Toilet Paper Roll Saver

Got small children? Got pets?

Source: http://imgfave.com/view/1637210

If you just can't stand the toilet paper being completely unwound one more time, then this project just might be for you!  >Insert crazy laugh here<

My three year old and 20 month old are usually pretty good about leaving the toilet paper alone, but they have each independently unrolled entire rolls of TP, shredded quite a bit of TP all over the floor together, and even dropped whole rolls in the toilet.  I was going nuts one day... well, ok, not just one day, but eventually I just had to come up with a quick solution or completely lose it.  I have seen contraptions like this online, which I'm sure are awesome but I didn't want to spend $10 or wait a week for it to arrive.  So, I came up with my own version.  It was fast, and cheap (even if you count the whole pack of dowels and beads, which I don't).

This TP Saver is easy for adults to unfasten, and not so easy for little fingers and paws to undo.  The elastic enables you to use this solution for any size TP roll, whether it is a full or partial roll.  Ready?  Go!

Toilet Paper Roll Saver

Materials needed:

• Button hole elastic (white is best, and in a pinch, just use regular elastic and cut your own slits)
• Sewing machine and thread
• 1 Wooden dowel (3/8" works well)
• 2 Wooden beads with a hole the same diameter as the dowel (I found these at Hobby Lobby)
• Miter saw or something to cut the dowel down to size with
• Hot glue gun
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Paint (optional)

First, prepare the elastic.
Measure the elastic and cut it to 8 1/2 inches long.  Make sure to leave extra elastic beyond the button holes on each end (meaning: don't make your cuts right in the middle of a button hole).

 On one end, carefully cut straight down the middle of the elastic to join two button holes. 

 Repeat this for the next two button holes so your elastic looks like the picture below.

Fold the end of the elastic over onto itself so that the two large button holes you just made are lined up.  Pin the elastic in place.  The two purple lines below show where the stitches will need to go in the next step- they aren't necessary for you to draw if you don't want to. 

 Sew a zig- zag stitch on either side of the large buttonhole, as marked in purple.

Next, prepare the dowel.
Cut the wooden dowel to 6 1/4 inches long.  If you want to paint it to match your bathroom fixtures or colors, now is the time.  Remember to also paint the beads.  You'll have to add dry time- or just skip painting it and go au naturel.

 Grab your elastic band...

 ...and poke the dowel through the small hole in the elastic at the opposite end from the large button hole.  Make sure that later on, when you glue this end of the elastic down, the side of the large button hole with the raw edge will be facing in towards the TP.  It's not a huge deal, but it will look better.

 Put some hot glue on the end of the dowel and slide a bead on.

Dab a little glue on the bead and glue the end of the elastic in place.

You're done!  Really, that's it.  The only thing left to do is "install" it!

"Installation"
You can leave the toilet paper in the holder- no need to take it all apart.

Just push your TP Saver through the tube, with the glued- on elastic- end furthest away from the toilet.

Pull the elastic out and wrap it around the outside of the toilet paper.  You want the side that fastens to be facing the toilet- trust me.

Hook the large button hole over the bead.  Done!  (This is what I meant before about it looking nicer if the raw edge of the elastic isn't showing on this side- you really can't tell it's there.)

Let's not have any more crazy toilet paper messes, alright?!

What is the worst thing your kids/ pets have ever done with toilet paper?!