Make a Paper Roll Dad
Make a Paper Roll Dad using a cardboard tube, colored paper, markers, and glue; design clothes, facial features, and movable arms to personalize.
About this activity
Make a Paper Roll Dad using a cardboard tube, colored paper, markers, and glue; design clothes, facial features, and movable arms to personalize.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather all your materials and set a clean workspace.
- 2
Step 2
Cut a large rectangle of colored paper that will wrap all the way around the tube.
- 3
Step 3
Spread glue along one long edge of the rectangle.
- 4
Step 4
Wrap the glued rectangle around the tube and press to secure the shirt.
- 5
Step 5
Cut a smaller strip of colored paper for pants or a shirt hem.
- 6
Step 6
Glue the smaller strip near the bottom of the tube to make pants or a hem.
- 7
Step 7
Cut an oval from skin-colored paper for the face.
- 8
Step 8
Draw eyes nose and a mouth on the oval with markers.
- 9
Step 9
Glue the face oval near the top of the tube.
- 10
Step 10
Cut a hair shape from colored paper for the hairstyle you want.
- 11
Step 11
Glue the hair shape above the face.
- 12
Step 12
Cut two arm strips from colored paper about as long as the tube.
- 13
Step 13
Make a small hole in each side of the tube where the arms will go and make a small hole at one end of each arm strip.
- 14
Step 14
Attach each arm by pushing a paper fastener through an arm end and the tube hole and then spread the prongs to secure so the arms can move.
- 15
Step 15
Share a photo of your finished Paper Roll Dad on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I make a Paper Roll Dad?
To make a Paper Roll Dad, start by covering a cardboard tube with colored paper and secure with glue or tape. Draw or glue on facial features, hair, and a tie or shirt. Cut arms from paper or felt and attach with a small brad (paper fastener) or tape so they can move. Add details like buttons, glasses, or socks. Let glue dry between steps and encourage kids to personalize clothing and colors.
What materials do I need to make a Paper Roll Dad?
You'll need: a cardboard toilet-paper or paper-towel tube, colored paper, scissors, white glue and/or glue stick, markers or crayons, tape, a pencil, and small brads (paper fasteners) for movable arms. Optional: googly eyes, craft foam, felt scraps, stickers, and washable paint. If using brads, have an adult help; if not, use folded paper tabs or tape to attach arms.
What ages is the Paper Roll Dad craft suitable for?
Suitable for ages about 3–10. Preschoolers (3–5) can decorate and glue with close adult supervision; school-age kids (6–10) can cut, design clothing, and attach movable arms with minimal help. Adapt complexity: younger children do simpler decorating, older kids add fine-details and movable joints. Always supervise scissors, small parts like brads or googly eyes around children under 5.
What are the benefits of making a Paper Roll Dad?
Making a Paper Roll Dad promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination as children cut, glue, and decorate. It encourages storytelling and social play when kids invent personalities for their figures. Using recycled tubes teaches sustainability. It's also low-cost and adaptable for family bonding time. For safety, choose age-appropriate tools and supervise small parts and glue.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can I use if I don't have paper fasteners for the movable arms?
If you don't have paper fasteners for the movable arms, use small brass brads or split pins, thread a short piece of string or twist-tie through the arm and tube hole to tie a movable knot, or staple and glue the arm end to the tube for a fixed arm.
My tube tore when I made the arm holes — how can I fix or prevent that?
To prevent tearing when you 'Make a small hole in each side of the tube', use a hole punch or poke holes with a thick needle, then reinforce each tube hole with a glued-on scrap paper circle before inserting the fastener so the arms can move freely.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For preschoolers, pre-cut the large colored rectangle, face oval, hair, and arm strips and glue the arms instead of using paper fasteners, while older kids can cut their own pieces, add detailed clothing designs to the wrapped shirt, and use brads for movable joints.
How can we make the Paper Roll Dad more unique or advanced?
Personalize and extend the craft by adding glued-on buttons or patterned paper to the wrapped 'shirt', attaching googly eyes over the drawn eyes, using extra strips and brads to make movable legs, and creating outfits or accessories before sharing a photo on DIY.org.