Don't Toss Toilet Paper Rolls: Turn Them Into Mini Planter Holders

If it feels like you have to replace the toilet paper roll every single day, depending on your household size, you may be exactly correct. A family of four can easily go through one standard roll of toilet paper in just one day, which leaves you with quite a few cardboard toilet paper rolls in the recycling bin. Recycling them is a great option, but the cardboard tubes have fantastic DIY potential — it's time to stop tossing toilet paper rolls and turn them into stylish home decor instead. One option, as demonstrated by Naturally, Danny Seo, is to transform them into colorful hanging planters for air plants. 

If you don't know much about plants, then air plants are an easy introduction. Unlike other plants, they are not planted in soil and watered regularly. Instead, they collect water from the air, making them incredibly easy to care for. This also means that you can display them in creative ways, including by placing them in a decorated toilet paper roll. Air plants come in a wide variety of colors and shapes, and you may need some help learning how to identify what kind of air plant you have so that you can give it the proper care. 

Along with an air plant, you will need a toilet paper roll, paint, a hole puncher, scissors, and string. Additionally, based on your type of air plant, you will need preserved reindeer moss, gravel or small rocks, marbles, or other small items to act as a base for the plant.

To actually create the planter, start by making two ½-inch cuts across from one another at the lower end of the tube. Then, on the same end, make two more similar cuts so that the bottom ½ inch of the tube has four equally-sized flaps. Fold them in one at a time to create the bottom of your planter. On the fourth fold, tuck the flap so that it goes above the first folded flap to create a solid hold. Next, decide how tall you want your planter to be. Cutting off some length from the unfolded top end of the tube will shorten the planter. Once the size is right, punch a hole on the unfolded end of the tube near its top edge, then punch another across from it. Feed the string through both holes and tie a knot to make a loop.

The planter is now ready to be decorated. Water-based acrylic craft paint is best for cardboard. Apply it to the outside of the tube, then let it dry completely before putting your air plant and the material you're using as its base inside. Stickers and decorative tape are also great ways to decorate your planters.

Air plants are low maintenance, and there are some easy ways to care for your air plants, but they usually still require watering. Every one to two weeks, you should remove the plants and submerge them in water for 30 to 60 minutes, place them upside down for a couple of hours to dry, and then return them to the toilet paper tube planter.