October isn’t just a month for haunting, it’s also one of the best times of the year for crafting! This season is all about natural elements, earthy and autumnal colors, and harvest motifs!

Gather up your corn stalks, pine cones, and branches for a crafter’s dream come true. Celebrate October with easy to make upcycled crafts like this toilet paper pumpkin! They’re small, easy to make, and offer a cute piece of fall décor that can go just about anywhere.

Did I mention they’re a blast to make? If you’re anything like me, then you know there’s nothing more satisfying than breathing new life into something that was otherwise destined for the recycling bin. In the spirit of fall season DIY, this upcycled craft is a clever way to make use of something that was headed for the recycling bin.

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Adorable Upcycled Toilet Paper Pumpkin

It’s pumpkin spice season and these adorable little toilet paper roll pumpkins are going to make your fall warm and cheerful! There’s nothing worse than going into stores on any given holiday just to find the price of decorations is through the roof.

Thankfully, cute little crafts like these give you the option to put a homemade twist on your décor collection!

Whoever thought you could get something so unique from an empty roll of toilet paper! If you think that’s impressive, check out these pumpkin crafts made from planters!

Crafts like these are perfect for those chilly October nights, so play your favorite Halloween movie, grab some hot cocoa, and get creative! Our step-by-step instructions below will guide you through how to create this craft.

First things first, do a quick rummage through your craft supplies to see whether or not you’ve already got most of what you need on hand! (You might find yourself surprised!) You’d be surprised to find out what other types of DIY art you can make with old materials, too!

Do I Need to use Toilet Paper Rolls?

Cardboard toilet paper rolls just happen to be the easiest material to use to make this craft. Of course, there are alternatives. Just about everyone produces them, so if you collect them for even just a short while, you’ll have more than enough to make this craft!

Alternatively, you can use foam crafting sheets as well! These are available at most dollar stores and craft stores. They have an adhesive side, so you can easily cut them to size, form a roll and then press it to stick together. The best part is, you can often find them with glitter and other designs right out of the package! In this project, we’ll use both to add some texture, shimmer, and extra color to our pumpkin.

What Can I do to Personalize This Craft?

A lot of it comes from the type of materials you’re using! By swapping out one thing for another, you can alter the texture, color, and appearance of your craft drastically! Since we’re using foam sheets, one of the first things you can do is swap out for alternate colors.

Consider making black glittery foam sheet paper pumpkins as well so you can create an interesting set! If you’re not looking to swap out materials, there is more you can do to add to this craft. Try incorporating things like fairy lights, glitter spray, ribbon, twine and other fall-themed craft implements that could add some unique character. Here’s a few ideas to help get you inspired:

Weave fairy lights through a set of 3 of these toilet paper roll pumpkins for a warm glowing display
Spray the pumpkins with a glitter spray for a textured and shimmering look
Attach thread to these to hang them in a tiered set of 3 for an interesting floating decoration
Use several of these pumpkins to create a diorama
Add some cute Halloween crafting motifs like skeletons, witch’s hats, and cauldrons

Materials Needed:

How to Make Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Craft

First, begin by painting the inside of the toilet paper rolls. Using your craft brush, gingerly coat the inside of all of your rolls with paint. Opt for cheaper acrylic craft paint, since it spreads more easily.

Press each roll down to make them completely flat. At this point, use a ruler, or protractor in order to draw lines for 1/2 inch strips across the entire flattened roll. The next thing you’ll do is cut each of the strips out on the lines. Repeat for all of the toilet paper rolls you’re using.

Next, perform the same measurements on the foam craft paper. Afterward, remove the film from the adhesive strips and wrap these around your toilet paper roll rings on the white side. Press to seal as you go along.

Once you’ve got a few piles of these, stack them up and pull a piece of twine through the middle. This will bind out the pumpkin in the middle! Combine roughly a dozen of these rings on one piece of twine, and then pull it taught, tying a knot once all of the pieces form an oblong sphere, much like a pumpkin.

It’s now ready for decoration! Add a cinnamon stick to act as the ‘stump’, tie on a decorative piece of burlap and customize it however you’d like! Where will you display this marvelous little pumpkin?

Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin

Save a couple bucks with these adorable and enjoyable mini toilet paper roll pumpkins! They only take a few materials, and they're so much fun to decorate with during fall!

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $5

Materials

Instructions

Paint the inside of the toilet paper rolls, and then flatten them.
After this, you'll create roughly 1/2 inch marks along the roll indicating where to cut the strips.
Repeat this process with the foam crafting sheets.
At this point, combine the two by affixing the strips of foam to the white part of each toilet paper ring
Tie a length of twine through approx 1 dozen of these rings, and pull tight to create the pumpkin shape.
Add a piece of cinnamon stick for a stump, and burlap ribbon for decoration and you're finished!

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Finished Product Gallery

Where will you display this adorable pumpkin? Ironically enough, a set of these might just make a great display for your towel rack in the bathroom or closet shelf!

You can also try hanging them from threads in a sequence for a magically extravagant decoration that twirls and shimmers all day long!

Since it’s so simple to make, you could definitely get younger crafters on board with a project like this! If you have kids, nieces, or nephews, or even grandchildren that want to let out their creativity this project is a wonderful choice!