You could cut one to a reasonable length and decopodge (sp) them for use as an umbrella holder?

At one time I thought I would make a manger scene with some of those--they have now been in my attic for a number of years and I still think about it, but the mood hasn't struck yet! LOL! I even bought the fabric to drape them with!

thanks so much for the ideas> you know when you can get something for next to nothing it makes you want to really make something interesting> thanks again!

Ok so this isn't teh sort of thing you're looking for, but do you know anyone who has ferrets? My fuzzies love to play inside big tubes like that!

Sally.

Hi datgirl, I enjoyed reading your carpet tubes thread however, I recently found some smaller tubes about 1.5 inches across and aprox. 4 inches long appearing to be plastic.

I took them thinking I might use them for something... and I will. However, I was about to through away a really nice intact toilet paper holder(cardboard) one day when I decided I could use it. I painted it a beige base color and painted flowers on it and am using it to hold my extra extention cords or extra telephone cords that lay around on the floor looking tacky. This look a little more neat.

So, maybe you'll find an idea for your carpet tubes and I for my little tubes. Lots of luck.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
Grama

I've been watching this site also-I have 4 or 5 of those 4in tubes 12 ft long. I kept mine I was going to pad them with batting and put material over them for a valance-I saw this on a show-they then took the left over material at the end wrapped a rubber band around it and poofed it out. Well, my window ideas have changed, and here I sit with these tubes, and this part of me that won't throw anything away. Anyone else have any ideas???

Thanks to everyone for their ideas. I, like most, hate to throw things away. As soon as I do, I find a use for the item or someone needs that particular item.
I thought of cutting tubes shorter, painting and use for bowling ball stand. Trying that is. Had a suggestion from my husband to make a log cabin playhouse. Would need to protect tubes from rain, if that is possible.
Will let all know if I attempt any or all suggestions.
Everyone have a happy holiday and take care.

i think i remember my grandmother making a fancy, padded bolster for her bed, covered to match the bedspread. i mainly remember that it wasn't padded all that well, and when i threw myself on the bed, i got quite the conk!

I found a book at the library for container gardening. They used PVC pipes cut into various lengths as containers to grow lettuce. They drilled holes in holes in the sides so that several heads of lettuce could be grown in each pipe.

How about giant picture frames? Miter the corners and glue together.
Glue some arround a cardboard piller. Paint white or use that textured concrete spray paint. The top needs some sort of fineal.

A friend of mine used one as a column in her living/dining room area in her apartment kind of as a divider. It was the perfect length to stand up from the floor to ceiling & she painted it a taupy color. It really looked good.
Vera

Make a plant stand.
Cut the tubes to the height you want, glue one end of the tube to a flat base (a square of wood sufficient to balance the tube w/plant. There is a formula, but I don't know it about how large the base should be compared to the height/weight of top), cover or paint the base and tube, glue a top on the tube and you have a plant stand.
You can glue two or three tubes together, then continue with finishing the plant stand so there are two or three "pillers" to hold the plant.
I have wooden, round ends that came off a wire spool (actually a cable spool), the round ends are about two feet across that I'm planning to use for the base.
IF I ever get this finished (LOL), I'll let you know if it all falls over or works as I hope it will. Would like to put my three Spider plants on them and let them hang and grow...
Or maybe paint them to look like giant candy sticks and use them for Christmas decorations, if all else fails.. :>)

I like the idea of columns that is a good idea-plant stand is also good (but one of the cats would knock that over). An idea for the wooden wire spool, if you have the entire thing, and it's the right high I've seen them used as outside tables, the umbrella fits in the middle (I just haven't been able to locate one that wasn't as big as the rocky mountains).

Oh what great ideas. I came back to see if any more info had been posted to my question, and boy there was. I hope to get started soon.
Needed to ask also, what I am doing or not doing, to get answers to a post I make, to come to me by email. Or am I confused and Garden Web does not send this to ones email.
Thanks again,

If that are the large enough kind, wedding consultants utilize them for making columns or faux pedestals.

When my GD was little,i took one of those carpet tubes painted it,then added those screw hooks for cups all over it,then we hung all her stuffed toys on it.My son cut it so it was a snug fit in the corner of her room from floor to ceiling.It stayed there for years and never fell down.They finally took it down when they moved.
Kathi

Assuming they are quite strong, how about cutting them shorter and either decoupodging or covering them with scrunched fabric and using as table legs. A flat piece of board, glass or ? would work as the top.

You should be getting these responses as emails. On my follow-up it says "will be automatically emailed to the original poster". Maybe your mailbox is full or you need to change your settings?

It is almost time for Vacation Bible School. They have been used in the past to make palm trees.

I could've used a couple of those tubes last Christmas season when I decorated the front porch in Gingerbread theme. I needed a couple of huge candy canes (sticks) but didn't think of this idea until after the season had passed.

If you cut them in to 2 foot lengths and stack them in an alcove or cupboard somewhere, they make a good wine bottle rack. I've done something similar in my kitchen cupboard, but I used ceramic drain pipes.

cut in half the long way and tape/tie back together and you have a mold to make cement columns

I made a column for a bird bath

I had thought to use them to make a four poster bed but didn't know how to attach them to the existing bedframe..any ideas? I would have covered them with fabric..scrunched up..and maybe attached more fabric as draperies for the sides..just sorta thinking about it.
.........Liz

Cut it floor to ceiling length.. Get a pipeing bag and that goop stuff (it's kind of like plaster) and pipe vines and leaves.. (To cover the sprial grove on the tube, make that your main vine....) Spray paint white.. Use as a colom in the corner of a room..

I wish I had a carpet tube!!!

On the garden junk forum at Gardenweb there was a thread last year about a Christmas tree for outside made from a long pipe sat on a round base. They strung lights from the top of the pole to the outer rim of the base in vertical lines all the way around. I think they wrapped the pole with lights and garland. You could go to the garden junk forum and post a thread asking for the instructions. It's was beautiful and you could even sell them probably for a pretty good profit.

Nancy

Not at all what I thought this message would be!. We use rolls for (unfinished puzzels here at our senior center here in our small town.) They cover heavy roll with felt fabric neasured length of puzzle. Roll the puzzle around the roll to the end. (store) This will hold the puzzle together for storing until it is finished. I tried it at home and it works fine. (the felt is the key) it sticks to the pieces. Any puzzle makers out there? Craftylady_ma.