The toilet paper roll. Who knew this little household leftover could be so useful? In our home, the only function for the tp roll, is a guinea pig toy (does that count?) Yes, one of our guinea pigs loves to dip them in his water dish and munch on the sloppy aftermath.

Oh, and I suppose I used them once before, on a budget Halloween when a judge’s wig was concocted from months-and-months of saved rolls. That was pretty good too.

But there is more to a toilet paper roll than meets the eye. It appears to be the perfect little device for upcycling. Here are five craftier uses for your toilet paper rolls.

1. The heart stamp

Here’s an easy arts and crafts project. You just bend the tp roll into the shape of a heart, wrap it with tape to hold it in place, dip in red paint and you have the perfect little heart-stamp. Your kids can help you out with this year’s Valentine’s Day cards!

2. The cord organizer

I love this one. For quick, easy, organized storage, roll up the cables you aren’t frequently using and stuff them into a toilet paper roll. Even better, you can write what the cord is on the outside of the roll.

3. The musical toy

Tape one side of the toilet paper roll, add something dry (I used popcorn kernels), then tape the other side and you have a homemade maraca! I used duct tape so it was waterproof (read: slobber-proof). Simple.

4. The fire starter

A toilet paper roll is the perfect fire starter. Just stuff it full of dryer lint (cotton lint, not polyester); light it up and you’re got the beginnings of your next bonfire. Start collecting rolls now to use them the next time you head out camping.

5. The art piece

Apparently people are using this nifty little item to make some pretty incredible wall art! The sky’s the limit and thanks to Pinterest, there are lots of inspiring ideas.

So, there you have it. Five interesting or useful things to do with your toilet paper rolls instead of recycling them. Is there anything you do with toilet paper rolls?