Turn An Old Toilet Paper Tube Into Sparkly Flower Decor With A DIY

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You might not think much about your toilet paper rolls once the tissue gets used up. But once you discover the huge number of DIY crafts you can create using the cylindrical brown cardboard, you'll likely stop tossing your toilet paper rolls and turn them into chic home decor, instead. One of our favorite ideas yet is converting an old toilet paper tube into a sparkly flower decor. It's such a simple craft, even if you're a beginner DIYer, and it doesn't require any complicated tools or expensive materials.

Get that one toilet paper tube you have — you can use several if you want to make more than one flower. Then, bring out the glitters in at least two colors. If you buy Leobro Glitter, it comes in assorted colors so you get to pick your favorites. And, finally, you'll need glue, like Aleene's All Purpose Tacky Glue, or simple hot glue. The only tools you'll need are a pair of scissors and a glue gun if you've chosen hot glue. Now, identify a flat working surface like a table or your kitchen countertop. Cover it with old newspaper or manilla paper to protect it from glue stains and make cleanup easy.

After gathering your tools and supplies, take the toilet paper roll with both hands and flatten it out by squeezing it together and pressing down the sides. Alternatively, lay it on the working surface and press it down with the palm of your hand to make it flat. Next, use your scissors to cut the flattened roll crosswise into six equal-sized pieces. Each of the pieces will be about less than an inch wide. Spread out the pieces on the work surface with each standing upright on its own. The little cutouts should now look like small oval containers with pointed ends.

Using the glue gun, drop some glue into each oval "container," covering the base. Then, fill each "container" with glitter, three of them with one color (like gold) and the other three with another color (like purple).

You've transformed the oval cutouts into beautiful sparkly petals. Next, slowly pry each "petal" carefully off the working surface (they may have stuck to the table because of the glue, so be gentle). Move to a clean corner of your working space and arrange the petals in a flower pattern, alternating the golds with the purples. By the time you are done, the tapering ends of the petals should fit together in the middle, only leaving a small round gap in the middle. Finish up by glueing the sides of the petals to each other so they all join, forming a solid flower design.

There are many ways you can use this DIY flower decor. You can think of it like a decorative add-on and glue it on to a gift wrapping, or on the side of a plain vase to turn it into more stylish decor. You can also make several of these flowers and then stick them on a framed paper in a unique pattern to turn them into a beautiful picture. This can be a stunning mantel decor idea that will take your space to the next level.

Alternatively, why not customize this sparkly flower decor to make it a bit more versatile? You can turn it into a complete 3-D flower that can stand on its own by adding a stem and leaves. Simply use a piece of scrap wire or a wooden skewer for the stem. Glue it in between any two petals. For the leaves, make a couple of other oval cutouts from a toilet paper tube (make it thinner than the petals), and then cut it to make a strip. Now, partially curl the strip, and then attach it to the side of the "stem" using glue. These upright flowers can be put in a small vase and displayed like actual flowers. With that, you now have a reason to save your toilet paper rolls and turn them into more home decor pieces in the future.