This classic idea for a toilet paper roll Santa, snowman, or elf is a go-to holiday idea for kids to make. I love how easy these are to customize. Kids will love making their own favorite Christmas icons, and you'll love how easy and inexpensive they are to create!

While the kids make these fun crafts, you can make this cute pom pom gnome ornament idea for the tree or this simple snowman candle craft!

Toilet Paper Roll Santa, Snowman, and Elf Craft

Toilet paper roll crafts are some of the best ones to make with kids. Inexpensive craft paper and glue can easily turn a basic empty roll of toilet paper into a favorite holiday decoration.

I remember making these when I was a kid. They are truly one of those classic holiday decorations that every child will make at some point in their life.

If you have kids like mine that love making a large variety of crafts, then make sure to check out my other projects to repurpose paper rolls for Christmas decorations.

There are so many fun ways to take an empty roll and add a bit of paper and glue to embellish it and turn it into a beautiful and favorite addition to your holiday decorations.

You don't want to miss this list of other easy DIY Christmas ornaments you can make in just a few ideas. There are some great ways to use these to keep your kids busy during the holidays creating new decorations!

Fun Ways to Use These Christmas Character Crafts

If your kids want to make one of these for all of their favorite Christmas characters, you may be wondering what to do with the abundance of them. Not only can you display them on the mantle as I have done, but you can add them to other fun holiday decorations. Below are some of my favorite ways to use these simple toilet paper roll ideas for Christmas.

• Attach a magnet to the back and use it as a holiday magnet on your refrigerator.
• Fold the bottoms in and use them to fill with candy and gift to others as a special treat box.
• Attach them to a simple greenery wreath to add color and whimsy alongside some of these paper straw mini Christmas trees.
• Add one to each place setting at your holiday table with a simple card showing your guests' names propped in front of the character.
• Glue a loop of ribbon or thread to the back and hang them on the tree next to these pasta Christmas tree decorations.

Tips for Personalizing Your Paper Craft Characters

These are pretty basic design, so you may be wondering how you can make them more unique. Especially if you have several kids making them, this will be a must. I love making things like this but sometimes the kids complain if their projects are too much alike. So, I have solutions to help make that easier.

The first option is to paint the cardboard or paper toilet paper rolls a different color. This adds something unique and is easy to do with the kids. Just have them paint the rolls and set them aside to dry while the cut out the rest of their decorations. While they are waiting, you can set them to work making these pasta snowflake ornaments or to make some color your own ornaments.

My other suggestion is to get different types of eyes and mouths for them. Googly eyes are great, but you can now find them and eye stickers in tons of colors and sizes. This can turn that smiling snowman into a goofy looking Olaf from Frozen in seconds!

My last tip is to use non-traditional colors. We always think of red, white, and green for Christmas, but that doesn't have to be all you use. Purple, blue, silver, gold, yellow, pink, and orange can all be added for a bit more fun. Kids love personalizing them, and you'll love keeping the peace during crafting time.

Supplies

• Empty toilet paper rolls
• Orange felt
• Gold, red, and green glitter foam paper
• Buttons in various colors and sizes
• Small jingle bells
• Googly eyes
• Decorative stars or stickers
• Cotton balls
• Pom poms in various colors
• Satin ribbon in red and green
• Green and gold glittery pipe cleaners
• Green, red, white, and black paint
• Black marker
• Paintbrushes
• Scissors
• Black marker

How to Make a Paper Snowman

For the snowman, you will start by adding the face to the front of the roll. I cut a small piece of orange paper and glued it to the middle.

Next, I drew on a mouth and eyes.

Add a cotton ball on both sides of the top of the snowman with hot glue.

For the scarf, I cut a thin strip of the red foam paper and glued it onto the paper roll making sure the front wrapped crisscrossed for a scarf look. The buttons are added onto the front with hot glue.

The final step for the snowman is to take a green pipe cleaner and fold over so it creates a loop over the top of the snowman. Attach this where the cotton balls are on the sides.

How to Make a Santa Toilet Paper Roll Craft

For the Santa Claus paper roll craft, you will begin by cutting out strips of red glitter foam paper to attach to the roll. First, measure about halfway up the toilet paper, and cut a length of the foam paper in that height.

Glue the paper onto the bottom of half of the toilet paper roll.

The next step is to cut a small arc out of the red foam paper and roll it into a cone shape. Attach this to the top of the toilet paper roll to be the hat.

Next, you will glue a cotton ball onto the top of the cone hat.

Pull a cotton ball apart to create a strip of cotton to glue around the base of the hat for hair. Then, you will glue more cotton in place as a beard.

In the open space on the paper roll, you will add googly eyes and a nose.

Finish the Santa with a few buttons glued in place on the suit.

How to Make a Paper Elf

For the toilet paper elf, you will begin by cutting strips of green glitter paper to build the body and hat of the elf.

Place one strip on the bottom half of the toilet paper roll.

Attach the red buttons to the front of the green paper to make the "suit".

Cut the other strip of green paper into an arc and shape into a cone to then glue in place on the top of the toilet paper roll.

Once the hat is in place, you will add a small white pom pom to the top of the cone, and then extra white cotton around the rim of the elf hat.

Lastly, you will glue on googly eyes, a red pom pom nose, and draw on a smile.

Video Tutorial:

Printable Step by Step Photo Tutorial:

Yield: 3

Classic Toilet Paper Roll Santa, Snowman, and Elf Kids Craft

Print

Make this classic set of kids crafts including a toilet paper roll Santa, snowman, and elf! A perfect way to get kids helping you create this holiday season.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 17 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

• Empty toilet paper rolls
• Orange felt
• Gold, red, and green glitter foam paper
• Buttons in various colors and sizes
• Small jingle bells
• Googly eyes
• Decorative stars or stickers
• Cotton balls
• Pom poms in various colors
• Satin ribbon in red and green
• Green and gold glittery pipe cleaners
• Green, red, white, and black paint
• Black marker

Tools

• Paintbrushes
• Scissors
• Black marker

Instructions

For the Snowman:

1. For the snowman, you will start by adding the face to the front of the roll. I cut a small piece of orange paper and glued it to the middle;
2. Next, I drew on a mouth and eyes;
3. Add a cotton ball on both sides of the top of the snowman with hot glue;
4. For the scarf, I cut a thin strip of the red foam paper and glued it onto the paper roll making sure the front wrapped crisscrossed for a scarf look;
5. The buttons are added onto the front with hot glue;
6. The final step for the snowman is to take a green pipe cleaner and fold over so it creates a loop over the top of the snowman and attach it where the cotton balls are on the sides. 

For the Santa:

1. Begin by cutting out a strip of red glitter foam paper to attach to the paper roll. Measure it to a halfway point on the roll, and cut accordingly;
2. Glue the paper onto the bottom half of the roll;
3. Next, you will cut a small piece of the same paper into an arc and roll it into a cone shape to attach to the top of the roll as a hat;
4. Glue a cotton ball to the top of the hat, and use more cotton around the base of the hat for hair, and along the sides to create a beard;
5. Add in googly eyes and a red pom pom nose;
6. Glue the buttons onto the front of the "suit" to finish the Santa.

For the Elf:

1. To make the elf, you will begin by cutting the strips of green paper to glue in place as you did for the Santa before;
2. Glue one strip on the bottom of the roll to create the elf suit, and cut and roll the other piece into a cone shape to attach to the top as a hat;
3. Add a small white pom pom to the top of the hat, and extra cotton around the base of the hat;
4. Attach the red buttons to the front of the suit;
5. The last step is to glue on your googly eyes, pom pom nose, and draw on a smile.