Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

This project combines one of my favourite subjects with one of my favourite materials: monsters and toilet paper rolls. Monsters are fantastic because there's no wrong way to make a monster; toilet paper rolls are a great material because they're readily available and have a thousand uses. With some colourful paper and a pipe cleaner, a boring old cardboard roll can easily be transformed into a goofy little monster.

Here's what you'll need for this project:

First, choose a colour of paper for the body of the monster. Measure the length of the tube and cut the paper to fit.

Glue the paper to the roll and cut two slits about half an inch long in either side of the top of the roll. About half an inch below each slit, pierce a small hole- this is where the pipe cleaner arms will fit through.

Take the bristol board and cut out the shape of the head. This can be any shape you like, but must be slightly larger than the diameter of the tube.

Trace the circumference of the tube onto some bristol board for the feet, making sure that this bottom piece is slightly larger than the tube so that they can easily be glued together. Again, these an be any shape you like.

Next come the hands. Once you've cut them out, they need a hole punched in them so that they can be attached to the pipe cleaners.

Cut a standard length of pipe cleaner in half. Take one of these pieces and wrap it around the hole made in one of the hands. Feed the other end of the pipe cleaner through the holes in the tube and wrap it around the other hand.

Spread a thin line of glue around the base of the tube and stick it onto the feet.

While you're waiting for the glue to dry, it's time to decorate the monster's face. I cut shapes out of different colours of paper, but you could also use markers, pencils, or crayons to draw on the facial features if you prefer. Remember, a monster can have any kind of face you like!

You can also decorate the body- I gave this fellow a random sprinkling of blue polka dots.

You could give your monster other details as well. I added a tail by cutting a long triangular piece out of the bristol board and sliding it into a slit made in the back of the tube. 

Attach the head by slotting it into the two slits at the top of the tube. And voila! A funny, freaky little tube monster!

These were so much fun, I couldn't help making a whole gang of monster friends.

If you need a little monster-inspiration, why not take a look at the creations of Maurice Sendak, Jim Henson, and Mercer Mayer, three geniuses in the world of monstrous make-believe: