Toilet Paper Roll – Cars Activity

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.

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There are certain things that just make sense to knit at this time of year, and market bags are one of them. We tend to use our canvas bags more often in the summer with trips to the farmer’s market and the library, but string bags and market bags are great to use all year.

I love the Three Oranges Bag by Hana Cho, which looks just like a knit version of a plastic shopping bag, but with three cute oranges stitched on. The bag uses intarsia to make the oranges, but you could use duplicate stitch or intarsia to add a different design if you like. It calls for fingering weight yarn and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Sharyn Anhalt’s Market Square bag (also on Ravelry) uses worsted weight yarn and a mosaic pattern to make a pretty bag you’ll want to use every time you go shopping. The bag comes in two sizes and is worked in two colors of the same yarn for a fun mixed up effect that’s almost like weaving.

Speaking of fun colors, the Market Bag from Hubbabubbie Art uses a multicolored cake yarn (specifically Lion Brand Mandala) to produce fun color changes without any extra work. This bag is worked from the bottom up with a crocheted bottom and knit mesh sides. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry.

The Pike Place Market Bag from Blue Bird Pine Shop looks like a massive bag to hold all your market goodies (that is a child holding it, but still). The bag calls for worsted weight cotton yarn and the mesh is worked on extra large needles to help it open up to hold everything you want held.

The Knit Farmer’s Market Bag form Design BCB is another good one, made mostly of mes with a little stockinette for extra stability. The base is also worked in stockinette so items you put in it will sit flat.

This mesh bag from Sheep and Stitch doesn’t have a base, and the body is worked flat before being joined in the round to make the top and handles. That makes it easy to make the bag just the size you want because you can stop knitting whenever you feel it’s big enough. The pattern includes a step-by-step video if you need extra assistance.

And the Eco Market String Bag from Mama in a Stitch has a solid knit base worked in a contrasting color from the mesh body. It’s an easy project that comes out a great size for your market needs without being too huge.

Do you have a favorite knit market bag pattern? I’d love to hear about it!

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