UPDATED MARCH 2026
This cardboard tube giraffe craft is an easy, recycled animal activity that’s perfect for preschoolers and early years children.
How To Make a Cardboard Tube Giraffe Craft for Kids!
This cardboard tube giraffe craft for kids is a fun and easy recycling activity that young children will love. Using simple materials like a cardboard tube and paint, kids can create their own colourful giraffe while learning about these amazing animals.
YOU MAY ASK WHY TUBE GIRAFFE CRAFT?
- It’s a lovely craft to make on a rainy afternoon.
- Perfect for a quiet day at home
- A great boredom-buster for weekends or school holidays.
- Ideal for a cosy afternoon craft session.
A COLLECTOR OF RECYCLING!
So, Let’s reflect, as an avid recycler who holds on to certain throw-outs that can be reused or upcycled, I will hold on to anything that I see that can make a great project for kids!
LET’S GET THINKING?
As a result of this, I accumulated a vast amount of cardboard toilet and kitchen towel inner tubes.
Having looked at the great pile of tubes, I asked myself, leaning on a finger to the corner of my mouth,
‘What can I make out of all these tubes?’
Within reason, I could go mad and go tower-like in what I create, but something that is accessible for most crafters.
I THOUGHT A GIRAFFE CRAFT!
I wanted to make an animal, but there were so many to choose from. I lined up the tubes, standing them and lying them down until I got a feel for what I could create with them. In this instance, I decided to make a Cardboard Tube Giraffe Craft for Kids! This beautiful creature is tall and elegant, so I am going to go big and use up to 20 tubes.
LET’S CHECK OUT THE GIRAFFES!
Before we start the Cardboard Giraffe Craft for Kids, what do we know about Giraffes?
Some Facts about Giraffes!
Did you know that Giraffes are the tallest land animals and stand between 16-18 ft tall. The scientific name is Giraffa Cameloparadalis.
So called because they resemble a cross between a camel and a leopard with spotted pattern.
Giraffes Eating Habits!
Their height allows them to reach leaves high up in trees. They have a taste for Acacia trees. Giraffes also have a very long tongue that helps them pull leaves. They spend most of the day eating and can consume up to 45kg or 100lbs of leaves and twigs
A Giraffes Ritual
Male giraffes are taller and heavier than female giraffes. Did you know that those knobbly bits on top of her head are called Ossicones? These are much smaller on females with a little bit of hair; males are bald.
OSSICONES PURPOSE.
So what are Ossicones used for? They are there to protect their heads when they fight. This is truly a spectacular scene, which amazed me when I first saw this in motion!
HOW DO GIRAFFES FIGHT?
Male giraffes fight by swinging their necks and beating each other with their heads like clubs, until one or the other succumbs, giving in to the more superior one. In courtship, this activity is more gentle and involves stroking necks.
THIS PROCEDURE IS CALLED NECKING.
Check this video out!
This is quite outstanding. I never dreamed giraffes would behave in such a way!
Now let’s move on to the project ahead!
MY INTENTION FOR THE CARDBOARD TUBE GIRAFFE
I AM GOING TO DEMO 2 TYPES OF GIRAFFES
I will start with an easy giraffe using 6 inner tubes for the younger children.
Then I will move on to a more advanced giraffe for the older kids, using up to 20 cardboard inner tubes.
EASY TUBE GIRAFFE
RESOURCES
5-6 cardboard inner tubes (small)
1 kitchen towel, inner tube. (longer)
PVA glue/Masking tape
Acrylic paints/bright yellow/golden yellow/orange/white/black
Scissors/black pen
2 googly eyes
Green paper (for leaves)
ARE YOU READY?
TIPS ON EASY TUBE GIRAFFE!
WHAT TO DO WITH THE TUBES.
- Measure the holes using the tube as a guide and for the outline.
- To work out where the holes go, cut 1 tube in half and use this as a guide.
- Draw around it and pierce the tube with scissors, and cut out a circle. This is where you insert the tubes.
MAKING THE LEGS
- To make the extendable legs, cut a strip out of a tube so that you can make it narrower, then insert it inside the half tubes.
- You can stick and secure with tape until dry.
EXTRA TUBES FOR ADDITIONAL PARTS
- As for the additional parts, the head, ears, ossicones, tail and back part use the extra tubes to make these shapes.
USE MASKING TAPE TO HOLD GLUED PARTS
- Whilst making, glue and hold in place with masking tape.
- Once dry, make your desired colour and paint the yellow.
- Now make brown and use your finger to dab on paint.
FINAL TOUCHES
- Finally, stick on 2 eyes, allow to dry and if you like cut out a leaf shape sticking it into the mouth of th giraffe.
ADVANCED TUBE GIRAFFE
RESOURCES
8 kitchen towel cardbaord tubes
7 smaller tubes.
PVA glue/masking tape.
Acrylic paints, bright yellow, orange, white and black.
Scissors.
2 Googley eyes.
Green paper for leaves (optional)
LET’S START!
TIPS FOR ADVANCED TUBE GIRAFFE
MORE TUBES TO GO BIGGER
- This time we will be adding a lot more tubes as we are going much bigger.
- The difference here is that all the tubes that go into the body are fanned and twisted together using glue and tape to stick tight.
(Fanned is when you snip the end of the tube and push in twisting and securing with glue. This is to make the end part round and more solid.)
SNIPPED HOLES
- The holes in body are also snipped and pushed in, this secures the grip.
EXTENDED LEGS
- Extendable legs are smaller tubes also cut glued and made tighter to insert into main legs.
BACK AND FRONT OF GIRAFFE
- The back and front of giraffe are tubes opened and cut, curled with scissors and stuck fast to body.
OTHER PARTS
- The tail and ears are made from parts of other tubes and stuck on. The occicones are 2 parts pulled back up from fanned head.
TAPE UP WHEN GLUED
- Use tape to secure once you have glued parts. When dry carefully remove tape, then make paints and apply colour to body.
USE FINGER TO DAB ON PAINT
- Decide the brown you like and use finger like in the easy version and dab on to body.
EYES TO LINE UP
- Glue on eyes in line with the ears.
ADD CUT UP LEAF
- Finally make a leaf like shape from green paper as an additional part, although it’s not necessary.
ADJUST THE HEIGHT
- The inserted legs can be pulled in and out to balance the body so it doesn’t topple over.
I hope this wasn’t too difficult, an adult would need to jump in to help, especially with makings holes when using the scissors to pierce the tube.
Below are the two finished examples of the ‘Cardboard tube giraffe craft for kids’ ⇓
After making your cardboard tube giraffe, why not take the learning and fun a step further?
Children love seeing animals in real life after crafting them. Visiting a Zoo or Safari park can help bring their creativity to life and give them the chance to see giraffes and other amazing wildlife up close.
Hey there, when you click on links in this post and you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission that l can use towards resources (other than throw-outs) for project making within my website😀
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TO CONCLUDE
I have shown an easy and an advanced method of making use of cardboard inner tubes to make a giraffe.
The choice is yours. It’s another way to make use of all your throw-outs.
Have fun, I did!
Oh, and don’t forget to check out Kids Pass to continue your child’s wild life experience!
Here is another fun Safari animal inspired project your kids might like to craft. This time using bottle caps!