Empty toilet paper rolls are surprisingly versatile household items! Instead of tossing them into the recycling bin, you can repurpose them into clever, eco-friendly organizational and gardening tools.
Here are 10 brilliant ways to reuse toilet paper rolls around the house:
1. Seedling Starter Pots
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How to do it: Cut four small vertical slits (about half an inch deep) on each end of the roll. Fold the bottom flaps inward like a cardboard box to create a sturdy base.
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Why it works: Fill the tube with potting soil and plant your seeds. Because the cardboard is biodegradable, you can plant the entire tube directly into the ground when the seedling is ready—the roots will break right through!
2. Cord and Cable Organizer
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How to do it: Fold or coil spare charging cables, appliance cords, or holiday string lights neatly, and slip them inside individual cardboard rolls.
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Why it works: It keeps tangled cords separate in your drawers or bins. You can even label the outside of the tube with a marker so you know exactly which cord is inside.
3. Wrapping Paper Guard
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How to do it: Cut a straight slit down the length of a toilet paper roll from top to bottom. Wrap this open sleeve around rolls of gift wrap, butcher paper, or posters.
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Why it works: It acts as a cuff that prevents wrapping paper from unravelling and getting crinkled in storage.
4. Drawer Dividers for Socks and Underwear
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How to do it: Line up multiple tubes side-by-side inside a shallow dresser drawer or desk organizer, gluing or taping them together for stability if desired.
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Why it works: It creates custom, honeycomb-style compartments that keep small items like rolled socks, ties, underwear, or crafting supplies neatly separated.
5. Natural Fire Kindling
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How to do it: Stuff the inside of the tubes tightly with lint from your dryer trap, shredded junk mail, or scraps of newspaper.
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Why it works: Lint and paper catch a spark instantly. Toss one into your fireplace, fire pit, or wood stove for an easy, cost-free fire starter. (Note: Avoid using synthetic dryer lint if you want a purely organic burn.)
6. Plastic Bag Dispenser
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How to do it: Stuff dozens of plastic grocery bags tightly into a single toilet paper roll.
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Why it works: It compresses messy plastic bags into a neat, compact cylinder that easily fits into a kitchen drawer, car glove compartment, or cleaning caddy, allowing you to pull them out one by one.
7. Gentle Plant Protectors (Cutworm Collars)
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How to do it: Cut toilet paper rolls in half horizontally to make shorter rings, and slide them around the stems of young garden plants, pressing them an inch into the soil.
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Why it works: This creates a physical barrier that protects tender young stalks from crawling pests like cutworms.
8. DIY Smartphone Amplifier
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How to do it: Cut a horizontal slit in the middle of the tube just wide enough to slide the bottom speaker of your smartphone into. Push a push-pin or bottle cap into each open end to act as tiny “feet” to lift the tube off the table.
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Why it works: The hollow cardboard chamber acts as a natural acoustic resonator, slightly boosting your phone’s speaker volume for podcasts, alarms, or music.
9. Ribbon and Twine Dispenser
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How to do it: Slide spools of ribbon, twine, or yarn onto a wooden dowel or sturdy string, and nestle the rolls inside a shoebox or basket, pulling the ends through a punched hole. Alternatively, slide individual ribbon spools inside a toilet paper tube and pull the ribbon end through a slit cut in the cardboard.
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Why it works: It prevents spools from tangling or unspooling uncontrollably in your craft stash.
10. Bird Feeder
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How to do it: Coat a cardboard tube generously in peanut butter (or sunbutter), then roll it thoroughly in a shallow dish of birdseed until completely covered. Thread a piece of string through the center and hang it from a tree branch.
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Why it works: It provides a cheap, highly engaging treat for backyard birds, and the cardboard can simply be tossed into the compost once the seeds are gone.
Which of these clever DIY hacks are you planning to try first?
