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Toilet Paper Roll – Cars Activity

September 8, 2018 by Shellie Wilson

 

These Recycled toilet roll or toilet tube kids craft is lots of fun to make and even more, fun to play with.

Add this activity to a storybook reading and you have yourself a very easy lesson plan that has the potential for hours of creation and play. Once these cars are made the kids can use their imagination for pretend play as well as using it to create stories for older kids. 

The links below are affiliate links which means when you buy a book from that link we get a small kickback in change, this is at no extra cost to you.

 

Books about Race Cars (or with race cars in them!):

Good Night Racecar –

Race Car Count –

Go Dog Go –

Supplies:

  • Empty toilet paper or paper towel cardboard tube
  • Tempra paint
  • Paint brush
  • Paper Plate
  • Hot Glue
  • Scissors

 

Instructions:

If using a paper towel tube, cut it in half.  

Draw an oval shape in the middle of the tube.  Carefully cut it out! Kids might need help with this step!  This will be the driver’s seat area.

Trace one end of the cardboard tube on a paper plate and cut it out.  Once cut, decorate it with markers (or paint) to be the grill of the car.

On a paper plate (or if you have a thick cardstock that would work!) cut out 4 circles for the tires, a small circle for the steering wheel and a seat shape.  I told our kids to cut out a large, skinny hill shape and they cut out perfect race car seats! 🙂

Paint time!  You can use anything you want to decorate your cars.  We used paint. Paint your car, tires, steering wheel and seat.  (Be sure to paint both sides!) Decorate the side of the car with craft supplies or draw on numbers and designs.  Allow to dry.

To assemble: Glue the grill to the front of the toilet paper tube.  It should fit nicely!

Glue on the 4 tires to the bottom of your car.  You will want your car to kind of stand a bit.

A small dab of glue on the steering wheel to place on the front edge of the oval shape you cut out.  And slide the seat into the driver’s area.

Ta da!  

Did you know that more than eight billion rolls of toilet paper, bath tissue or toilet tissue as it is sometimes referred to are sold yearly in the U.S.A. It is guesstimated that the average person uses 23 rolls each per year. I don’t know about you but that seems a little low to me.

Recently we changed to the thick rolls which are triple length, so now we only have to change them a 1/3 as often, which is great cause no one in the house changes the toilet roll except me.

 

Read These Next

  • 20 Halloween Crafts For Kids Using Recycled Toilet Rolls
  • 40 Sensory Activities For Kids For All Seasons
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Designer Spotlight: Bad Stitched

I came across the Etsy shop Bad Stitched when I was looking for bookmark cross stitch patterns and found their adorable pride bat bookmark, which I didn’t share then because I was going for more of a back to school vibe, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you love rainbows and bats. 

This Etsy shop is big on whimsy and color, but not on organization, as there are not categories. Still, as of this writing there were only a little more than 60 patterns, so it’s small enough to scroll through. 

In keeping with the theme of the bat bookmark, there are a lot of designs with animals and insects in different colors. Another one that caught my in this neon cicada with a crescent moon and stars. This one is 85 by 70 stitches and uses 16 colors. On 14 count fabric it comes out to 6 by 5 inches, or 15.4 by 12.7 cm. 

You’ll also find patterns with animals such as mice, a snail, a jellyfish, a wolf, a corgi in a birthday hat, a fat seal and other bat designs. There are several mushroom designs, a pirate frog, and a scuba diving ghost (among other ghostly designs). You’ll find cats and mythical characters, a mouse thinking about eating strawberries and more. 

There’s also an ebook full of mushroom designs, and another of creepy creatures for Halloween and beyond. There’s also a Pantheon bundle, full of gods, goddesses, characters from mythology, three amphora designs and a Greek inspired font. 

If these sorts of designs sound like something you’d like to stitch, check out Bad Stitched on Etsy. 

Know of a cross stitch designer (or are you a cross stitch designer) who should be featured in the designer spotlight? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending a note through the “suggest a DIY” link at the top of the page. 

[Photo: Bad Stitched]

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