Bowled over
Even toilet rolls can be transformed into a piece of art, with a little imagination and creativity.
THE rough and stippled texture of this fluted bowl gives you the illusion that it is solid and heavy. It appears sculptural and artsy enough to display as a conversation piece in your living area. Upon taking a closer look, the viewer may be tickled to discover that it is made from toilet rolls!
Seven panels of toilet rolls were joined together into a circle before a base was added to make the bowl. Throw in your balls of socks, yarn or what-have-you to keep organised.
Holder
From toilet rolls, felt and mounting board
You need:
7 toilet rolls –10cm long/4cm wide Mounting board – 10cm wide circle Felt – a 10cm wide circle (green/blue) Thin wire Pencil and ruler Old ballpoint pen (no ink) Blue marker Scissors and cutter Piercing tool PVA glue Template with circles Acrylic paints - dark blue, yellow and white Brush Sponge Craft varnish (optional)
Making the blue bowl
1. Cut a toilet roll along the length. Open it flat and on the inside of the roll, follow the diagram to score a line on the sides with the old ballpoint pen.
2. Measure and draw a 1cm border from the scored lines. Use the template with circles to draw a 3cm wide circle on the toilet roll, 2cm from the wide edge. Cut out all the three shaded areas indicated in the diagram. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all the toilet rolls.
3. Reshape the toilet rolls to maintain their curvature. Fold along the scored lines of the toilet rolls to form seams on the sides. Glue the toilet rolls at the seams to join them in a row. Pierce a hole in the middle of each roll, 1cm from the short edge.
4. Paint the inside of the rolls dark blue. Allow to dry completely. Glue the toilet rolls at the end together to form a circle. This is the side of the bowl.
5. Apply three layers of paint on the outside of the bowl with sponge in this order: yellow, blue and white. Make it uneven to obtain a rough texture.
6. Use the blue marker to draw short lines around the holes and double rows of lines around the rim and bottom edge of the bowl.
7. Paint one side of the mounting board circle dark blue. Turn the board over and pierce seven evenly-spaced holes around the side.
8. Turn the bowl upside down. Attach short lengths of wire into all the pierced holes of each panel. Place the mounting board circle over the bowl as the base. Poke one end of each length of wire of the panels in and out of the base and twist the ends together to secure them. Press them flat against the base.
9. Spread glue all over the base and stick the felt circle onto it. Press and smoothen out the felt.
10. Turn the bowl over and apply two coats of varnish to the inside and outside of the bowl.