Hello! I am so pleased to be guest posting here today for MuddlePuddle! I am Maggy, a mum of two little ones (aka Red Ted and Pip Squeak) and write over at Red Ted Art, where I love to do kids crafts regularly, as well as show casing craft tutorials for teens and adults!
Today I would like to share one of our favourite crafts with you – our castle and “loo roll men”. I have tons of crafts on Red Ted Art, that I could have shared with, you so why this one?
Weeeeellll firstly, it uses my absolutely most favourite crafty item for kids: the humble toilet paper roll! It is something we all have knocking around at home, it is free and it is versatile! There are sooo many thinks you can make with it (check out my “round up of loo roll crafts”).
Secondly (and more importantly), we simply had so much fun with these. The kids LOVED making the loo roll people (well my son did, my daughter was still too small at the time) and they loved playing with them. Over time arms were added and then removed. Hats made and lost. Moustaches painted on and men squashed in accidents. Lots of fun and lots of opportunity for story telling and developing imagination! I remember a puppet show at Grandpa’s house with these!
Thirdly, all crafting with kids is good. Doesn’t matter what it is! So long as you let them have a go and you spend some quality time together!
On to the craft.
As you can see from the photos, the activity covered 3 days (3 different t-shirts on Red Ted!) – but of course it can be done in less!
Materials: Castle – one cardboard box, 4 toilet rolls, masking tape (opposed to cello tape as you can paint masking tape), coloured card, paint, gold tape and tissue paper (for roses)
Men – one loo roll per man, googly eyes, paint, glue fabric cut offs and a pen
1) First to our castle! We cute out a “door” and a “window”. I wanted to do another “window”, but Red Ted firmly said “no”.
2) We taped 4 differently size loo/ kitchen towel rolls to the box with masking tape. I used masking tape, as you can paint on that.
3) We painted it all white. Red Ted took it VERY serious and also painted the inside of everything.
4) We rushed off to our playdate whilst it dried.
5) We painted some loo rolls pink for “lots of men”
6) When Red Ted went to bed, I stuck on 4 pink half circles as turrets. I found some gold tape (hooray) to secure them and also painted a gold “frame” around the doors.
7) The next day, I got a 6:15am wake up call for Googly eyes – the men needed “dressing” and googly-eye-ing. The dressing, consists of strips of fabric glued one – I recycled everything and these are our old clothes – clothes that were too old for the charity shop – the skirt lining made a lovely pink dress, the old sari (that I had a dress made from) made the “baby” (green), the old shirt the daddy etc etc.
8 ) We made the men and took some photos.
9) A call for more men. More pink painting. More clothes. More goggly eyes.. and then a call for noses… then I asked if we should add some glasses. Oh yes! Even “Boy” got glasses. Then they ALL needed glasses. So I suggested moustaches… then they ALL needed moustaches, so I suggested ears… you get my drift.
10) I then suggested adding roses. YAY! I drew on a bush on the “door” and “window” side of the castle with tissue paper roses to stick on. Red Ted loved the ones at the door.. but then got very grumpy at the ones by the window.. so I had to repaint that part of the castle. Note to self: ask VERY clearly what he wants before doing ANYTHING!
11) Red Ted went to bed with his “men”! Happy.
Top Row: mum (with earrings), baby, daddy (with moustache)
Middle: Family, uncle 1, boy & penguin
Bottom: the crazy family members, with beard, moustache and crazy eyes
My favourite:
I suspect we will spend the rest of the week adding hair (wool and cotton wool) and different hats! YAY! (oh and I have added the “original” Boy & Penguin that started all this off!
I do hope our humble loo roll men and their castle have inspired you to get crafty! Have you got a favourite book that you could bring to life with loo roll creations?
Don’t forget to come and visit Red Ted Art for more Cardboard Tube fun! You will be amazed what you can make!
Thanks for having me!
Maggy
