DIY Craft: Cardboard Roll Garland

With a mobile infant, I find I have even less time for crafting. With Judah getting into EVERYTHING, I just can't leave the hot glue gun plugged in - thus reducing my crafting time to during naps only/after bedtime.

However, this was a quick one, so it didn't take too long too accomplish. I love looking at Pinterest for crafting projects, and I was inspired by all the crafts made from cardboard rolls - the kind you get at the end of a paper towel or TP roll. I saved empty paper towel rolls for this one.

Here's What You'll Need:
• Empty Toilet Paper Rolls or Paper Towel Cardboard rolls cut into strips about 1/2" wide
• Scrapbook Paper
• Letters printed off a computer or to size out of a Silhouette or Cricut cutter - I made mine to size in photoshop in 1" circles
• Decorative punches
• Hot Glue
• Hole Punch
• Thread, string, yard - something to hang your garland.

Step 1: Gather your supplies. I wanted my garland to read "Peace On Earth" - so 12 individual letters. I used a 3" decorative punch to punch out 12 scalloped circles from scrapbook paper. I printed out my letters and used a 1" circle punch to cut them out (I printed them on plain cardstock). And finally I figured out I would need six strips of TP roll per letter for the shape I wanted to create (so enough cardboard roll for 72 strips).

Step 2.  Using hot glue, glue together your TP roll strips in the center to form a flower shape. I liked the look better with 8 strips, but that would require 96 total strips, and I just didn't want to wait until I had more. So I went with six.

 

Step 3. Using hot glue, layer on your decorative punches and cut out letters on top of your flower shapes.

 

Step 4. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top point of your flower/star. Thread your letters onto your thread or yarn. I used decorative christmas trim.

 

 

Step 5. Hang your garland and slide your letters to space them evenly. Stand back and admire your craftiness.

 

Now looking at the top photo I realized I mis-strung two letters and spelled "earth" wrong. Fail. Oh well, at least this is an easy fix!

 

Cardboard Rolls + Hot Glue = Classy :).