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Toilet roll crafts are something I find a little bit addictive. When you figure out just how many possibilities there are for cutting and folding them it’s hard to stop one idea from leading to another and then another. These swans are particularly simple to create, the first time I made them was with the kids when they were preschoolers for a Wild Swans fairytale craft which I wrote as a guest post for Mom to two Posh Lil Divas. The swans have been modernised slightly, but they are still super easy and a great craft to make with little ones who can paint and decorate them if they are not quite up to the task of cutting and folding them yet.

You will need:

• Cardboard tubes (toilet rolls, or paper towel rolls cut in half)
• Scissors
• Paint
• Sharpie
• PVA or craft glue

How To:

Squash your toilet roll flat, then cut it in the shape shown above. Use the discarded piece of cardboard to cut the leaf-shaped wings from.

Pop the toilet roll back into a round shape and bend the pointy piece down so that it looks like a swan’s graceful neck. You can glue the wings on either before or after you paint them, but for the purposes of showing how to put it together I have stuck them on before painting.

Paint and decorate your swan, and draw two dots for eyes with your sharpie marker (or use black paint) once it’s dry. I’ve gone for bright colours but you could stick to the more accurate white or black colours if you want to be technically correct.

They make a fun DIY toy for kids and are a great way to craft and play!

More cut and fold cardboard tube animals:

• Elephants
• Frill-necked lizard
• Fish
• Dinosaurs
• Bunnies
• Reindeer

You can find lots more fun toilet roll crafts on our Cardboard Tube board on Pinterest.

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