Looking for projects using toilet paper rolls.

[putrid]

I've got my toilet paper roll Santas which I've determined will have to be covered with paper mache to work. Now I'm looking for more ways to use this item that everybody ends up with. Here's a few ideas I've tossed around in my head. ( you know, bid empty space with lots of room to throw things. LOL)

The body of a toy horse. Folk art? The neck and legs would also be cardboard and the head paper mache. Everything paper mached together. Possible rocking horse. Santa riding a toy horse. Deer. Just thoughts.

Cutting the roll in half and making sheep. Basic construction would be the same as the idea above but would be covered with small wads of cotton.

A thought as I type this. Haven't thought this threw but here goes.

Fake candles for the tree. Cut the roll in half long ways and re-glue into smaller rolls. Melt real colored wax on a cookie sheet and cool just warm enough to mold with. Wrap cardboard tubs and cap off top to look like real candles with out the weight. Unknown how to attach to tree. just an unstudied thought.

I had even thought about using them to make paper chains for the tree. Cover with metalic papers inside and out and cut into hoops. It's an idea but not one I'd do or use myself.

Ya'll have any ideas?

[Nephew Fred]

Giant fat candy canes? Using one for the base and one cut so it will curve.Paper mache together, seal the ends and paint.Or just use paper towel rolls ,they are longer.

[putrid]

Thanks for the idea Nephew Fred. Paper towel rolls, even Christmas paper rolls would work for this post as well. I've never tried to bend a roll. Guess you could cut it into 1/4 inch rings leaving a strip connected on the tight side of the bend. Tape and paper mache over this to hold in place. Probably have to pad the top side of the bend with news paper to make it smooth. Tape into place and one layer of paper mache to hold. Then your final coat of paper mache could be long strips wrapped at an angle around the entire piece. Dry, sand smooth and paint. Going to have to try this to see if it'd work. Be easy to make then as long as you want. Just add more rolls. Could end up with 6ft candy canes. Totally cool.

[Mummy deer-est]

could you make those christmas crackers we had a thread about?

[Sickie Ickie]

Cut a spiral all the way down it and use it as garland.

For the candles, why not hot glue clothespins on the bottom to attach them to the tree?

[Nephew Fred]

The gift wrap tubes would be great too.Sometimes its hard to find the cardbord ones,if you buy cheaper paper ,sometimes all that is inside is a rolled piece of brown paper.
Post a pic ,if you can get one too work.

[putrid]

Sickie ickie, the cloths pins might take away from the look. They're kinda bulky. But it was a good idea. If I can find something to attach the candles with I can also use it for my bread clay birds. The spiral idea is cool. Just keep gluing the ends of the toilet paper rolls together till you get the length you need.

Mummy deer-est, Christmas Crackers? I'm taking it this isn't something you'd eat. Lots of fiber. LOL

Nephew Fred. I tried cutting a toilet paper roll to resemble a Slinky. Leaving the bottom with the 1/4 or so inch un cut line. Made a great arch but real unstable. So what I'll try tonight is rolling newspaper up inside the pre cut tube and see if that will hold it. Needs something to keep it in position long enough to get a layer of mache on it. So far it looks real promising. I've seen some of the paper without the rolls. Got one with nothing inside at all. Paper got all bent up.

[Sickie Ickie]

Putrid, they have mini clothespins at the craft store like Michaels. Only about an inch long and tiny. Wouldn't detract at all. :)

[putrid]

Thanks for the info Sickie Ickie. Will give them a shot.

Still looking for a way to stabilize the curve for the candy can. Stuffing it with rolled news paper didn't work. I've also tried cutting a second tube like the first. Then cutting in half long ways along the uncut area and inserting it into the first tube. That made it more stable. My next thought would be to add a strip of paper along the top of the arch to hold it in place. Be nice if I have any glue in the house. LOL

In reality this candy can project can be done in a simpler way if you had the stuff to work with. Don't know if they still make them but you could use those large candy filled ones as an armature. First you would have to even out the difference in thickness between the two pieces of plastic so you'll end up with a smooth cane. A build up with newspaper and tape will work. Then wrap the entire cane in aluminum foil and mache over that. Two to three coats. When dry cut the paper mache in half long ways and take your armature out. Re mache the halves back together. Add length if needed. Sand to smooth and finish. If you're applying the cane to a wall or structure to make a ginger bread look you could leave the canes in half. Use snot ragging along the uneven edges to look like it's been icinged into place.
Or
For a completely custom size roll up newspaper to the size and thiknes you need. Pad up the arch so it looks right and mache it.

Either of these would be easier to do than making an arch out of a cardboard tube. This hasn't been my first attempt at making an arch with cardboard. Not giving up yet.

[putrid]

OK, it's official. I'm giving up the idea of making a perfect arch out of a toilet paper roll. I have tried everything I can thing up short of using cloth to make this work. At best I'd end up with the arch of the candy cane looking like something has been eating off of it. But as I stated in the above post. This isn't my first attempt at this. The problem with an arch is one side has to stretch. The other has to compress. Cardboard does neither. It just bends and flattens out. Kinda like all my attempts. LOL I have however started a toy horse. Writing things down as I go and taking shots. Be something to add to the web site ( you know, this project I've been working on for months and still have nothing to show for it. LOL).

Sorry Nephew Fred, I tried. Perhaps you could take a stab at it. You'd probably get it on the first try. Wouldn't mind it at all if someone could show me how to do this.

[Mummy deer-est]

Here is a site about the crackers, Putrid...

http://www.oldenglishcrackers.com/make-your-own-crackers.htm

[putrid]

Cool Mummy deer-est, I'll check out your link soon.

Here's a link to the toilet paper horse I've worked on today. It's still in the raw but looks like a keeper.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jazzfusion/id26.html

I'm going to experiment with the shape of the head. Might try a modified cone to give it a slight angle from the top of the head to the snout. After this I'll make a deer. It'll have a smaller more slender head. The neck will also be thinner. Antlers will out of bread clay. This stuff is very durable and lasts for years.

[putrid]

OK checked out your link Mummy deer-est. Don't see why not. To make the cracker rollers all you would have to do is cut the end off of a roll. Make a slit in it and glue it so it sticks out a 1/4 inch out the tube. You would have to cut the main tube down to there size so the cracker snaps will fit.

[Sickie Ickie]

tHE HORSE IS LOOKING GOOD SO FAR

[putrid]

Thanks for the complement Sickie Ickie. Kinda proud of it myself. Gives me something to think about wile I use another roll up. LOL

[Nephew Fred]

Putrid,
I'll see what ideas I can come up with your candy cane project.Sometimes I'll start a project and think,"this sucks, it wont work".So i'll put it aside.Then down the line,I'll suddenly figure out how to do it.Happens at work all the time.

[Mummy deer-est]

Your horse is so cool, putrid. I would love to see your progress on a reindeer, too. Could see those around my house already!

[putrid]

Nephew Fred, I've tried getting a curve with cardboard tubes before for a Halloween project and failed miserably then too. Really hope you can come up with something that works.

Thanks Mummy deer-est. I'm hoping the deer turns out cool as well. Might try making the legs more vertical than on the horse. After the deer my next project will be the sheep.

One of the projects I did some years ago with toilet paper rolls was cut a big oval out of one side. Cut out things from wrapping paper and made a 3D scene on the inside. Looked like a toilet paper roll with an oval cut out of it. LOL The problem with these rolls are as soon as you see one you know right away what it is. In order for an idea to be successful folks would have to see the project first. Then the toilet paper roll. The candy cane idea is one that would hide the rolls. All a viewer would see is the cane. Totally cool.

[Sickie Ickie]

To hold the arch, why not bend it around a form , and use wood glue on the outside of the bend?

[putrid]

I guess you could wrap and glue it around a form. You would end up with a lot of cardboard at the bottom and ribs of it at the topside of the arch. Really can't bend a cardboard tube. I've tried. Over and over.....LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

hmmmmmm...I was saying a flat piece. Seems like I'd better go back and re-read the description of the challenge...

[putrid]

Challenge? It's more like a Chinese finger puzzle and I'm not smart enough to figure it out. LOL If we get enough folks to think about it I'm positive someone will come up with an answer.

[Xmaslilly]

Fake candles for the tree. Cut the roll in half long ways and re-glue into smaller rolls. Melt real colored wax on a cookie sheet and cool just warm enough to mold with. Wrap cardboard tubs and cap off top to look like real candles with out the weight. Unknown how to attach to tree. just an unstudied thought.


Ya'll have any ideas?

well to attach this to a tree take a bit of wire make a loop and have the 2 wire strands sticking out drop a small glob of hot glue onto parchment paper while still warm set loop end into glue hold till set.
when that cold add some glue to inside of paper tube then set wire piece into that if need be add more glue to hold
you can then twist the wire onto the branch

[Xmaslilly]

okay let me see if i get what you are trying to do
you want to make a candy cane arch out of toilet paper tubes?
If so did you try flattening one out then curving it , the long ways.
tape a bunch together maybe a thin wire glued onto that and then insert those into the tubes itself
you may get crinkles at bottom but those can be taped over to hide them
just a thought

[putrid]

Thanks for the idea Xmaslilly. Yes if you flatten it out longways you'll get a curve. But loose the 3D roundness of a real candy cane.

Had thought about using wire to attach these to the tree. My main problem with wire is the tinsel strength. The more durable the wire the harder it is to bend. The easier it is to bend the easier it is to break. I'd thought about using loops. To use loops you'd need a three point base ( like a triangle ). With just two or one it would act like an axle and the ornament would spin and hang upside down.(dead birds don't make good Christmas ornaments. LOL) Using a three point base on a tree branch isn't always possible.

One thing I have thought about but haven't tried yet is using a counter weight. Like the real old Christmas tree candle holders. Having a loop at the base of the candle. A wire would hang down from that. At the end of the wire I thought about using a small plastic ornament filled with sand and sealed shut. By trial and error I'd have to find the right length of wire to how much sand to put in the ornament to balance the candle. As long as the loop is placed in a way where it wont slip off and hit the floor anyway. LOL

Managed to get a bit more done on the deer and horse. Still have way to many things going on at the same time. The toy horse will be yellow with red, white and blue pokadots and a brown main and tail.

[Xmaslilly]

I meant after you flatten a few out insert those into reg ones...you should then be able to bend it and even if you get a crinkle that can be filled in .

[Sickie Ickie]

Did someone already mention making cuts along the side to be bent? Much like wood?

[Clarice]

Would cutting the tubes into wedge shapes work for the curve of the candy cane?

\ /

[putrid]

Xmaslilly, Perhaps I'm not understanding your technique. Could you try it and post the results? Be cool to see it work.

Sickie Ickie, cutting it to look like a slinky with a tab at the bottom is one of the things I tried. It was really weak so I did a second one and slipped it inside. Still didn't work well.

Clarice, will give that a shot. Stability would be had by mach'eing around the outside. As long as any padding done to get a smooth curve doesn't make the arch a lot wider than the rest of the cane.

Thanks everyone. With ya'll help this might be a do-a-ble project.

[Sickie Ickie]

xmas lilly and I had the same question one after the other. heh Basically you cut notches out of one side, then you can bend it and glue the notches together.

[putrid]

I think ya'll are on to something. I tried it with two different toilet paper rolls. If you make the notches narrow and tall and try to keep them even in width at the bottom it works better. Mine are all about 1/2 inch wide at the bottom. With the remaining cardboard coming to an 1/8 inch 'point'. There is some bulging but nothing that looks like it couldn't be padded out and mache'd over to smooth. I ended up with about a 45 angle with just one roll. You'd need two to make the arch. Now to find the time to try this all the way.