It is time again for our International Bloggers Club (IBC), and this month the topic was to make a project using toilet roll. I must admit this project was a real challenge for me, trying to come up with something unique using toilet paper was no easy task. The outcome was an oriental canvas decorated using toilet roll.  The little Buddha statue sums up how I felt about this project.

This was actually our topic for April but thanks to panic buying due to COVID 19 there was a shortage of toilet paper and we had to postpone it until now.  You should have seen my Husbands face when I picked up a roll of rare precious toilet paper and march off to my craft room. It was a sight worth seeing. More about IBC at the end of this post.

How to decorate an oriental canvas using toilet roll

Add some texture

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To start, you need to add some texture to the canvas.  To do this you can use some cardstock and the toilet paper. Our toilet paper had some cool waving lines embossed in the surface which would add a nice effect.  Using craft glue, glue some toilet paper onto the card stock and let it dry. Once dry you can cut a circle for the centre.

I had an idea that I wanted the canvas divided up into 4 sections with a focal point in the centre.  Each section would be decorated in a different way using toilet paper. You can make some rectangle shapes for each section.

Making the lotus flower

Because I had planned to do an oriental canvas the lotus flower was the only flower, I thought I would be able to make. Using the empty toilet roll, flatten the rolls and mark every 5 mm across the length of the roll. Next, you can cut the roll into small sections.

The cut-up toilet roll was glued together to form the shape of a lotus flower. You can then glue the lotus flower onto the circle you cut out in the previous step.

Paint the base of the canvas

My canvas was a recycled canvas I got from the art class at work, so the base was painted black to hide the previous painting.  Using masking tape, you can divide the canvas up into the 4 sections.

I used metallic acrylic paints to paint between the lines.

Adding the gold leaf

In hindsight the gold leaf was overkill, I could have just used the metallic paints.  But as usual, I went over the top.  Add some size adhesive to the toilet paper and leave it to become tacky.  Once the size adhesive is tacky you can add the metallic leaf.  The idea was to have different colours in each section.

Place the gold leaf over the toilet paper and smooth over with a soft brush.  You can repeat this with all the colours.

Once the gold leaf is dry you can remove all the excess with the soft brush.

Making some decorations using the toilet roll

Next, you can make some more decorations using the toilet roll. You can use something like a paintbrush handle to roll up some of the strips of toilet roll.

Glue the ends in place so they do not unravel.

For the sticks, you can use some kebab sticks and wrap them with toilet paper.  I used some tacky glue and rolled the toilet paper around the sticks.

To make the small balls you can roll some toilet paper in your hands and cover them with glue.  Leave them to dry before painting them.

All the embellishments were painted black because I knew I would be highlighting them with bronze wax paste later.  This is a technique I use all the time in my mixed media canvas projects. 

Putting the canvas together

Next, you can glue all the embellishments into place using a multi-purpose glue.  I added so oriental coins to the centre, together with all the embellishments that I made using the toilet roll.

To highlight the black paint I used a bronze wax paste.  You only need to dip the tip of your finger into the bronze wax then rub your finger along the surface of all the raised embellishments.

To highlight the black background I used a gold wax paste. The painting in the background added some extra raised areas which looked good once highlighted.

For the last section, I used some black hot glue as decoration because I ran out of ideas.

About IBC (International Bloggers Club)

If you follow my blog you will know I am part of IBC (International Bloggers Club) which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month we come together and create a project in a common theme.

If you missed last month’s world environment theme here is the link to my old book repurposed into a jewellery box.   The contributions from my fellow bloggers are listed below, please feel free to jump over and share your thoughts.

1. A crafty mix |Toilet Paper Storage tiny toilet rolls
2. Raggedy bits |Vintage farmhouse napkin rings
3. Interior frugalista |  Canada day weiner roast fire starters 
4. Northern feeling |Toilet paper roll led lanterns

More great projects for you

I was given an old writing desk which I repurposed into a beauty bar, to store all your makeup in one place.

or this cool Headboard bench

If you are looking for any of the items used in this project, please consider using our links. By clicking on the links we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Which helps us come up with new and exciting ideas to share with you. Please feel free to share or leave a comment we would love to hear your thoughts.