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Life Hacks

15 Brilliant Uses for Cardboard Tubes

Toilet paper and/or paper towel tubes can save you time and money with these quick tips

By Carissa Mosness
Uses for Cardboard tubes: Wind Yarn Fast
Use a mixer and a short cardboard tube to quickly roll up yarn!

We love nothing more than finding new uses for items that are headed for the garbage can or recycling bin. And the cardboard tubes left over from rolls of toilet paper, paper towels and wrapping paper have a surprising number of uses! Whether you have thick cardboard tubes or heavy duty cardboard tubes or just regular ones, you can use them for crafting, organizing, training your pet and more. Read on for 15 genius uses for cardboard tubes and be prepared to save yourself plenty of time, money and hassle!

Interested in upcycling in general? Check a few of our other stories: 13 Startlingly Brilliant Uses for Pool Noodles, 14 Brilliant Uses for Bubble Wrap, 20 Brilliant Uses for Vinegar and Dish Soap.

  1. Uses for cardboard tubes: Store leftover wrapping paper

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Store leftover wrapping paper
    No matter how carefully you put away your wrapping paper, it always seems to come undone in storage, leading to wrinkles and rips. To ensure your paper stays crisp, cut a slit down the side of a paper-towel roll, then slip it over the wrapping-paper roll. The tube acts as a cuff, keeping wrapping paper in place. Related: Easy Gift Wrapping Hack For Oddly Shaped Items

  3. Make a case for knitting needles

    knitting needles inside a cardboard tube taped closed at one end
    The genius no-cost way to store your knitting needles safely? Cover one end of a paper towel tube with duct tape to seal it, then slip your needles (sharp side pointing down) inside. The tube will keep the needles organized so you always know where to find them. Related: Craft Work From Home Jobs: Turn Your Talent Into Extra Income

  5. Uses for cardboard tubes: Corral cords

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Detangle your cords
    All those cords for phones, tablets, computers and more can make a mess. To the rescue: toilet paper tubes! After wrapping the cords up, place them in the cardboard tube and label as needed. The tube will help store the cords without damaging them. Now, when you need a charger you can find it fast!

  6. Uses for cardboard tubes: Deodorize your bathroom

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Deodorize your bathroom
    No need to splurge on air fresheners to keep your bathroom smelling great when you can make one at home for pennies! To do: Add a few drops of essential oil to cotton balls, then set them inside an empty toilet paper tube, cover with cheesecloth and place in the bathroom. You can even decorate the tube with paint or tissue paper. Just add more drops of essential oil when the scent loses strength. (Click through for more homemade air fresheners)

  7. Protect pants from hanger creases

    pants folded over a cardboard tube on a hanger
    You can’t find a padded hanger in your closet, and draping dress pants over plastic hangers leaves them with a pesky crease. To sidestep the problem, enlist the help of a paper-towel tube. Simply cut a slit down the length of the tube, slip it over the hanger and then tape the cardboard back together. The cylindrical cardboard tube stops creases from setting in so you won’t have to waste precious time pressing your pants. Related:10 Small Closet Organizing Hacks From Pro Organizers That Will Change Your Life

  9. Uses for cardboard tubes: Entertain Fluffy for pennies

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Entertain Fluffy for pennies
    If Fluffy is bored and you don’t want to spend a bunch of money of cat toys, try this: Simply attach a small- or medium-size binder clip to one end of an empty cardboard roll and thread a few pieces of gift ribbon through the opening in the binder clip. Tie the ribbon into a knot to secure. When your cat wants to play, wave the wand above her head. She’ll have a blast (and get some exercise!) as she runs around and jumps up to grab the ribbons.

  10. Make a homemade speaker

    a paper towel tube with a cell phone placed inside: uses for cardboard tubes
    Listening to music makes chores more fun — if only your phone’s speaker was a bit more powerful. The fix: Cut a slit in a paper-towel tube. Slip the phone in, speaker side down, and prop it against a wall. The tube amplifies sound so you’ll hear your tunes as you work.

  11. Uses for cardboard tubes: Organize desk supplies

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Store your desk supplies
    While cleaning your desk, you realize just how disorganized your supplies are. Instead of spending money on an expensive organizer, just grab a few toiler paper tubes. Place the tubes in a box in a box and slip pencils, pens, markers, scissors and other supplies in each of them. The cardboard helps organize and protect your supplies.

  13. Keep boots standing tall

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Keep boots standing tall
    Zbynek Pospisil/Getty
    Your knee-high boots were a great buy, but they tend to flop over and crease when stored in the closet. To prevent this, gather three tall wrapping paper cardboard tubes, tape them together place one bunch in each boot shaft. These sturdy tubes will keep the leather boots upright and stylish. (Click through for tips to clean suede shoes and boots.)

  14. Uses for cardboard tubes: Organize hair accessories

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Organize hair accessories
    You love it when your bathroom is neat and organized, but somehow the vanity drawers keep getting overrun with cluttered piles of hair ties and bobby pins. An easy trick to keep them tidy: Wrap the elastic bands around the tube from a paper-towel roll and attach bobby pins to the ends of the cylinder, then stash in a drawer. Problem solved! Related: The 8 Best Hair Clips for Thin Hair for 2023 

  15. Light a fire quickly

    roaring fire in a fireplace: Genius uses for cardboard tubes
    ahmettozar/Getty Images
    Nothing’s better than relaxing by a fire, but getting one roaring when you’re out of fire-starter logs can be tough. The fix: Stuff a paper-towel tube with newspaper or used dryer sheets. Place the tube under the logs and use a long match to light the paper inside. The paper ignites quickly, while the cardboard burns slowly, providing ample time to ignite the wood. (Click through for tips on how to clean a fireplace.)

  17. Uses for cardboard tubes: Keep jewelry organized

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Protect your jewelry
    Sure, you could splurge on a jewelry box, but they can be so bulky (and pricey!) The simple no-cost solution? Arrange a few toilet paper cardboard tubes in a small box (cover in wrapping paper if desired), then lay bracelets over the rounded tubes. (Click through for tips on how to clean rings at home.)

  18. Fend off doggy boredom

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Fend off doggy boredom
    When rainy weather keeps you inside, help your dog stay entertained with an easy-to-make brainteaser. To do: Take a small storage basket and fill it with empty toilet paper standing upright. Next, place five or six treats (try pieces of cheese or broken­-up dog biscuits) inside some of the tubes. Your pup will sniff the treats but have to figure out how to get to them, which will help keep him out of trouble. (Just be sure to supervise him so he doesn’t chew up the cardboard after he’s found all the treats!)

  19. Uses for cardboard tubes: Eliminate plastic bag chaos

    cardboard tube filled with plastic shopping bags: genius uses for cardboard tubes
    Having a stash of extra plastic grocery bags around the house is so helpful, but finding a good place to store the bags can be challenging. The solution: Fill a paper-towel tube with the bags and stash it in a kitchen drawer. The tube keeps the bags compact so they’re easy to grab as needed. Related: How to Organize a Small Pantry 

  21. Wind yarn fast

    Uses for Cardboard tubes: Wind Yarn Fast
    Use a mixer and a short cardboard tube to quickly roll up yarn!
    To wind yarn in seconds, grab your hand mixer, knot yarn around the end of a toilet paper roll, place it over the beater attachment, then set to low speed. Hold the yarn with one hand. The spinning of the beaters helps wind the yarn. When you finish, tape the end of the yarn to the tube. See this tip in action with this video from YouTuber Interweave Craft.

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