Easy Paper Tube Crafts: 6 Simple Projects to Try First

Paper tube crafts are about as low-stakes as making things gets. The tube is free, it cuts with ordinary scissors, and if a cut goes wrong there is another one along in a few days.

Below are six small projects, each quick enough for an afternoon, plus the three techniques they share: flattening a tube, cutting even rings and sealing the cardboard with paint.

What you need

• Clean, dry paper tubes: bathroom-tissue tubes, or paper towel tubes cut to length
• Scissors, pencil and ruler
• White (PVA) glue or tacky glue
• Acrylic craft paint and a flat brush
• Scraps of decorative paper or fabric
• Twine, and a piece of corrugated cardboard for bases

This is the standard beginner kit. If any item is unfamiliar, the guide to basic tools for recycled crafts explains what each one does.

Use only tubes that are clean, dry and free of stains. Paper towel tubes are made of the same card, so anyone who prefers them can use those for every project here; one long tube equals roughly two or three short ones.

Prepare the tubes

Peel off any loose paper stuck to the outside so the surface is smooth. Then practice the three basic moves on a spare tube.

Flatten

Press the tube flat on the table and run a finger along both folds. A flattened tube is easier to mark and cut, and it springs back into a pointed oval or can be reshaped into a round.

Cut rings

Lay the ruler along the flattened tube and mark it at equal intervals. Marks about 5/8 in (1.6 cm) apart divide a short tube into six rings. Cut straight across at each mark through both layers.

Narrow rings like these are the building block for paper tube wall art, where they are pinched into petals and glued into flower panels.

Seal with paint

Bare tube card is absorbent and scuffs easily. One coat of acrylic paint, inside and out, stiffens the surface and gives glue and paper a better grip. Let it dry for about 30 minutes before the next step.

Projects 1 and 2: pen cups and napkin rings

Desk pen cups

1. Paint three tubes and let them dry. For variety, trim one or two shorter.
2. Cut a round base about 5 in (13 cm) across from corrugated cardboard and paint it.
3. Run glue around the bottom rim of each tube and stand the tubes on the base in a tight cluster.
4. Add a line of glue where the tubes touch. Leave the piece to dry for a few hours before loading it with pens.

Napkin rings

1. Cut rings about 1 1/2 in (4 cm) wide. A short tube gives two.
2. Cut strips of paper or fabric a little wider than the ring and long enough to wrap around it with a small overlap.
3. Glue the strip around the ring, then fold the extra width over both edges to the inside.
4. Press the seam for a minute and let the rings dry standing on edge.

Projects 3 and 4: cord keeper and pillow gift box

Cord keeper

1. Paint a whole tube or cover it with paper.
2. Fold a charging cable or extension cord into loops about as long as the tube.
3. Slide the bundle inside. The tube stops the loops from tangling in a drawer.
4. Draw a simple symbol on the outside so you can tell cords apart.

Pillow gift box

This box suits small, light, non-food gifts such as jewelry, a keychain or a folded note.

1. Start with a plain tube, painted or covered if you like.
2. Flatten the tube and crease both folds firmly.
3. At one end, press one side down into a curve with your thumb, then press the opposite side down over it to form a curved flap. Put the gift inside.
4. Close the other end the same way and tie the box with twine.

Project 5: stamping shapes

The end of a tube prints a clean ring, and a pinched tube prints other shapes.

1. Leave one tube round for circles. Pinch another into a pointed oval for leaves and petals. Crease a third at the top and push the bottom into a point for a heart.
2. Spread a thin layer of acrylic paint on a jar lid or scrap of cardboard.
3. Dip the tube end in the paint, then press it straight down on paper and lift.
4. Repeat in rows or clusters. Reload with paint every two or three prints.

Stamped brown paper makes good gift wrap, and stamped card can be cut into tags.

Project 6: seedling starter pot

Use a plain, unpainted tube for this one.

1. Cut a short tube in half to make two pots.
2. At one end of each, cut four slits about 3/4 in (2 cm) long, evenly spaced.
3. Fold the four flaps inward, overlapping them like the bottom of a box, to form a base.
4. Stand the pots close together in a shallow tray, fill with potting mix and sow your seeds.

The card softens as it stays damp, so keep the pots packed side by side in the tray for support and lift them from underneath.

Tidy results and safe handling

A few small habits make tube projects look finished:

• Paint the inside as well as the outside. A bare interior is the first thing people notice.
• Hold glued seams with a clothespin for a few minutes while they set.
• Trim wobbly ends with scissors after flattening the tube, not while it is round.

More ways to use the same skills

Once you can flatten a tube and cut even rings, the same steps carry into seasonal projects. The ring pumpkins in recycled fall decorations start from exactly these cuts, tied with twine and topped with a stem.

Keep a small bundle of tubes on hand, held with a rubber band, and you will always have the makings of a quick project.