✂️ Toilet paper roll Christmas tree craft for kids

Age: 3+ · Time: 45 min

Before those empty toilet paper rolls hit the recycling bin, save a few for this easy Christmas tree. It costs nothing, takes under an hour, and makes a cheerful little tree for a windowsill, a bookshelf or the kids' table on Christmas Day.

Tips

Start saving rolls right after Thanksgiving. You'll need more than you expect.
Slide the rolls onto a pencil or paintbrush handle while you paint them. It keeps fingers cleaner.
Paper towel tubes cut into thirds work just as well.

Variations

Ring trees: cut each roll into thin rings, paint them green, and glue them into a flat tree shape. Add a ribbon and it becomes an ornament.
Countdown tree: make a big tree with 24 rolls, number them, and tuck a little note or a family activity idea inside each one.
Snowy tree: dab white paint on the edges and glue cotton balls around the base.

For little helpers

Let kids pick the ornament colors: all red, rainbow, or one color for each person in the family.

You need

6 empty toilet paper rolls
green washable paint and a brush (or green construction paper and a glue stick)
brown construction paper for the trunk
yellow construction paper or cardstock for the star
white school glue
pom-poms, sequins, buttons or stickers to decorate
kid-safe scissors
a stapler or clothespins (for a grown-up)

Steps

Paint the rolls green, or wrap them in green construction paper. Let them dry.
Lay the rolls on their sides on the table in a pyramid. Three on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top.
Glue the rolls together where they touch. A grown-up can add a staple or clip them with clothespins while the glue dries.
Cut a small brown rectangle and glue it under the bottom row as the trunk.
Draw a star on yellow paper, cut it out, and glue it to the top roll.
Decorate with pom-pom ornaments, sequins, buttons or stickers.
Let it dry flat, then stand it on a shelf or tape it to a window.

Questions

Can toddlers make this?

Yes, with help. Let them paint the rolls and add the decorations, while a grown-up handles the gluing and cutting.

How do I make it stand up on its own?

Glue the bottom row to a strip of cardboard, or stand the rolls upright in a pyramid on a cardboard base instead.

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