How to Make an Iron Wall Display With Toilet-Paper Rolls

Balsa Wood and Paper-Towel Rolls

• 1

  Cut 3/8-inch wide balsa wood into four 10-inch long strips.

• 2

  Glue the ends of the strips together with nail glue to form a square.

• 3

  Cut a paper towel tube down the center. Cut two 3/8-inch strips from the roll.

• 4

  Crease the strips in the center. Use craft glue to adhere the crease of the first strip to the top center of the balsa wood frame. Repeat the process on the bottom of the frame with the other strip.

• 5

  Glue the ends of the two strips to the sides of the frame so they're touching. They should form a diamond shape.

• 6

  Label the strips counter clockwise 1 through 4 in pencil. The top left strip is 1, the top right strip is 2, the bottom right strip is 3 and the bottom left strip is 4.

Toilet-Paper Rolls

• 7

  Cut four toilet paper rolls down the center. With a pencil, mark 3/8-inch lines across the entire width of the rolls. Cut along those lines. The strips will form natural curls.

• 8

  Place the end of the first strip 2 inches from the center of the top crease, gluing it to strip 1. Glue the end of a second strip to strip 2 in the same position.

• 9

  Curl the ends of the unglued toilet paper rolls with a paintbrush handle, curving them inward to form an upside-down heart. Repeat this process in the other three creases of the diamond pattern. Four hearts are created in this process.

• 10

  Place the end of a toilet-paper strip in the top left corner of the balsa wood frame. Glue it to the left side and dab glue in the crease of the frame as well. Glue another strip along the top of the frame so the ends of the toilet-paper rolls meet in the corner.

• 11

  Curl the ends of the rolls to form hearts. Repeat these steps in the remaining three corners. Four additional hearts are added to the scroll work when this part of the project is complete.

Finishing Touches

• 12

  Cut the remaining 3/8-inch strips in half. Curl them tightly with the paintbrush handle, forming curled circles.

• 13

  Glue the curls to the inside corners of the diamond shape. Each heart inside the diamond now cloaks a curly circle.

• 14

  Glue eight more curls to the corners of the four triangles formed on the outside of the diamond pattern. These curls flank the smaller hearts.

• 15

  Spread newspaper over a craft table in a well-ventilated area. You may also opt to spread it over your driveway. Lay the faux iron scroll work on top of the newspaper.

• 16

  Spray the art piece with metal-finish spray paint. Allow it to dry for one hour before adding a second coat. Hang the 10-inch iron wall display in the room of your choice with adhesive putty.