There really is no end to what you can do with cardboard tubes! They're so amazingly versatile - just look at these little hearts. Made from slices of toilet paper rolls simply squeezed into shape. Very satisfying and quick to do, and perfect for Valentine's Day.
You will need:
Toilet paper rolls (or kitchen paper rolls)
Paint
Scissors
String/yarn and a needle
White card (or painted cereal box card)
Sticking tape
Cotton wool (optional)
1. Choose colours for your hearts and start painting. Paint the inside as well as the outside of the tube. And if you're only making a few hearts in each colour, there's no need to paint the whole tube. (You could paint each end different colours if you only have a few tubes spare)
2. When the paint is dry, flatten the tubes with the palm of your hand and press along the two creases.
3. Cut across the flattened tubes, and make each slice roughly about a cm wide.
5. To make the heart shape, pinch one of the creases (see pic below) and push the other crease down, towards it, then give this crease a good pinch while you press the top part of the heart into shape with your fingers. Takes a bit of practice, but once you've got the hang of it you'll be making them in a flash.
*We have threaded our hearts together, which needs to be done by a grown up, but if you'd rather not do this, you could stick the hearts onto long strips of paper instead.*
6. We used some white yarn and a needle, and threaded it down through the middle of the heart at the top (leave a good tail to attach to the back of the cloud), and then through the point at the bottom.
(Use modelling clay to push against, if you're finding it hard to make holes in the card)
We threaded three yellow, green, blue and orange hearts on separate strings and four red ones.
7. When you're finished, tie a knot below the bottom heart, and make sure your hearts are spaced out evenly along the yarn (remember to leave a good tail to stick behind the cloud)
8. Use sticky tape to attach the threaded hearts to the back of the cloud. To help with spacing the strings evenly, stick down the ones at each end first (blue and green here), then stick the red hearts halfway between, before adding the other two either side.
9. Covering the cloud with cotton wool looks great too. Make sure you tease it out though, so it doesn't look too lumpy.
