How to use old postal tubes in your DIY projects

You will need:

• Old postal tube or large cardboard tube
• Saw and medium grit sandpaper
• Electric drill and paintbrush
• Resene testpots in your choice of colours; Fleur used Resene Tango, Resene Vibe, Resene Kombi, Resene Apache, Resene Gold Dust metallic and Resene Biscay
• String and pen
• Photos and scissors

Instructions:

Step 1:  Using a saw, cut off 3 equal lengths of the cardboard tube, each 2.5cm long. Use a medium grit sandpaper to remove any rough bits. Use an electric drill to make a small hole through the top and bottom of each piece of tube.

Step 2:  Paint the outside of each of the tubes in your choice of colour; Fleur used Resene Apache. This makes a good base colour for the metallic paint. Once this is dry, paint over this with Resene FX Metallic Gold Dust.

Step 3:  Paint the inside of each tube a different colour – Fleur used Resene Tango, Resene Vibe and Resene Kombi. Be careful not to get any paint on the cut edge. If you do, you can sand it off with sandpaper once the paint is dry.

Step 4:  Place a tube over your chosen photos and with a pen, trace around the outside of the tube, on to the photo.

Step 5: Use scissors to cut the photo out. Cut two equal lengths of string. With one piece of string, thread this through the hole in the top tube and then through the hole in the middle tube. Tie a knot at each end to stop the string from pulling out. Repeat this, tying the middle tube to the bottom tube. Try to get the length of the strings between each tube the same. Fleurs are 3.5cm apart.

Step 6: Cut a longer length of string and thread this through the top hole of the top tube. Tie a loop at the end for hanging with. Use paper craft glue, such as PVA, to glue the photo to the back of the tube. Trim any overlap off with scissors.

Top tip: Paint the outside of your tubes the same colour as your wall if you’d like them to blend in or Resene All Black as a contrast, using Resene testpots.

Mini tube shelves

• Saw
• Carboard tubes
• Resene testpot in your choice of colour; Fleur used Resene Biscay

Instructions:

Step 1:  Using a saw, cut off equal lengths of cardboard tube, each 5cm long. Use a medium grit sandpaper to remove any rough bits. Cut as many as you like, depending on what shape you want to make.

Step 2:  Paint the inside of the tube with your Resene colour; Fleur used Resene Biscay. You can leave the outside of the tube unpainted or paint in a contrasting Resene testpot colour. Use paper craft glue, such as PVA, to glue all the tube lengths into a shape that you like.

Styling and images by Fleur Thorpe, 2018.