A playful upcycling project using everyday cardboard tubes
The cardboard tube from inside a toilet roll is easy to overlook — small, light, and quickly thrown away. But when you consider how many households use toilet paper every day, those tubes add up fast.
This project gives them a second life by turning them into simple decorative flowers. It’s an easy, low-cost way to explore upcycling with children, while showing how ordinary waste materials can be transformed into something cheerful and creative.
The finished flowers can be displayed on a wall, grouped together, or even turned into a hanging mobile.
Presented by: Crafty Corner
Skill level: Beginner
Age suitability: 5+ with adult supervision
Supervision note: Uses scissors and glue; supervision recommended for younger children
Materials and tools
- Empty toilet roll cardboard tubes
- Paintbrush
- Construction glue
- Double-sided tape
- Scissors
Before starting, make sure the cardboard tubes are clean and dry.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Flatten the tubes
Gently press down on each toilet roll tube to flatten it. This makes the cardboard easier to cut and helps keep the petal shapes even.
Step 2: Cut the petals
Cut the flattened tubes into rings approximately 1 cm wide. These rings will form the petals of your flower.
If you have a guillotine it can make this step quicker, but scissors work just as well.
Step 3
Place a small piece of double-sided tape, about 1cm long, on one side of each petal. Make sure that you stick the tape in the same place on each petal and near the base, where the recycled cardboard is folded.
Step 4: Build the flower
Peel off the backing from the tape and stick two cardboard petals together. Continue adding petals one by one until a full flower shape forms.
Press gently to secure each join.
Step 5: Reinforce with glue
Once the flower is assembled, add a small dab of construction glue to each join for extra strength. Allow the glue to dry fully.
Step 6: Display your flowers
Your recycled toilet roll flower is now complete. You can attach the flowers to a wall using construction glue, or use Prestik if you prefer a non-permanent option.
Tip
Make several flowers and thread them together to create a recycled cardboard flower mobile. Mixing sizes and spacing adds movement and interest.