Crafty Dad Creates Amazing Toilet Roll Advent Calendars For Sons For Just £3.50
- Darren Cullen, 35, wanted to do a fun family project with his sons
- He collected toilet roll and stocked up on chocolate from B&M
- His fun toilet roll advent calendars cost just £3.50 to make
From buying your kids presents to making Christmas dinner, the festive season is always expensive.
Once extras like advent calendars come into it, Christmas can feel unaffordable.
However, one craft-loving dad came up with a genius idea to make his very own advent calendars using something we all have in our homes: toilet roll.
Darren Cullen, 35, a magician and dad of two from Dover, wanted to do a fun family project with his sons that taught them about recycling.
He collected toilet roll, stocked up on chocolate from B&M and set to work making the advent calendars with his wife and sons.
Darren told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I came about the idea while thinking of things I could do for my TikTok videos.
"I had to ask all my friends and family to collect toilet rolls for me as my original idea was to make four advent calendars (one for each of my sons and one for me and my wife), totalling 100 toilet rolls needed.
"I put the advent calendar together using standard PVA glue.
"It took a bit longer to dry than a glue gun would have but it meant that my boys could help without the risk of burning themselves.
"We glued the rolls onto a cardboard backer and waited for it to dry.
"We used PVA glue so as not to risk burns from a glue gun.
"This took longer but was more messy fun for the boys.
"Once glued and dried, we painted the tree shape we had made green.
"Then we filled each space with a chocolate of our choosing and sealed it shut with wrapping paper doors.
"We numbered the doors and voila: they are ready for December.
"We thought it was a good idea as a family project, helping to teach the boys about recycling the toilet roll tubes.
"There is also no plastic in these so it's a bit more environmentally friendly.
"The boys also get to choose what goes in the doors for each day.
“They chose chocolate but they could've had anything - for example, we discussed putting small Lego toys in or mini superhero figures.
"My brother loved the idea and is now insisting we make him one so I'm on the hunt for more tubes now.
"The main tips I can offer are to make sure you give plenty of time if you're going to give this a go as drying time is important so the actual structure is sturdy enough to hold itself together.
“Also, consider the size of the toilet roll tubes, as some are slightly different sizes and can cause the front to be uneven.
“Each cost only £3.50 to make: the cost of the chocolate, which I bought in B&M."
Darren shared his creation on Facebook and soon got 3,000 likes, with his thrifty advent calendars inspiring parents keen to save money and be more eco-conscious in their Christmas choices.
"It's gone mad on social media inspiring lots of people to do the same,” Darren adds.
“It's also helping people to recycle rather than going out and buying ones with little chocolates in as you can fill them with whatever you like!
"It's a great project to do to help the whole family with working together and being crafty for Christmas.
"It gives my sons a sense of ownership rather than buying disposable advent calendars from the shop.
"It also saved lots of money as they can be reused year on year and filled with different things each time!"
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “I’m always on the lookout for clever recycling ideas, and this advent calendar is super fun!
“I love that Darren involved the whole family in making this clever advent calendar, which not only repurposes toilet rolls that would have ended up in the recycling bin, but also teaches his kids the valuable lesson of upcycling.
“Darren’s sons will have amazing advent calendars that no one else will have - and as Darren points out, you can fill them with anything you like, making them totally personalised to your kids!”
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Save More With These Discount CodesRead More Money Saving GuidesGreat idea but not very artistic. For a little more cost glitter would have enhanced the bad green paint job, the holder could have been painted red and each tube have it's opening covered in cotton wool to hide the gifts, with the number of the month stuck on.
Might do one myself next year as I won't be using enough toilet rolls between now and this xmas!
Glitter is not recycled nor is cotton wool the idea is recycled advent calendar not costing to make it ...so adding to it would not work ,it would no longer be green .
Bad green paint job? His children made it themselves. Shame on you.
I think it’s a fantastic idea! Totally recyclable and far better to teach your children at such a young age that things aren’t ‘easy come - easy go’.
Doing crafts with your children builds unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime and they will take great pride in showcasing their creations at Christmas time
ConnieWarder I didn't read the whole article and it said he made it for his kids initially. Advent calendars are meant to be surprises so I was surprised the kids chose their own fillings as that is not a surprise.
If the kids like it then that is the main thing.