Up-Cycling Cardboard Tubes

Video HERE

I will say first of all that this technique is not ideal for toilet roll or kitchen roll tubes, the cardboard is simply too thin - although, if you split 3-4 along their length and layer them together with a decent amount of glue you can make a laminated tube which can work instead. [I will do a vid on that at some point if you want me to.]

I started with the long tubes used to support fabric rolls, these are usually 2"/5cm in diameter and about 5"/150cm long. Have a conversation with your local fabric shop owner. The cardboard walls are usually around 3-4mm/ 1/4" which makes for a very sturdy box, even when cut in small pieces. These tubes are ideal for making pill-boxes, which I usually do in sets of three graduated sizes [12, 9 and 6cm]. How you go about cutting is entirely up to you, but first you need to work out how many sets you can get from your tubes.

1. Add together the total length of the set - in my case 12+9+6=27cm - and divide your total length of tube by that number for a rough estimate of how many sets you can get, any leftover tubes can be kept until next time, or cut into small pieces for singles. - obviously avoid rough ends or any parts that are buckled.
2. Mark out your sizes on the tubes, you will probably need to juggle a bit to use the maximum of each one and avoid waste.
3. Cut. This cardboard is probably too thick to cut with a craft knife - the risk is in buckling the tube by using too much pressure. In the past I have used a hacksaw to make the cuts, but that was pre-scroll saw. These tubes are almost too wide to fit under the saw's arm, so I roll the cardboard into the blade so that it just cuts through.
4. Now you need to stick on the top and bottom. I've used scrap cardboard, mostly notepad backs, although these tubes are solid enough to go with cereal box card instead. Use a fairly generous ring of glue on either end and use the weight of the tubes to keep it flat as it dries.
5. Now mark your lids, I go for 2.5, 2 and 1.5cm, and cut them off. If you're not decorating immediately you could leave the lid attached by only cutting through the outer layer, then through full depth to about 3/4 around. Separate with a craft knife when you're ready.

Other Tubes... foil-lined food containers which are not recyclable. (at least not locally)

The cardboard for these is usually quite thin - although the base is nice and solid. Brush or wipe out the inside, but avoid getting it very wet.

Tall tubes, like those stackable-crisps pots, make 2 nicely sized pots. Cut to doubled length and glue on a reinforced board lid BEFORE splitting into 2.

To reinforce a lid on a foil pot, begin with a thick card base, then wrap with a collar of fabric or paper. use a 50/50 mixture of PVA and water (this will take longer to dry, but will soak into the layers better than PVA alone.)

In the end these can be whatever you want. If you're planning on a nested set then look for tubes that sit together evenly in diameter and balance the relative heights with your intended decoration. I have tall or short ratios which allow for big tops or simple ones as required so that the boxes still nest neatly together.

As always, the designs are all yours, this is a technique I have developed over many years and I'm still making adaptations.