articles

Toilet Paper Roll Owls

By Kristen Pietro, a Macaroni Mom September 19, 2013
Owls are certainly trendy this year - from fashion to home decor to crafting, we're seeing these wise birds pop up everywhere! Here's an easy way to create your own parliament of owls with readily accessible supplies.

What You’ll Need:
  • Empty toilet paper rolls
  • Paint and paintbrushes
  • Scrapbook or construction paper scraps (including yellow or orange for beaks)
  • Googly eyes (or black and white paper to create owl eyes)
Steps You'll Take:

1. Remove all of the excess toilet paper from the rolls.


2. Prepare to paint! 
Cover the table and put on your painting smocks or old t-shirts.

3. Choose your method and paint your toilet paper roll. 
The brush approach: Pour your paint colors into old egg cartons, or a similar container. The egg cartons are easy because they separate small amounts of different colors for each child, but don’t require any clean up after the project is done.
The roll approach: Fill a shallow container with the paint and roll the toilet paper rolls in it. This was much more effective in spreading the paint over the entire toilet paper roll quickly! You can always touch up the paint with a paint brush after rolling it.

4. Create your embellishments.
While the toilet paper rolls are drying have kids pick out the paper they want to use for the wings and beaks. Left over scrapbooking paper or construction paper works great! Cut out leaf-like shapes out for the owl's wings. Cut out yellow or orange, triangles for the beaks. Pick a pair of googly eyes or cut white and black circles for the eyes.

5. Assemble your owl.
When the toilet paper rolls are dry, fold down the top of the toilet paper roll, then fold the other side on top so that it creates horn-like feather like on a Great Horned Owl. Use a little glue to keep it down, if needed. Then glue on the eyes, beak and wings.

6. Find a perch for your new feathered friend!