DIY Confetti Poppers

These fun DIY confetti poppers are simple to make and so fun to use! Make them and hand out for guests to use to celebrate birthdays, fourth of July, weddings, and more!

Last summer I shared some really fun summer party ideas, including one of my favorite tips to provide party favors that people can actually use at parties!

These fun DIY confetti poppers are a great example of that! They’re not only something people can take home, they’re something people can use to celebrate at a party!

You can either create a bunch to give out to people as favors or set up a table where people can create their own confetti popper!

They’re fun to use at baby showers, a birthday party, at midnight on New Year’s Eve, a 4th of July party, and really any time you feel like celebrating! You could even just make some with your kids to celebrate finishing all the items on your summer bucket list!

Why You’ll Love This Craft

• Easy to make – these homemade confetti poppers are about as easy as it gets to make! They’re just toilet paper rolls covered in fun paper so they’re a great project for teens, kids, and adults!
• Versatile – change up the paper and decorations on the outside to make this make the theme of your party. I’ve included two printable papers that work for these in this post – one for Independence Day that’s red, white, and blue, and one that is generic and good for birthday parties, anniversary parties, bridal showers, etc.
• Fun surprise – there’s a reason those little party poppers are so popular, people love popping things to see what comes out! These are a fun way to add an element of surprise and excitement to any party, especially if you pre-make them all beforehand and people are just popping them at the right time for special occasions!
• Inexpensive – in addition to being easy to make, these poppers are made with inexpensive materials, many of which you likely already have at home!

Supplies

Supply Notes

• Cardboard tubes – you can either use actual craft paper tubes like these ones or go the cheap route and use toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls cut to the size of a toilet paper roll (3.9 inches).
• Cardstock – you can either use any color of cardstock paper or use the printables you can download at the bottom of this post if you want to use the designs shown in the photos in this post. There’s also a fun printable for a refill station with that download as well. You could also use something like thick wrapping paper as well, just cut to size. Whatever you use, you want to cut it down to 5.25″ x 3.875″ to fit a standard size toilet paper roll. You could also use a piece of scrapbook paper, just make sure it’s thick!
• Washi tape – you can use any color washi tape you want that will match your theme. You’ll use this to add a little decoration to the confetti poppers, so I always recommend providing a variety of choices if people are making these themselves! I have a huge stash in my craft room but if you don’t, you can get it at craft stores or a variety pack on Amazon. Or you can use washi tape quality tape (it’s a little thicker).
• Tissue paper – you’ll want various colors of tissue paper to use to make the confetti. I typically make it using a 5/8 inch circle punch like this so it’s not too small and painful to pick up. You could also use pre-made tissue paper confetti if you prefer.
• Balloons – you’ll want to use 9″ balloons so they aren’t too big or too small to give the confetti the pop it needs.
• Elastic bands – you can also use rubber bands, either one works great. You’ll just need it to secure the tissue paper to the end of the cardboard tube, kind of like I did with this Christmas punch game.

Optional Supplies

There are also a couple of not pictured items that are optional but might help make these balloon party poppers easier to make. They’re mostly typical household items, but you may want to have these items on hand as well:

• Ruler
• Detail knife
• Pencil
• Bucket and a scoop (if you’re doing a refill station)

How to make DIY Confetti Poppers

This is such an easy diy craft that almost any age (maybe not preschool) could make them! Or at least be involved in making them. You can split this into different steps and have everyone help with a step that’s appropriate to their age!

It’s actually a really fun activity for kids to work on their fine motor skills like cutting, taping, and gluing as well and who doesn’t love using creative ideas to do educational things.

1 – Add the balloon

Start by tying off the end of a balloon that has not been inflated (the blowing end of the balloons), then cut the top of the balloon off, leaving the majority of the balloon intact. Make sure you leave at least 1″ – 2″ of balloon above the knot when you cut it so it’s long enough to extend up the sides of the tube.

Now, slip the balloon over one end of the cardboard tube and tape it in place using the packing tape. You want it to fit snugly. If the balloon is loose around the tube, try cutting a smaller hole off the top of the balloon and trying again.

2 – Decorate the DIY Poppers

Next, cut the colored cardstock (or printable) to fit around the tube. If you’re using my printables, they’re designed to fit a standard toilet paper roll. If you’re using other paper, cut it to 5.25″ x 3.875″.

Once it’s cut, wrap the paper around the tube, and either tape or glue it in place. I like to glue so it looks a little nicer on the outside but if you don’t care about the look, tape is fine.

You’ll cover the balloon that’s wrapped around the popper, and that’s totally okay – it gives it a nice seamless look and you’ll only really see the bottom knot of the balloon.

Add washi tape to the top and bottom of the confetti popper to enhance the look of the design. You could also let people decorate with anything else – glitter, stickers, foam things, etc. if you’re doing this as a party craft!

3 – Make the Confetti

Now, make the confetti by cutting a small square of tissue paper a bunch of times, or use a hole punch.

Put cut confetti in a large container and then place about one tablespoon of confetti in the end of the tube. I like to do a small amount of confetti so that it’s a little mess while still being fun. No one wants to clean up an entire cardboard tube full of confetti off the ground!

Also, if you have too much confetti, it can sometimes get weighed down and the popper won’t pop or you’ll get just a little confetti to come out.

4 – Finish and Shoot

After your popper is filled, cut a square of tissue paper about 3″ x 3″, place it over the end of the popper, and secure it with a rubber band until you are ready to use it.

When you’re ready to celebrate, just remove the rubber band and tissue paper from the top, pull down on the balloon knot and release!

These are so much fun to shoot and a safe alternative, especially for younger kids, compared to the fireworks style poppers or cracker snaps. And the great thing is since you’re decorating and filling them yourself, you can really make them work for any event!

Expert Tips

Prepare poppers ahead of time and store in an upright position or cover with tissue paper and secure with an elastic or rubber band. These easy confetti poppers are great for making ahead of time! If you’re going to send these home with guests, you may want to secure with an actual piece of paper compared to tissue paper just so it doesn’t rip.

Try environment safe alternatives for the confetti when using outside. Dried lavender, herbs, hole-punched leaves, rice, and birdseed are all great options for shooting outside without having to clean up every little piece.

Use scraps from cutting the cardstock to create more confetti instead of just throwing it away.

One 8×10 inch sheet of paper will make about 4 TBS of square cut confetti, or enough to fill four poppers. It’s helpful to keep in mind as you’re planning how much paper you need for the poppers.

Use different colors and designs of paper to change up the look of your party poppers. Red, white, and blue paper with red, white, and blue confetti is perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday!

Craft FAQs

More Fun DIY Craft Ideas

If you like making your own party crafts, then try out these next!

• DIY ring toss game – this fun DIY ring toss game can be made with just some store-bought rings and a bottles from your last celebration!
• DIY dice – easy DIY dice that work for outdoor games, gift exchanges, and any of your favorite dice games!
• Cricut projects – tons of fun things to make with Cricut for parties including decorations, games, and more!
• Cricut cake topper – make a simple cake topper using a Cricut machine with this great tutorial!
• DIY baby shower decorations – easy baby shower decorations you can make at home!

Download the Confetti Popper Labels

If you’d like to use the labels used in this post, you can download the free PDF file here or by clicking the button below. It will include:

• Red, white, and blue popper labels
• Red, white, and blue refill station sign
• Yellow popper labels
• Yellow refill station sign