Three of the easiest toilet roll reuses

We’ve all been there — the end of the roll. You know, that moment when you’re stuck on the loo with no toilet paper within sight. When you feel like a stranded Tom Hanks in Cast Away (does that make the emergency roll Wilson)?

WILLSSSOONNNNN!

Luckily, we started keeping a spare roll right next to the toilet. But before we change the roll (or leave it for the next person to do), what happens to the cardboard tube?

Usually, we’d just toss it in the recycling. After a few too many throws, we started thinking — what else could we do with these tubes? And since we’re always looking for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle… well, we got sort of crafty with it. But not so crafty that you’ll spend the rest of your Sunday cleaning glitter out of your sink. More like five minute crafts that are as easy as reading this blog post.

Cord organizer

We all have that one drawer. You know, the “anything goes” drawer. It’s the one filled with twenty different cables and about fifty loose screws. Thankfully, organising is as easy as rolling up the cable or cord and sliding it into the TP tube — that’s it! Pro tip: use coloured tape to mark different types of cables.

Smartphone speaker

Heads will bop, feet will tap, and the whole zoom call will be jamming out with your DIY speaker. First, use scissors to cut a smartphone sized hole on the cardboard tube. Then on the flip side, use four push pins to create a base. Lastly, slide your phone into the slot and crank the volume to eleven. Don’t forget to check out the best songs on the internet.

Plant guard

If you hadn’t noticed, we love trees. Especially the ones we plant in our very own backyards — is it weird to name a tree Brenda? But after planting a young sapling, it’s important to protect the trunk when working around the plant. So before doing any yard work like mowing or edging, just cut a line vertically down your cardboard tube so that it opens into a sheet. Then, wrap the cardboard around the tree’s trunk for an extra layer of protection.

These were our favourite three 5-minute cardboard tubular crafts, but we want to hear more! Now it’s time for show and tell — share your crafts by tagging @whogivesacraptp!