It amazes me how quickly a house with only four people goes through TP. Such quick turnaround means plenty of empty, unloved and seemingly useless cardboard tubes. The entire situation reeks of waste (no pun intended).
Note: This article was submitted courtesy of the fabulous Coupon Sherpa, you can read the original article here;
http://www.couponsherpa.com/ask-coupon-sherpa/20-uses-for-cardboard-tubes-beyond-the-bathroom/

20 Uses for Cardboard Rolls

In response, several manufacturers want to stop using cardboard altogether. In late October of last year, Kimberley-Clark introduced “tubeless” toilet paper rolls under the Scott Naturals brand. Packs are sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club throughout the Northeastern U.S. According to USA Today, the trend could put a serious dent in the 160-million pounds of waste created annually by toilet paper rolls: and that’s just stateside.

Until the day tubes go extinct, we’re left with the conundrum of what to do with empty rolls. As with many household products, creative types know a cardboard tube is more than the sum of it’s parts. Read on to learn 20 uses for cardboard tubes of every kind.

Image by TerryJohnston

1. Glove Dryer

This comes straight from my childhood coat room. Place toilet paper tubes in wet gloves, attach to a hanger with clothespins and drape in the sun to speed up drying. This works miracles for skiers and snowboarders who go riding several days in a row and can’t afford eight pairs of gloves.

2. Cord Protector

Why pay for store-bought cord protectors when they’re typically relegated to life behind furniture? Split long tubes up one side, cut into various lengths, and slip cords inside to keep them neatly organized.

The benefits go beyond aesthetics. This trick protects cords from pets and children with curious mouths, as well as clumsy feet.

3. Kindling

A favorite trick of penny-pinching outdoorsmen; Keep several toilet paper tubes on hand to kick-start a fire. Cardboard isn’t as easy to light as paper but, once it catches, it burns longer.

This is a good solution for backpackers as well and one I use on week-long excursions. Pack tubes with small sticks, lint and newspaper for several night’s worth of homemade fire-starter kits. Wrap them individually in plastic grocery bags to protect from rain.

4. Maracas and Rain Sticks

Maracas and rain sticks are a mainstay of the kindergarten set. Take several tubes of various lengths, fill halfway with beads or dried beans, and duct tape the ends securely. Beige makes an ideal canvas for kids to later decorate with paint, crayons or glitter.

Make a Cardboard Tube Rainstick

Image by hoyasmeg

5. Quick Travel Storage

Use paper-towel rolls to wrangle underwear and toilet-paper tubes to store pantyhose or dress socks. It’s a convenient trick that also saves cash. As an added bonus, you’ll avoid the dreaded “whitey-tighties on the tarmac” scenario.

6. Compost Aeration

Ashes to ashes, cardboard to mulch. Cut tubes into small sections and throw in your compost pile. The cardboard decomposes rather easily while creating pockets for much-needed air. If your compost is starting to stink or attract flies, use this as a quick fix. Small chunks can also be tilled into garden soil.

7. Seedling Starter Pots

Home-growing is a favorite of frugal folk everywhere. Cut cardboard tubes in 2-inch sections, place into rows in a large foam container, fill empty tubes with soil and plant seedlings. This works well for gardeners looking to cut the price of store-bought starters or those who simply like to do it all on their own.

8. Christmas Wreath

There’s no problem decking the halls with recycled cardboard, but try and spruce it up a little beforehand. Bend two wire hangers into a large circle and slide toilet paper rolls along the wires. Glue or tie the tubes securely, close the wire loop, and decorate as you like. Ideas abound on how to create a festive piece. Browse examples from Good Housekeeping for a simple starter.

9. Grocery Bag Holder

A double-dose of reuse. Poke holes in the top of a long tube, lace with string, and hang in your pantry. Stuff with plastic grocery bags for later use.

10. Hamster Toy

Hamsters and gerbils are easily entertained. Drop a long or short tube in their cage as a tunnel. The cardboard can also be torn into bits and used as a cage liner or chew toy. Seriously, it doesn’t take much to make them happy. (We do however recommend using the toilet paper first!)

Toilet Roll Hamster Toy

Image by jpockele

11. Candle Storage

Place tall candles in paper-towel tubes and votive candles in toilet-paper rolls to keep them organized and intact. Empty tubes are the perfect width and height for both. Coincidence? Probably, but no less convenient.

12. Document and Poster Protector

Transport fragile papers without folding, tearing or bending. Roll them gently and place inside a tube cut to the appropriate length. In my college days, this was a staple of the annual moving routine.

13. Clothes Hanger Cover

Dress pants can be obnoxious to store without a mandatory trip to the dry cleaners. Split a paper towel tube length-wise, lay over a wire hanger and tape in place. Drape your pants over the tube to keep relatively crease-free.

14. Knife Sheath

Flatten a tube of the appropriate length and wrap tightly in duct tape, making sure to thickly cover the sheath bottom. I have many frugal (aka broke) camping buddies with a kitchen’s worth of thrift store knives in cardboard sheaths.

15. Craft Organizer / Desk Tidy

Rather than let crayons, pencils and other craft supplies roll around unorganized in plastic boxes, cut cardboard tubes into sections and place them inside with the open ends up. It’s a simple solution when teaching young ones to respect their things and keep your home neat. Alternately you can glue toilet rolls together and stack them to create a cool desk tidy.

Toilet Roll Desk Tidy

Image by Fred McDonald

16. Bird Feeder

Turn your backyard into a topiary with the leftovers from your bathroom. Cover tubes of various sizes in peanut butter, sprinkle with bird seed, and hang from low-lying branches with string or wire.

17. Packing Material for Glassware

Moving mounds of glassware from house to house is nerve-wracking. Line the bottom of a cardboard box with long tubes cut to fit snugly and place drinking glasses in the rows. Separate further with toilet-paper rolls between each glass.

I learned this nifty trick after an old roommate threw away the box I used to transport drinking glasses. Improvisation isn’t just for musicians.

18. Linen Storage

Before relegating fine linen napkins to a musty drawer, wrap around a cardboard tube to keep crease-free until the next time dinner is deemed linen-worthy. It could be years.

19. Christmas Light Storage

Looking for a way to use empty wrapping-paper tubes? Save the cardboard rolls until after the holidays and wrap strings of lights tightly around the outside. You’ll be a happy elf next year when the lights aren’t a tangled mass in a too-tiny box.

20. Boot Tree

Boots and shoes with soft or floppy tops need support when foot-less. Cut a longer tube to the appropriate length and place inside during storage. It holds the shape and prevents permanent creases and cracks.

We hope you enjoyed our 20 ways to reuse cardboard tubes, let us know your ideas by leaving a comment, we’d love to hear from you!

Craft Activities - Eco Friendly Ideas for the Holidays

Image by San Jose Library

1. Bubble Packaging Holiday Calendar

A fun and easy craft that involves reusing bubble packaging would be to make a Christmas countdown calendar. Instead of throwing out the bubble wrap, cut a Christmas tree shape into the packaging with twenty-four bubbles. Use double-sided tape, or glue to attach the Christmas tree cut out to a piece of paper. With friends and family, decorate circular stickers with crayons, glitter glue, or markers and attach them to each individual bubble.

Create a Bubble Wrap Advent Calendar

Your kids will have a great time popping each bubble at the start of a new day. This craft allows you to reuse materials you already have and is a fun way of keeping track of the Christmas countdown. This craft can easily become a tradition and could be incorporate into your holiday festivities every year.

2. Revive Your Recycled Gift Boxes

Another great craft activity is to spruce up old gift boxes and packages you probably already have. Instead of disposing of them, or if you have grown tired of recycling the same ones year on end, try making them more festive. With your family, collect scraps of wrapping paper throughout the year and use these items to liven up your old boxes. Creating a collage of paper will enhance the beauty of the box and make it a memorable gift. You can also reuse fiberfill by gluing it the box in order to create a snowy effect.

Breath Life Into Old Gift Boxes

Image by Little Green Shoot

3. Make Your Own Tree Ornaments

For those of you that enjoy making ornaments, consider using macaroni, or old jewelry to string these items on your Christmas tree. Jewelry can be taken apart for beads, which children would enjoy using as decorations on their ornaments. You may even want to decorate your entire tree with recycled items using soda cans, toilet paper rolls, and CD’s. Using paper to cut out snowflake designs would also be a great way of contributing to the eco-friendly holiday theme.

Make Your Own Tree Ornaments

Image by Nigels Eco Store

4. Handmade Holiday Cards

When it comes time to send out your holiday Christmas cards, try recycling your old ones by cutting out your favorite pictures. You can make your own cards by gluing these images on a folded piece of paper and by decorating it with old scraps of fabric. This will create a unique and original look that friends and family will appreciate. You can also reuse the cutout images to make tags for presents or to turn into ornaments for your tree.

Make Your Own Holiday Cards

Image by Lizabits Designs

5. Let’s Wrap It Up!

Sometimes the best way to stay green during the holidays is to wrap any gifts in brown bags, or newspaper. It conserves a significant amount of paper and also looks adorable under the tree. You could use the “comics” section of the paper to wrap any children’s gifts and even decorate plain paper bags with paint, or drawings. Reuse old ribbons, or string to tie the box for a finished look.

To have a greener holiday season, try reusing household items and be conscientious of how much you are spending and throwing away. Helping the environment will ensure more wonderful holidays for the future and make yours the most memorable one yet.

Sarah Danielson writes for Wine Glass Racks where you can find a wine rack to fit your individual needs, taste, and style

We didn’t have to look for long before we found an awesome restored antique buffet in one store ($795) but it was too expensive and too big for the space available, we then found an amazing kitchen island in the exact style that we like but it was about $8,000!!!

We Like the Styling But Not the Price!

Our first day of searching left us empty handed but we had some good ideas about how we wanted the piece of furniture to look, that night we spent several hours searching for tips on how to create distressed furniture from reclaimed pieces, we found some good hints and tips and watched a couple of videos on YouTube but realized that we would have to just “Give it a Try!”

The next journey out kept us closer to home, there is a fantastic antique mall just down the street from our home and we figured it was a good place to try and find a bargain. With the help of our mom, Sharen, we scoured the aisles of antique, and not so antique, things until we stumbled across this wonderful dry sink;

Our Bargain Reclaimed Dry Sink

We instantly fell in love with the quirky styling, two layers with lots of character! It was looking a little rough around the edges but we felt it was a good foundation for our reclaimed painted furniture project. The sale price was $316 and we snapped it up!

Katie rushed out to the hardware store and bought some interior satin paint in a color that matched our living area color palette along with a selection of foam brushes, a special door and cabinet paint roller and some eco friendly paint trays;

Painting Supplies!

The first stage was to get the dry sink into our garage and do some serious cleaning and prepping.

BEFORE - The Original Piece of Reclaimed Furniture

We cleaned the dry sink thoroughly inside and out with a liquid TSP substitute which is basically a heavy duty cleaner which requires no rinsing prior to painting. As you can see, we removed plenty of dirt from the reclaimed dry sink!

Some Heavy Duty Cleaning to Start Things Off

The dry sink started to look, and smell, a little better after the thorough cleaning and we started to see some potential;

Cleaned and Ready for Paint

For the base coat we used a wonderful high coverage product called Zinsser cover-stain oil-based primer, it is powerful enough to cover over glossy finishes without the need for sanding. We applied one coat of the Zinsser primer and left it to dry for a couple of hours.

A Single Coat of Zinsser Primer

We couldn’t wait to get started on the next phase so once the primer was completely dry we moved the dry sink indoors, the color coat we chose was Olympic zero VOC interior satin so we were confident that with some open windows and a box fan we could keep the area adequately ventilated.

The First Coat of Color Was Completed Quickly

We both worked hard to get the first coat of color applied but then we read the paint instructions which stated to leave 4 hours to dry before the second coat! Well, lets just say that the second coat didn’t happen until about 8PM at night so we left our creation to dry over night…

The Second Coat Was Left to Dry Overnight

The photos we took that night made the color look a little more blue than it actually is, the color is actually more of a turquoise called “Schooner”

My wonderful wife also found some really cool knobs for the drawers and doors at our local World Market, they are about $5 each and totally worth it!

Green Door Knobs from World Market

The final day of work involved adding the door knobs and drawer pulls and then adding a little of that “distressed” look. We used a Norton foam sanding block to sand through the color coat back down to the primer and in some places even back to the bare wood.

The distressing ended up looking really cool and we got more and more confident with it as we worked. The layers of paint, primer and wood added a neat look to the distressing. The guidelines we found in our internet research said to sand down the edges in random spots and places where high wear might occur.

Distressed, But Not Too Distressed!

We were extremely pleased with the final look and can’t wait to start our next reclaimed furniture project!

AFTER - Our Hand Distressed Budget Friendly Buffet

Below is a run down of the basic project costs, it took us roughly two days from buying the dry sink to enjoying it as a finished product in our home;

• Reclaimed, 1920′s – 1930′s Rustic American Dry Sink – $316
• 5 x Green Glass Knobs from World Market – $30
• Olympic Zero VOC Interior Satin Paint, 1 Quart – $11
• Zinsser Cover-Stain Oil-Based Primer, 1 Quart – $8

The Finished Buffet - With Price Tags

How to Make Paper Decorations From Old Newspaper

You will need:

• Some old newspapers or magazines
• A couple of used wire clothes hangers
• Strong wire clippers
• A pair of pliers
• Paper glue (We used water based non toxic Mod Podge)

Once you have these basic ingredients it’s time to let your imagination run wild! You need to think of holiday decorations that you would normally buy to decorate your house. We picked some of our favorites to recreate from newspaper;

• Candy canes
• Poinsettia Flowers
• Christmas trees

To get started you simply take your old clothes hangers and cut a length of wire to form the frame. (Please be very careful when using wire clippers)

Let’s start by making a Candy Cane!

1. Let’s clip the old clothes hanger keeping the  ”hook” at the top of the hanger intact. You want to clip the rest of the hanger off at a length which would make a candy cane with the right proportions, try clipping about 3 inches along each side of the hanger.Start by Clipping the Clothes Hanger

Start by Clipping the Clothes Hanger

2. The next stage is to use a pair of pliers to straighten out the lengths of hanger to form the candy cane shape;

Straighten Out the Hanger to form the Candy Cane Shape

3. Now that the candy can shape has been formed we can now start to cover the wire shape with old newspaper. Cut some long narrow strips of the old newspaper and start to wrap them around the wire hanger. Use your paper glue to stick the paper down all along the wire candy cane. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look very neat at this stage, we will continue adding layers in the next stage.

Wrap Newspaper Strips Around the Wire Candy Cane

4. Keep wrapping layers of the newspaper using your paper glue until the candy cane looks smoothly covered.

The Finished Recycled Paper Candy Cane

Now Let’s Make a Paper Poinsettia

1.  The paper poinsettia begins by creating a newspaper snowflake, you have probably made plenty of these before, you simply fold a square of newspaper several times and cut sections out. When you unfold the newspaper again you will have a newspaper snowflake, this forms the basis for our paper Poinsettia flower decoration.

Start With a Newspaper Snowflake Design

2. Now we take the newspaper snowflake and bunch it slightly to resemble the petals of the Poinsettia. Cut a length of wire coat hanger and use a small piece of tape to fix the petals to the wire stem. Now wrap lengths of newspaper around the wire stem gradually building up layers of newspaper. You can use some paper glue to hold everything in place.

Attach the Paper Flower to a Length of Coat Hanger

3. Once the stem is completely covered you will have yourself a wonderful recycled newspaper and coat hanger holiday Poinsettia decoration.

The Finished Newspaper Poinsettia Decoration

Our Final Decoration, a Newspaper Christmas Tree!

We have to admit, the final newspaper decoration was not our idea, we bought this at a local store and we think it is a great use of old newspaper;

A Newspaper Christmas Tree!

This wonderful recycled newspaper was made using an old cotton bobbin with a length of wooden dowel glued into it. You then simply take squares of newspaper and push them onto the length of dowel. The newspaper squares get progressively smaller towards the top of the tree and the whole thing is finished off with a glittered star tree topper!

This Newspaper Tree is Made with a Cotton Bobbin, Wooden Dowel and Lots of Patience!

The tree can be finished off with some glue and glitter to add some extra sparkle!

You can see our finished ensemble of newspaper decorations below, we hope you like them, please leave a comment with your own newspaper decoration ideas;

Our Finished Collection of Paper Decorations

My wife (Katie) came up with a great idea, we could make creative homemade Halloween potions from our old lightbulbs! Here are a few that we made;

Creative Homemade Halloween Potions!

Here are the simple steps to follow (Please be careful when handling old lightbulbs as they may be sharp or easily broken);
1/ You will need the following materials;

• An old burned out spotlight bulb
• Some black electricians tape
• A used wine cork
• A permament marker pen

The Creative Hallowen Potion Materials

2/ Start to wrap the black electricians tape around the stem of the old lightbulb to cover the metal threaded part;

Wrapping the Recycled Light Bulb

3/ Once the metal threaded portion is covered you can add the old wine cork and continue to wrap the black tape until you have covered half of the cork;

Add the Wine Cork and Tape it to the Bulb

4/ Use your permament marker to write a spooky message on your Halloween potion! We chose labels like “Poision” or “Deadly Nightshade” but our favorite was our “Witches Potion” shown below;

Our Homemade Witches Potion!

So there you have it, get your creative side out and make a batch of creative homemade Halloween potions! You can use different sizes of spotlights to create some variation.

Our Green Halloween Potions

Do you have a creative Halloween idea? Share it with us today, we’d love to hear from you…

#10: Captain Recycle!

We loved this idea, he’s a mean green recycling machine and the streets will be a cleaner place with him around! Captain Recycle starts our top ten list…

Captain Recycle!

#9: Dusty the Recycling Bin

“Dusty the Recycling Bin” is a cool creation which simultaneously spooks us and reminds us to recycle!

A Spooky Recycling Bin!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/larimdame/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

#8: Intergalactic Spookiness

This wonderful scout trooper Halloween costume was made from Foam Core, PVC pipes, lots of hot glue and other recycled knick knacks!

Scout Trooper Recycled Creation

#7: Earth Heads Costumes!

These guys may be a little blurred but that’s because they are so earth friendly, they’re literally orbiting in a greener dimension!

Earth Heads Costumes!

#6: Green Baby Tree Frog

OK… This one isn’t that eco friendly, it’s not made from recycled material, but it is extremely green and cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!

Green Baby Tree Frog!

#5: Intergalactic Bounty Hunter!

This one is pretty awesome, made from recyclable he found in his garage!

Bounty Hunter Recycled Costume

#4: Recycled Robot…

This is one is simple but totally cool, it’s a super cute recycled robot made from cardboard boxes, drier duct and old electronic circuit boards. We love this one…

Recycled Robot

#3: This Guy is Simply Nutty!

Made entirely from natural products, yes, you guessed it… He is nuts!

Simply Nutty Costume

#2: Green Monster Costume

We’ve featured this guy before but we still love it, made from recycled egg crate and foam

Green Monster Costume

#1: Boxes Transformed!

This was our favorite purely because of the effort that went into making it, it’s made from recycled cardboard boxes and it has the biggest IMPACT of our top ten… Who knew boring cardboard could be transformed into such a cool halloween costume!

Cardboard Boxes Transformed!

SO there you have it, that was our top ten list, do you have any green or eco-friendly halloween costume ideas? Leave us a comment with your hints and tips…

Going Green in the Fall

What a great opportunity to explore the change of season and impress upon them the need to be good stewards of the earth.  Walk will provide an opportunity to teach them lessons that will be with them for the rest of their life, its good for all involved and its fun. Here are a few fall eco friendly activities to do with your children, or grandchildren:

1/ Adopt a Tree…

While taking a walk, have your child pick out a favourite tree and ‘adopt’ it. Do bark rubbings with crayons and paper; leaf collection and pressing in the fall; and look for flowers and fruit in the summer. Each year, take pictures of you child standing beside the tree. You can even bring along a measuring tape to track the tree’s growth. Kids can also research the tree on the Internet: where the tree is commonly found, usual life span, height, etc.

2/ Keep a Wildlife Journal…

Have your child make daily notes of all the wildlife living in your neighborhood. They can even take photos, or draw pictures, and write down the times of sighting, habitats and behavioral patterns. It is amazing how many different species are living in your own backyard!

3/ Being Good Stewards….

A good way to teach our children about taking care of our planet, and get some exercise at the same time, is to take bags with you when you go for a walk. While doing so, “clean up” along the way. You can pick up stray bottles, newspapers and discarded food containers. Make it a contest to see who can get the most items. Choose different paths on different days to clean up a wide area. Use the time to talk to your children about recycling and reducing waste.  (Kids can wear rubber gloves or bring a pointed stick if they don’t want to touch any garbage.)

4/ Acorn Necklaces…

Help your child string together acorns or other seeds to create a wonderful necklace.

5/ Buffet Surprise…
Kids can help out their friends the squirrels, tell them they are making a “squirrel buffet surprise” and pile up as many acorns as they can find by a certain tree. Visit each time you walk; add more if they are gone.

6/ Fall Colors…
Encourage kids to find as many different-colored leaves as possible. See if they can make a “rainbow” of leaves by showing the graduation of color from green to yellow to orange to red to brown.
7/Spelling Leafy Names…

Another fun and secretly educational activity to do with the leaves, is to get kids to spell their names using the leaves. Bring a camera along for the leaf adventure, it’s nice to make a circle or heart of leaves and then get the kids to stand inside the shape to take their photo.

Do you have any eco friendly fall activities to share?

On this particular visit Rachel brought us a wonderful little creation by a sculptor from London in the UK. His name is Jeff Soan and he runs a small sculpture company called Wobbly Wood!

Jeff Soan's Wobbly Wood Creations

Jeff’s creations may be small but they have a big impact both visually and in saving the planet. He uses only all natural products and definitely embraces an eco-friendly business ethos. 

Our Wobbly Wood Fish

As a family we certainly have enough re-usable material to create some cool looking decorations, this is so much better for the environment than buying new, so we started to trawl our cupboards, garages and loft spaces for things to turn into our Irish Green decor!

 

A Handmade Green Clover

A St. Patricks Day Gift Box