TP Roll Flowers

3 amigos proud of their creations

I think it's a requirement...when you're a Mom, you save weird stuff like TP rolls. At the risk of providing TMI, you might be interested to know that Costco TP is great for a lot of reasons, not the least of which the TP is not glued to the roll very firmly. They are excellent for crafts. But I digress... 



So, my crafty friend found a easy activity in a magazine where you use the TP rolls to make flowers. She's so awesome like that! She graciously asked me if my kiddos would like to do it with her son.


Sounds like fun!


A few days before we got together, she painted the TP rolls different colors inside and out with acrylic paint. She did cute things like making them striped or adding polka dots. She painted bamboo skewers and paper towel tubes green, then she sliced up the paper towel tube to make leaves. 


Sunday night, we got together to help the boys make them - yes, our first grade boys thought this was an awesome craft even though it involved flowers because they got to a) use fancy scissors and do lots of cutting, b) rip and crinkle tissue paper, c) be close to hot glue (I'm not brave enough to let them actually use it themselves yet, not interested in burned fingers or trips to the ER), and d) they still like flowers.


Take the painted TP roll and using fancy-edge scissors (pinking shears or scalloped scrapbooking scissors) you trim off each narrow end. The boys saved those little skinny ends and used them for butterflies. Then with regular scissors, you make a long cut into the TP roll, leaving about 1/2 - 3/4 inch in the center uncut. Continue around the diameter of the roll making long cuts into the roll. Once you get all the way around, you press open the cuts and now you have your petals. Tear and crinkle some tissue paper to stuff in the center. Using a pushpin, make a hole in the center part of the TP roll to insert the skewer. Adults only: Using a dab of hot glue, glue rings cut from the green paper towel tube onto the skewer to make leaves. 

My friend bought a block of florist foam. We cut a chunk for each boy and inserted that into a mug, covering the top with more crinkled green tissue paper. The boys inserted the end of the skewer and their little spring flower pot was born!  


The boys had a ball and like I said, they cleverly re-purposed the cut ends of the TP rolls into butterflies, which I hot glued where they wanted them - some on flower petals, some on flower centers and some on leaves. They turned out so cute and my boys have proudly displayed them on their dressers. We are all ready for spring around here. 


Later 'taters!