Unwrap The Magic: DIY Toilet Paper Roll Advent Calendars For A Sustainable Christmas
The holiday season is a time for joy, anticipation, and creating cherished memories. Few traditions capture this spirit quite like the Advent calendar, a daily countdown to Christmas that builds excitement with each passing day. While store shelves are brimming with countless options, there's something uniquely special about a handmade Advent calendar. Not only does it allow for personalization, but it also offers a fantastic opportunity to embrace sustainability. Enter the humble toilet paper roll – your unexpected hero for a wonderfully creative and eco-friendly holiday craft!
If you're like many crafters, you might find stacks of empty toilet paper rolls piling up in your craft cupboard, waiting for their moment to shine. Instead of just tossing those empty toilet paper rolls into the trash, we can repurpose them as creative crafts, not just for toddlers and preschoolers, but for anyone looking to add a personal touch to their holiday decor. This year, turn those rolls into an awesome homemade Advent calendar shaped like a Christmas tree, or any design you can imagine!
Why Choose a Toilet Paper Roll Advent Calendar?
Before we dive into the how-to, let's explore why this particular DIY project is a brilliant choice for your holiday preparations.
The Eco-Friendly Choice
- Recycle and Repurpose: This is an incredible idea to recycle rolls of toilet paper for Christmas! It's the ultimate upcycling project, transforming waste into a festive delight.
- Zero Waste & Sustainable: A toilet roll DIY Advent Calendar is a reusable Christmas calendar made from paper rolls, making it zero waste and sustainable. You're giving new life to materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill, reducing your environmental footprint during a season often associated with excess.
- Reduce Clutter: For those of us who collect all sorts of bits and pieces to recycle, using up those empty toilet paper rolls for a fun craft project is a win-win. It clears out your craft stash while creating something beautiful.
A Budget-Friendly Holiday Craft
Making an Advent calendar from toilet paper rolls is incredibly cheap and easy, using items you already have around your house! Forget expensive store-bought calendars; this project utilizes materials you'd typically discard, making it virtually free. All you need are a few basic craft supplies, and you're well on your way to a personalized countdown.
Fun for the Whole Family
This easy-to-make Advent calendar uses something you already have at home, toilet paper rolls! It’s fun for kids and adults alike to punch, decorate, and fill. Your very own customized Christmas tree Advent calendar from a toilet paper roll allows for immense creativity. Have fun putting together all the different treats and making this with the entire family. If you want a cute way to customize an Advent calendar for your particular child, this one made of paper rolls is perfect! It becomes a collaborative project that builds excitement and strengthens family bonds.
Getting Started: What You'll Need
The beauty of this DIY project lies in its simplicity and accessibility. Here’s a list of basic materials, many of which you likely already have:
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- Empty Toilet Paper Rolls: You'll need a good number of these. For a 24-day calendar, aim for at least 12 rolls if you plan to cut them in half, or 24 if you use them whole. You could also use paper towel rolls or other similar cardboard tubes.
- Crafting Essentials:
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler (optional, for precise cuts)
- Decorating Supplies:
- Red wrapping paper or other festive patterns
- Red sticky paper (contact paper) or construction paper
- Paint (acrylic paints work well)
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Glitter, stickers, ribbons, buttons – anything to add sparkle!
- For the Backing (Optional but Recommended):
- Sturdy cardboard (like a piece of a delivery box or kitchen roll cardboard)
- Foam board
- Numbers: You can grab our free printable numbered labels, or simply hand-write them.
- Fillers: Small treats, candies, tiny toys, festive notes, or activity ideas.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Calendar
This tutorial shows you how to make a DIY Advent calendar for counting down the days until Christmas, upcycling toilet paper rolls into favor boxes. Let's get crafting!
The Basic Structure: Collecting and Shaping
First, collect your toilet paper rolls. For a standard Advent calendar, you'll need 24 compartments. You can use 24 whole rolls, or cut 13 toilet paper rolls in half to create 26 smaller compartments (giving you a couple of spares). The most popular design is a Christmas tree shaped Advent calendar, which is both festive and visually appealing. You can also arrange them in a rectangular grid or any other creative shape.
Decorating Your Rolls
This is where the fun truly begins! You can paint the toilet paper rolls or cover them with construction paper, wrapping paper, or even fabric. For a classic Christmas look, consider red wrapping paper or red sticky paper. If you're aiming for a specific aesthetic, try a Boho style this Christmas Holiday to suit your home decor, or make my handmade candy cane DIY Advent calendar using toilet tube rolls! The possibilities are endless.
Numbering and Assembly
Once your rolls are decorated, it's time to number them. You can use our free printable numbered labels, or simply write the numbers 1 through 24 directly onto the rolls or on small circles of paper. Cut circles out of matching paper or cardstock to serve as the "doors" or covers for each compartment. These can be glued on one side to create a flap or completely sealed and designed for punching through.
Arrange your decorated and numbered rolls into your desired shape. For a Christmas tree, start with a wider base and narrow it towards the top. Use a strong glue stick or hot glue gun to attach the rolls to each other and to a sturdy backing board (like kitchen roll cardboard or a piece of foam board) for stability. This will ensure your calendar holds together as the days go by.
The Fun Part: Filling Your Calendar!
Now for the most exciting part! You can fill each toilet paper roll compartment with small treats, candies, tiny toys, or even personalized notes and activity suggestions. Some ideas include:
- Miniature chocolates or candies
- Small erasers, stickers, or temporary tattoos
- Lego minifigures or small toy car parts
- A daily riddle or joke
- An idea for a Christmas activity (e.g., "Bake cookies today!", "Watch a Christmas movie!")
Make sure the treats are small enough to fit inside the rolls. Once filled, seal the front of each compartment with your numbered circles. Let the kids break into one of the cups each day until Christmas, punching through the paper to reveal their surprise!
Creative Variations and Tips
The versatility of the toilet paper roll Advent calendar allows for many creative twists:
- Paper Towel Rolls: If you need larger compartments for bigger treats, use paper towel rolls or other larger cardboard tubes.
- Inspiration from Others: This DIY by Slick Slime Sam on YouTube shows how to make an Advent calendar from toilet paper rolls, offering visual guidance and fresh ideas. There are many Advent calendars at the store, but I think it’s more rewarding to make your own.
- Saving Rolls: For the past year, I saved dozens of toilet paper rolls for a fun craft project. It’s a great habit to get into if you enjoy crafting.
- Beyond Christmas: While perfect for Advent, this concept can be adapted for other countdowns or even party favors.
- Donation: If you collect more rolls than you can use, and now that we're past the pre-school and playgroup years, we have fewer venues to donate our toilet rolls, consider offering them to local schools or community craft groups.
The TPR Advent Calendars are fun and creative ways to count down the days before Christmas. They are not just crafts; they are an experience, a memory in the making, and a testament to the magic of handmade holidays.
This easy kids craft idea is not only enjoyable but also teaches valuable lessons about recycling and creativity. So, gather your rolls, unleash your imagination, and get ready to create a truly unique and memorable Advent calendar this holiday season!
Summary: This article guides you through creating a DIY Advent calendar using empty toilet paper rolls, highlighting its benefits as an eco-friendly, budget-conscious, and family-friendly craft. It details the materials needed, offers step-by-step instructions for structuring, decorating, numbering, and filling your calendar, and provides creative variations and tips. Ultimately, it encourages embracing the joy of a handmade, sustainable Christmas countdown.

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