divided tray with the collage materials and set everything out as an invitation on the table.

## Steps
1. Set the contact-paper-wrapped tubes out on the table.
2. Put the tray of collage materials next to the tubes.
3. Touch the tubes and feel how sticky they are.
4. Pick beads, buttons and discs from the tray and press them onto a tube. Name each color and material as you go.
5. Line up beads in a pattern, alternating the colors.
6. Stick pipe cleaner pieces on top as hair for your creation.
7. Press bits of tissue paper into the empty sticky spots.
8. Sprinkle, pour or shake glitter all over the tube.
9. Stand your glitter tubes up in a row to show them off.

## Tips
- Let the kids explore the stickiness first. Ours kept touching the rolls and squealing 'It's sticky, it's sticky' before they started creating.
- Contact paper is a wonderful material for kids' projects when the sticky side is left up for them to explore. No glue needed.
- The cut-up pipe cleaners were very popular as hair, but unfortunately they did not hold that well.
- Glitter adhered really well and got the kids very excited about the process of sticking.
- For a toddler, focus on color recognition and naming each material on the collage tray. Preschoolers can work on patterns.
- Pick collage materials to suit your kids, from simple tissue paper to materials from nature.
- For more ways to play with contact paper, see Deb's post on Learn with Play at Home, '15 FUN ways to use Contact Paper'.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2012)

Today we are crafting and decorating with empty toilet paper tubes. Toilet rolls, according to me claim the #1 spot in the list of upcyclables. Arts and crafts projects for kids will never be the same with out them. This craft was supposed to be a Thanksgiving craft – Thanksgiving tree actually. We intended to create a tree with empty toilet rolls but what we have right now are beautiful shimmering individual paper tubes.

We used the already painted tree trunks paper tubes from our [apple tree project.](https://www.funlittles.com/make-an-apple-tree-the-toddler-way/)

 Instead of setting out glue and collage materials, I covered the toilet rolls with contact paper. Contact Paper is a wonderful material for kids projects when the plain side is glued down and the sticky side is left up for the kids to explore. It is called "protector sheet" and is available in clear at many teacher supply stores, crafts stores and occasionally at chain stores. [Check out Deb’s post on Learn with play at home to learn how you can use contact paper in play.](http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2012/08/15-fun-ways-to-use-contact-paper.html) Today I wrapped the paper rolls with contact paper and stuck either ends with each other. I set them out along with some fun collage materials for the kids to come over and check out the invitation table. Collage materials selections should clearly be kid-specific. From simply tissue paper to materials from nature it is all up to the kid’s interests.

 This is the first time we are using contact paper and I should say the girls were psyched. They kept touching and exploring the paper rolls while squealing “It’s sticky, it’s sticky”. Kudos to sensory exploration. Once the initial excitement of contact paper settled down, creation started. They started sticking the beads, discs and buttons to the contact paper wrapped paper rolls. Big A on cue started sticking the beads in a pattern alternating the colors. She also has apparently created a “rock wall” of some sort using beads.



 The cut up pipe cleaners proved to be very popular since the girls used them as hair for their creations. Unfortunately they did not hold that well. All the while, the girls were sharpening those fine motor skills while learning patterns. For Baby A the emphasis is on color recognition and labeling each material on the collage tray. Here are our creations. 


The moment I mentioned glitter, the girls jumped at the chance. They sprinkled, poured, shook the glitter all over the contact paper covered paper tubes. It adhered really well and got the kids very excited about the process of sticking. A box of glitter, a pre shooler and a toddler. This screams supervision every nano second.

After the glitter galore, here's how our toilet rolls looked. Pretty?





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