Home New Uses for Old Things at Home 6 Ways to Reuse Toilet Paper Tubes From art projects to packing help, learn how to repurpose cardboard cylinders with these clever hacks. By Brandi Broxson Brandi Broxson Instagram Twitter Website Brandi is an editor and writer with more than 15 years in the magazine and newspaper world. She was with Real Simple for nearly seven years and oversaw personal finance, pets, product testing, and career content. She ideated the magazine's first money issue in 2019 and created two virtual money summits which drew thousands of attendees. Brandi was a longtime editor of Real Simple's popular Clever Items franchise and tested hundreds, if not thousands, of products during her time at the brand. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 7, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email You likely have a couple of cardboard tubes in your home from finished toilet paper and paper towel rolls. But you might not know that cardboard tubes can come in handy around the house. Their cylindrical shape makes them a perfect candidate for a variety of crafts, storage, and even organizing purposes. Read on (or watch the video) for ways to give them a new life. You Probably Didn't Know You Could Recycle These Common Household Goods—But Here's How to Do It 01 of 06 Create a home base for hair ties. Are you constantly misplacing your hair accessories? Plop elastic hair bands onto a toilet paper tube and clip barrettes or bobby pins to the ends for an easy hair accessory HQ. 02 of 06 Store important documents. Keep an important document (like a birth certificate) or a special memento (like a piece of child’s artwork) safely stored without creasing it by rolling it up and placing it inside a paper towel tube. The tube will keep it dry in a cedar chest or plastic container. You can even label the outside of the tube with what’s inside. 03 of 06 Make a knife sheath. Protect your valuable kitchen utensils when moving or traveling with a paper towel tube. Just trim the tube so it’s about an inch or two longer than the blade. Then, place the knife inside and fold the overhang of the tube over on the long and top sides. Secure with tape. 04 of 06 Turn them into stamps. Pass an afternoon with the kids by making simple art stamps. Just pinch the ends of a cardboard tube into a shape like a heart or oval, or make cutouts in the cardboard for a funky design. Stamp onto paper for a DIY wrapping paper design. 05 of 06 Contain those pesky cords. Cords are one of the most annoying items to keep neat, but a cardboard tube can help. Just fold a phone charger or HDMI cord into a neat stack, then place it inside a toilet paper tube. Label the outside with the cord’s function and store it in a bin for easy access. 06 of 06 Craft a DIY birdfeeder. Cover a tube in peanut butter and roll in raw, salt-free seeds or nuts (check online for what your local birds prefer). Place the tube over a branch and watch the birds enjoy a snack. 42 Clever Ways to Repurpose Old Things in Your House Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit