When you are done coloring the tubes, place them upright in a safe place to dry overnight.
Make sure that the tubes are completely dry before attempting to cut them. The wet tubes are very flimsy and fragile and could fall apart if not allowed to dry thoroughly.
If you can't wait to surprise your bird, it is possible to speed up the drying process by using a hairdryer on a low setting. Make sure to work over the newspaper when doing this, as the force from the dryer sometimes sends droplets of dye flying!

