DIY Marshmallow Roasters - Summer Fun!

Since summer and roasting marshmallows over the camp fire go together I thought I would share the DIY upcycled marshmallow roasters that I made with my Girl Scout troop (when they were in third grade....which was five years ago).

These babies are really easy to decorate, but they do take a tad bit of elbow grease to assemble. To be honest, I had my husband do the hard part.....but I told him what to do.

First thing you will need are a few pants hangers from the dry cleaner.  Our dry cleaner gave me over a dozen for free. 

Next, remove the wire hanger from the cardboard tube.  First part of applied elbow grease!

Wearing protective eye gear, snip off the curved ends of the hangers.  After the ends are snipped off, use pliers to flatten the "hanger" part of the hanger and smoosh the arms so that they form a V shape.

 This really isn't difficult, it just takes a little bit of muscle.  Having a vice gripe would probably make the job easier, but my husband did it all with just his manly bare hands and a pair of pliers.

Now here comes the fun crafty part.......decorating!

Cut strips of tissue paper approximately 1/2 an inch wide by an inch long.  I was working with 3rd graders so having the strips a little longer helped them handle the paper. You can cut your tissue paper any size you want.

Working in small sections, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the outside of the cardboard tube.  Lay down a single piece of tissue paper in the glue, wrapping it around the tube. Use a small dab of mod podge to seal down the ends of the paper. Once you get the entire tube covered in tissue paper paper let it dry and then add a few coats of Mod Podge to seal it. 

To use the roasters, stick the looped hanger part of the hanger into the end of the tube and add marshmallows.

When you are done, simply burn off any leftover marshmallow bits, let the metal hanger cool off......then squeeze the two prongs together and push them into the tube.  Built in carrying case!

You can't get the tubes wet, but you can gently clean them with a slightly damp sponge or wet wipe. And don't leave them outside over night while you snooze away in your tent.  Sitting out in moist air will ruin them (says the experienced Girl Scout leader). With proper care these upcycled DIY marshmallow roasters can last for years of roasting fun.

Cheers and happy crafting! 

Linking with: