Turn An Old Pile Of Toilet Paper Rolls Into An Eco-Friendly Way To Decorate For A Party

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There's something so fulfilling about crafting something new from stuff that has served its purpose and is on its way to the bin. It speaks to waste management and sustainability, and can be one of the ways to decorate your home on a budget. Besides, the experience can be a fun way to spend your free time or bond with others as you work on the project. Hand-made party decor is one of the great opportunities to upcycle old items. Take, for example, how DIYer @woodlandwhimsystudio on Instagram crafted a whimsical party banner using toilet paper rolls. 

This might just be the easiest crafting activity to do with young kids. It's mess-free, doesn't require any cutting, and can spark creativity and keep everyone entertained. All you need to turn your toilet paper rolls into the cutest bunting for decorating your home on a special occasion, such as a birthday or a graduation celebration, is twine rope and as many toilet paper rolls as can fit the letters that spell out the message on the banner. Also, to write the letters, you can get marker pens, or alternatively, use alphabet cutouts like Carson Dellosa Colorful Cutout Letters or stickers.

Begin by soaking the toilet paper rolls in warm water. You can do this one by one in a cup or dip the entire bunch in a bucket to make this step easier and faster. Once they start to unfurl, remove the cardboard tubes from the water, pat them dry with a towel, and fold them in half, forming triangles. Leave these to dry while lying flat on a towel. 

After the paper triangles are completely dry, pick up your markers and write the words for the banner, e.g., "Happy Birthday," or whichever words you choose to go with for your event. If using alphabet cutouts, simply stick them to the paper triangles with glue. Either way, each triangle holds one letter. Once you're done drawing the letters, it's time to get creative by adding decorative designs to make the banner stand out. For instance, you can draw beautiful motifs along the edges of each triangle, or stick little embellishments along the borders like these MYDBUYSOME Self Adhesive Rhinestone Jewel Stick on Gems on Amazon. 

To finish up, it's time to assemble the banner. Position the twine rope where it's most suitable to hang your banner. You can tie it across the room from one end to another, place it somewhere near the entrance, towards the back, or up against the wall. Secure it in place by tying it to a hook on each end, or even just use adhesive tape to hold it in position against the wall. Now fold your toilet paper roll triangles over the twine and put them in the correct letter sequence to spell out the words.

From a pile of toilet paper tubes, you now have a super cute decor banner to beautify your celebration. In case you want to customize your creation by adding some glamour, you can ditch the twine for a thick, colored ribbon. And instead of writing letters, you can also paint the triangles using bright festive colors. You may find this to be the better option since it makes it easier to reuse the banner on different occasions, so long as you incorporate the same colors. Even better, alternate the colors to make the banner appear more vibrant. 

To get even more mileage from this tissue roll banner, consider making additional letters and assembling the same banner for different occasions. You'll only need to shift the letters around to spell out the words based on what you are celebrating. Now you have a good reason to not throw out old toilet paper tubes and even add to your pile by asking your friends to donate theirs, too.