That empty roll you almost tossed in the bin this morning might be the start of your favorite toilet paper roll crafts this Christmas. Instead of throwing it away, turn it into a reindeer, a snowman, or a tiny Santa sitting on your mantle.
You already have the main supply sitting in your bathroom cabinet, so there is really nothing stopping you from starting today. My kids always get excited to turn simple cardboard rolls into festive decorations, and I love that it keeps them busy without spending extra money.
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What You Need for These Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Crafts
Here is a short list of supplies that come up again and again in these toilet paper roll Christmas crafts:
- Empty toilet paper rolls (start saving them now)
- Washable paint in red, green, white, and brown
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Markers or crayons
- Googly eyes
- Scissors (for you, not them)
- Cotton balls, pom poms, and glitter for extra sparkle
Now let us get into the fun part.
1. Toilet Paper Roll Reindeer
Paint a roll brown, then glue on two brown pipe cleaners bent into antlers. Add googly eyes and a small red pom pom for Rudolph’s nose. This is one of the most popular toilet paper roll Christmas crafts because kids love giving their reindeer a silly personality.
2. Toilet Paper Roll Santa
Paint the bottom half of a roll red for Santa’s coat and leave the top white for his beard. Glue on a small paper face, a black paper belt, and cotton balls for the beard and hat trim. Out of all the toilet paper roll Christmas crafts on this list, this one always gets the biggest smiles.
3. Toilet Paper Roll Snowman
Paint a roll white and let it dry completely. Glue on three small black paper circles for buttons, an orange triangle for the nose, and a scrap of fabric for a scarf. Top it off with a small black paper hat, and your snowman is ready to stand guard on the shelf.
Need more chilly season fun after this? These 25 easy sensory bin ideas for toddlers pair nicely with a winter craft afternoon.
4. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Tree
Cut a roll into rings, then stack the rings from largest to smallest on paper to form a tree shape, or simply paint one roll green and decorate it with tiny dot stickers as ornaments. Add a yellow paper star at the top. This tree craft is simple, but the result looks surprisingly festive on a windowsill.
5. Toilet Paper Roll Angel
Paint a roll white or gold, then glue on paper wings cut from a folded circle. Add a small paper face and a halo made from a thin gold pipe cleaner. This gentle craft works well for kids who enjoy quieter, more detailed projects during the holiday season.
6. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Elf
Paint a roll green for the elf’s body and add a red paper hat with a white pom pom on the tip. Draw a face with markers and glue on tiny felt shoes at the base. Kids often want to make a whole team of elves once they finish the first one.
Looking for something to serve alongside your craft session? Check out these no-bake Christmas cookies that come together just as fast as these crafts do.
7. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Wreath
Cut several rolls into thin rings, then paint them green and glue them together in a circle to form a wreath shape. Add a small red bow at the bottom and tiny paper berries scattered around the ring. Hang it on a bedroom door for an easy homemade decoration.
8. Toilet Paper Roll Gingerbread Man
Paint a roll light brown, then glue on white icing lines made from paper strips or puffy paint. Add two googly eyes, red paper buttons, and a smiling mouth. This craft pairs perfectly with a holiday baking day and looks adorable lined up on a shelf.
If gingerbread has your little one hooked, this gingerbread sensory bin for toddlers is an easy setup that keeps the theme going.
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9. Toilet Paper Roll Penguin
Paint a roll black, leave a white oval unpainted or glued on for the belly, and add an orange paper beak and feet. Two googly eyes complete the look. This is one of the simplest toilet paper roll Christmas crafts, so it works well for younger toddlers who need extra help.
10. Toilet Paper Roll Nutcracker
Paint a roll with a red coat on the bottom half and black on top for the hat. Glue on a paper mustache, gold buttons down the front, and a small paper crown detail. This craft brings a bit of classic holiday charm to your Christmas display.
11. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Candle
Paint a roll white or red and glue a rolled yellow and orange paper flame to the top opening so it peeks out like a real candle flame. Add a strip of green paper leaves around the base for a festive touch. Line up a few of these for an easy holiday table centerpiece.
These would look lovely alongside your table setup too. Take a look at these Christmas dinner table setting ideas for extra holiday inspiration.
12. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Owl
Flatten the top of a roll slightly, then paint it brown and add large googly eyes, a small orange triangle beak, and paper feather details along the front. Sit it on a branch shape cut from paper for extra effect. This craft turns out cute every single time.
13. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Stocking
Cut a roll in half lengthwise and shape it into a stocking outline, or wrap the whole roll in red or green paper and add a white cotton ball trim at the top. Hang it with a loop of ribbon. Kids enjoy decorating each one differently, so no two stockings ever match.
14. Toilet Paper Roll Polar Bear
Paint a roll white, add a small oval snout in a lighter shade, and glue on round ears cut from white paper. Two black dots for eyes and a tiny black nose finish the look. This gentle winter animal craft is a nice break from the usual red and green theme.
For more animal crafting fun beyond the holidays, these 30 ladybug craft ideas for all ages are just as easy and adorable.
15. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Bell
Paint a roll gold or silver, then pinch the bottom slightly inward to form a bell shape. Glue a small pom pom inside the opening at the bottom to look like a bell clapper, and tie a ribbon bow near the top. String a few together for a jingling garland.
16. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Candy Cane
Wrap a roll in alternating strips of red and white paper, or paint diagonal stripes by hand. Curve the top slightly by folding it over gently once the paint has dried. This is a quick craft that still manages to look impressively neat once finished.
Related Read:
- Christmas Party Decorations
- 25 Simple Butterfly Crafts for Toddlers
- 25 Aesthetic Paper Craft Ideas You Can Make at Home
17. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Countdown Chain
Flatten several rolls and cut them into rings, then write a number on each ring using markers, one for each day left until Christmas. Link the rings together into a paper chain that your child can tear off day by day. This craft doubles as a fun countdown activity all month long.
18. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Puppet
Decorate a roll as any holiday character you like, whether that is Santa, a reindeer, or an elf, then glue a craft stick inside the bottom opening so your child can hold it up and act out little Christmas scenes. This turns a simple craft into imaginative play that lasts well beyond the glue drying.
19. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Ornament
Flatten a roll and cut thin strips, then glue the strips together in a circular pattern to form a snowflake-style ornament. Add glitter and a loop of string at the top so it can hang on the tree. This is a lovely way to make ornaments that your child actually created themselves.
Once the ornaments are ready, they will fit right in with the rest of your setup. Browse more ideas in this list of Christmas party decorations for the full festive look.
20. Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Village
Decorate several rolls to look like tiny houses, complete with paper windows, doors, and pointed roofs cut from cardstock. Line them up along a windowsill or shelf, dust them lightly with fake snow spray or cotton balls, and you have a whole miniature Christmas village made almost entirely from toilet paper rolls.
If you want to add a sensory element to your holiday activities, these Christmas sensory bins are a wonderful addition to any craft day.
More Christmas Activities Your Kids Will Love
Since you are already deep into holiday mode, here are a few more ideas worth trying this season:
- Christmas Dinner Table Setting Ideas — Perfect for the big family meal
- No Bake Christmas Cookies — A sweet treat to make together
- Christmas Party Decorations — Ideas to dress up your whole home
- 20 Gingerbread Sensory Bin for Toddlers — Easy to set up and full of holiday scent
- 30 Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers — Great for the little hands doing all this gluing
Finally,
Toilet paper roll Christmas crafts prove that some of the best holiday memories come from the simplest supplies. You do not need a full craft store trip or a big budget to fill your home with handmade decorations this year. All you need is a few saved rolls, some paint, and a little time with your kids.
Pick two or three ideas from this list to start with this week. Once your child sees their first reindeer or snowman standing on the shelf, they will want to work their way through every single craft on this list before Christmas morning arrives.
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