By Kimberly McLeod

Paper rolls are one of my favorite recycled materials to craft with, and they’re the perfect recycled material to make hearts! Whether you shape the paper rolls into hearts and glue them down or use them for stamping, save those paper towel rolls for some fun, recycled heart crafts this Valentine’s Day. 

Supplies Needed

• Paper rolls (paper towel rolls are perfect for this activity)

• Paint

• Paper

• Paint brushes

• A paper plate or paint palette 

How to Make Paper Roll Stamped Hearts

1. First, bend the paper roll into a heart shape. If you cut the paper roll in half, use the end of the paper roll for stamping because it’s flat and will stamp flush to the page. 

2. Add paint to your paper plate. Then stamp the paper roll into the paint and then stamp onto your paper. Make lots of paper roll heart shapes on the page until you’re happy with how it looks.

3. Stamp in another color for variety.

4. Paint the inside of the hearts with a paint brush with the rest of the paint. 

TRY THIS! Instead of stamping, shape the paper roll into a heart shape and then cut the paper roll into smaller pieces. You now have lots of little paper roll hearts you can glue down to the page and make 3D art. 

Here are some more ideas of how to use paper roll heart stamping:

1. Make a card — use the paper roll hearts to stamp onto Valentine’s Day cards! You can stamp onto a full sheet of cardstock and then fold in half to make a card. 

2. Make wrapping paper — roll out a large sheet of butcher paper and have kids stamp paper roll hearts on the paper. Use different colors. You can also use this to make a Valentine-themed table cloth. 

3. Make collage art — Stamp with black paint instead, and allow the paint to dry. Once dry, use a marker to color in the different sections of each heart with a different color. You’ll get a fun collage art piece. 

Don’t have paper rolls? You can achieve a similar technique using sponges or a heart cookie cutter. 

With a community of over 5 million followers across social media, author and mother Kimberly McLeod created The Best Ideas for Kids for busy parents, teachers, and childcare providers. The Best Ideas for Kids is a popular platform with DIY craft ideas, screen-free activities, recipes, and printable worksheets that keep kids entertained for hours!