Recycled Toilet Paper Tube Christmas Advent Calendar

Cut a strip from the side of 24 tp tubes one cm wide.

Draw round the end of one tube onto stiff card and make 24 circles and cut out. Dip ends of tubes into pva glue and attach circles - leave to dry completely.

cut pieces of craft paper so that they wrap around the cut tubes and overlap by 2 cms around the circumference and 1cm either end, glue so that the ovelrap goes over the seam and pull the edges together. Snip the ends as shown and fold over one end and glue in with pva, leave the other end unglued but cut and fold in as shown.

By cutting the 1cm from the tube it allows it to fit inside the other uncut tubes that have the ends glued on them.

Print number 1 - 24 on paper and cut another 24 circles from thick card. Cover the card as shown in the pic.

Use tiny silver bells for the buttons and thread through with strong cord or thread. Poke a hole into the centre of the numbered circles and push the thread from the bells through. Thread the cords through a small button on the other side and tie off. Add plenty of pva glue to the tabs on the paper covered tubes and stick the numbers with the bells to them. Add a little weight if you can and leave overnight to dry.

When everything is dry, find a large cardboard box and place the tubes that have the glued on end on to the cardboard close together with a liberal amount of pva and also add pva between the tubes to glue them together so there are 4 across and 6 down (24 in all). Ensure there is enough cardboard box to fold up the sides, bottom and top of the tubes once dry.

Take a large kitchen roll and do the same as you did with the tp rolls - adding a large star button instead of a bell.

Cut 2 triangles to fit the top of the tp roll stack with a little extra to fold over to allow the roof to be stuck on. Stick the kitchen roll to the centre of one of the triangles and cut a hole in the other to correspond with the tube. Glue into place and cover with wrapping paper, snipping and folding in to hide the edge of the tube. The large tube will slide inside.

Score the card that the rolls are stuck on so that it folds up round and covers the tubes. cut another piece of card to fit over the triangles for the roof. Attach the roof and then put a top cover of poly fibre for snow along with a small covered box for a chimney. Stuff small amounts of poly fibre between the tubes to hide them and glue into place. Pop some sweeties and little gifts into the tubes and have a wonderful Christmas.

I added some cracker snaps to mine but they will only work for the first time obviously.