Paper Roll Elephant
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A fun paper roll elephant made from simple materials you already have around the house. Use them to make puppets or just for fun.
Are your kids as obsessed as mine with toilet paper rolls and paper towel tubes? The roll gets emptied and they want to play with them. They use them to make our favorite Paper Roll Dragons, paper roll insects and they have cut them apart to make bracelets before. Our favorite activity recently was to make a paper roll elephant. All you need are some toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls and a few other simple supplies and you’re ready.
Supplies Needed for 3D Elephant Craft
Get creative with how you make the eyes and rosy cheeks for this paper roll elephant! We used my eye templates and pink buttons but you could also use pom poms, markers, googly eyes, and anything else you can find around the house. Here’s what we used.
- Empty toilet paper rolls (paper towel rolls work as well)
- Cardstock paper in light gray and dark dray
- Buttons – we used pink to look like cheeks
- FREE Eye Template
- Elephant Template
- ULTRA Fine Sharpie marker
- Glue, I prefer to use hot glue (adults only) but Elmers Extreme is another great option
Alternate Ideas for the Elephant
If you don’t want to use construction paper, feel free to paint your toilet paper tube using different colors of acrylic paint. Just make sure to let it dry before gluing on any other pieces. This craft just makes the elephant head, but feel free to use your imagination and add legs and a tail with gray yarn or string! See if your kids can think of creative ways to make the elephant’s feet or alternate ways to make elephant’s ears. They will have a blast brainstorming and making their unique paper roll elephant.
PAPER ROLL ELEPHANT HOW-TO VIDEO:
Steps to Make Toilet Paper Tube Elephant
Follow these easy steps to make your own paper roll elephant. The steps are so simple that kids of all ages will be able to help you.
- First, cut out elephant template pieces from your construction paper.
- Glue them onto the toilet paper roll. I used hot glue to make the pieces stick, but liquid glue will work fine. You may just have to hold the pieces for a while so they don’t slide down the tube. The elephant ears don’t stick on the sides of the tube very well unless you hold them for a bit or use hot glue.
- Use a black marker to draw the creases on the elephant truck. This just makes it look a little more realistic.
Crafts like these are great for working on fine motor skills with both older kids and younger kids. They love having craft projects to keep them busy any time of year and it’s fun for the whole family.
Toilet Paper Roll Elephant
Equipment
- Empty toilet paper rolls
- Cardstock paper light gray and dark gray
- Buttons – we used pink to look like cheeks
- FREE Eye Template
- Elephant Template
- ULTRA Fine Sharpie marker
- Glue I prefer to use hot glue (adults only) but Elmers Extreme is another great option
Instructions
- First, cut out elephant template pieces from your construction paper.
- Glue them onto the toilet paper roll. I used hot glue to make the pieces stick, but liquid glue will work fine. You may just have to hold the pieces for a while so they don’t slide down the tube. The elephant ears don’t stick on the sides of the tube very well unless you hold them for a bit or use hot glue. Use a black marker to draw the creases on the elephant truck. This just makes it look a little more realistic.
- Use a black marker to draw the creases on the elephant truck. This just makes it look a little more realistic.
How Do You Make an Elephant Out of Paper Plates?
If you are trying to make elephants out of all sorts of materials, you can also make them out of paper plates. If you have been following me for a while you know that I love using dessert-sized paper plates to craft. They make simple animal faces and are very durable for those tiny fingers. Check out this Paper Plate Elephant Craft as well as other zoo animals!
For more fun and simple toilet paper roll crafts, check these out:
- Spring Toilet Paper Roll Insects – These make super fun finger puppet ideas for learning about the life cycles of insects and enjoying the first signs of spring.
- Paper Roll Dragon – Have a kid that loves dragons? Use this fun craft to bring their fantasies to life! It pairs well with fun read alouds and dragon-themed parties as well.
- Toilet Paper Roll Olaf – Watch your favorite Frozen movie and create your own Olaf puppet using simple supplies. This also makes a great craft for a birthday party!
- Paper Roll Penguin – Studying penguins or just love penguins. Make this cute penguin out of materials you already have lying around the house.
I hope you enjoy making these fun crafts with your kids! Be sure to follow me on social media for more easy and fun ideas do to with your kids. @madetobeamomma and @madetobeakid
