Empty toilet roll tubes are a common sight in the bathroom. There’s no judgement here! After all, busy households can make their way through a few rolls a day. In the end, you find yourself stacking up the cardboard remains, that is until you make a conscious effort to cart them over to the recycling bin.
But before you toss them in, you should know that there are countless ways to upcycle empty toilet rolls. They have ingenious uses both around the home and in the garden; all it takes is a little crafting! Here are seven ideas to get you started.
1. Secure your wrapping paper
Fed up with the ends of your wrapping paper unspooling, tearing and crumpling to the point that it can’t be used? A toilet roll tube is the perfect size for keeping your wrapping paper rolled and secured. Just cut it open vertically and slide it over your wrapping paper to clip everything in place.
Plus, you can secure your gift tags to the toilet roll with a little tape over the string, and tie around spare ribbon as needed, too.
2. Create a speedy bird feeder
Create a makeshift bird feeder by piercing two adjacent holes at one end of the tube and feeding a long, thin stick through (an unwanted chopstick or any old stick will do). The stick should be secure, not loose.
Then remove the stick and make two smaller holes on the opposite end – big enough to feed some string through to tie a loop.
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After this, use a spatula to smother the tube in peanut butter, suet or lard. Then, tip some bird seed on to a tray or plate and roll the tube over it (or you can sprinkle it on if you don’t want to make such a mess!). The seed will stick to the surface and then, once the stick is back in place and string is tied to the top, it’s all set to be hung outside for birds to enjoy.
Alternatively, you can skip the stick and just apply the bird seed as above, and then thread the string through the tube lengthways for a speedy feeder!
3. Replace your vacuum crevice tool
If you’ve lost your vacuum crevice tool, an empty toilet roll tube can come to the rescue. Luckily, it’s about the right size to slide directly on to the hose, so all you need to do is squeeze the ends together to fashion a nozzle – and that’s it! Hold it in place and then slide it on and off as needed. Keep in mind, this isn’t a permanent fix, but it comes in handy while the replacement arrives!
You can also cut the end at an angle if you’re dealing with a particularly awkward crevice. Check out the GHI’s best vacuum cleaners if you're looking for a replacement!
4. Organise your cables
Say goodbye to tangled chargers (one of the 12 things to declutter from your desk drawer now) by using your toilet roll tube as a cable organiser. All you need to do is wind each cable as you usually would and then thread the whole thing through the roll lengthways. The roll will keep it neatly secured, a bit like a long cable tie.
If you get your cables confused, you can also write its name on the roll so there’s no mix-ups in the future.
5. Fashion a small bin bag dispenser
If you use small bin bags around the home, eg in the bathroom or compost bin, you can upcycle your toilet roll tube as a handy dispenser. All you need to do is cut a small slot in the side and then seal off one end with cardboard – a CD also works well if you have one you no longer want. After that, you can fit the roll of bin bags in the toilet roll tube and poke the end through the cutting, ready to be pulled free and torn away.
You can hang it somewhere handy, such as under the sink, or decorate the tube and put it on display!
6. Guard and support your seedlings
Empty toilet rolls have their uses in the garden, too, especially when it comes to seedlings. Once the end is folded in on itself, it’s ideally sized as a makeshift plant pot, which can be buried directly into the soil or used on a drip tray.
Acting as a ‘collar’ while they’re young, toilet roll tubes help to guide seedlings in their growth and they act as a barrier for any nearby slugs, too, which are surging this year. Plus, they break down when you’re finished with them; just throw them on the compost heap when you’re done or leave them in the soil!
7. Use as boot shapers
If your tall boots are losing their shape lately – flopping around and creasing whenever you shut the wardrobe door – you can use toilet roll tubes to hold them up when not in use. They can be stacked and taped on top of one another, depending on the height of the boot, and wedged with newspaper to give them more support.
