Furniture made of cardboard. Everything is possible!

Until recently, cardboard furniture was as new as free flights to Mars or flying cars. While cars don't fly yet, making cardboard furniture with your own hands is gaining momentum abroad, and by now this trend has reached the CIS countries. Let's try to figure out whether this is fantasy or reality.

Is it possible?

Let's ask a completely natural question to begin with: is it possible to make furniture from boxes with your own hands? It is possible. Everything that is not prohibited by the Constitution and other legal acts of the Russian Federation, moral norms accepted in society is permitted. It would be more correct to ask whether it is worth it. We have to figure this out.

First, let's define the purpose. Why do you want to create cardboard furniture? In general, it can be used both for children's play and in everyday use. Everything depends on how you approach the matter, how strong the base is, how you fasten the components, what kind of supports you make, how you strengthen it, etc.

First, you need to determine the functional purpose of the thing you are inventing. But one thing is clear: you can use such creations. It is worth considering using cardboard as an alternative material when updating the furniture in your apartment.

There is some evidence that this type of product is quite suitable for use and has a right to exist. Of course, it is more suitable for people who prefer the original design of the living space and innovations. However, it will suit everyone.

Are you afraid that this option will be unreliable, flimsy and will quickly become unusable? Try to make one type of furniture and check on your own experience whether it is possible to use it. What can be created from the available raw materials?

What shall we do?

Look around, pay attention to the surrounding objects. What do you see? A table, chairs, bookshelves, cabinets, bedside tables. What are they made of? Chipboard, MDF, laminated chipboard, natural wood? No matter how strange it may sound, these things can be made of cardboard. Yes, it is quite possible. And in terms of quality and durability, the resulting product will not be inferior to durable chipboard, while this option has many of its own advantages.

Let's consider another option. From this raw material you can make a whole castle for your child, build a spaceship, and construct a car. This product is suitable for creating unusual images. It is easy to process, so cutting out original figures and ornate patterns will not be difficult. Ordinary shelves in the child's room can be turned into animals, painted, and thus create a thematic mood. You can recreate any cartoon characters, move the child into a real fairy tale. Simple cardboard will help with this. The matter depends on your imagination and skills.

Disadvantages and advantages

Like any furniture, this one has its pros and cons. We will introduce you to these subtleties. What to expect from cardboard things, and what advantages they have. There are many more positive aspects in using this type of furniture. We will start with them.

1. The opportunity to create a stylish design. You are making things with your own hands, so you can make your most unusual dreams come true. The material lends itself well to decorative processing, fantasize and create.
2. An economical option. If you want to update the furnishings with the least expenses, use old boxes or unnecessary industrial cardboard. Ordering pressed material from the base will be cheaper than buying a new set of wood.
3. Ease of transportation. Such products are often collapsible or simply have a small weight, so they will not cause any trouble when moving. You should be careful, as the material of manufacture is classified as fragile.
4. Durability. It is strange, but this quality refers to furniture made of cardboard. With correct calculations, selection of good fastening elements, high-quality assembly, these products will last a long time, even with constant use.
5. Ecologically safe raw material. Cardboard is an ecologically friendly material. After disposal, it can be processed and used as secondary raw material. The period of decomposition of cardboard is much shorter, because it is made from a natural ecological base.

Now about the disadvantages. The only downside is that such furniture does not tolerate dampness. It requires special care, preventing moisture from getting on the surface. If assembled incorrectly, it can quickly break and lead to injury. If a professional takes on the matter, there will be no difficulties. And we will touch on the topic of care below, and you will see that it is not difficult.

We create with our own hands

As already mentioned, you can create this type of furnishings yourself, or order it from the manufacturer.

The most economical option would be to create a new environment with your own hands. In this case, you will not make a mistake with the style, you will not have to explain to the designer what idea you want to implement and how to achieve the result. It will cost less, due to the use of improvised means, and even old cardboard.

First, you will need a special room. This could be a home office or a kitchen. The main thing is low humidity in the environment, and make sure not to cause discomfort to other residents of the house, because this procedure is noisy. Let's begin?

Necessary materials

To start the process, you need to prepare everything you need. Let's start with the materials. The choice of the base is an important part, it depends on whether the thing will be strong and durable, and how long it will last in use.

The cardboard should be strong, it is better to choose a pressed type. Old boxes will not work for a practical product. Pay attention to the number of layers in the sheet, the more there are, the stronger the base.

We will need craft paper to process seams or cover the surface of the table or chair (if necessary). You can use colored adhesive paper, fabric, paints (gouache, stained glass, oil, etc.) for decoration. Or leave it in its original state, which will have its own zest.

Necessary tools

To avoid distractions during the process, we collect the necessary tools. We will need:

• glue (PVA, wallpaper, silicone);
• a stationery knife (for thin cardboard) and a construction knife (for thicker cardboard);
• construction stapler;
• scotch tape (preferably transparent or brown);
• scissors;
• tape measure, or centimeter, it is acceptable to use a ruler;
• pencil or chalk;
• sandpaper (for processing cuts).

Well, that's all. As you can see, you don't need a lot of construction supplies like you would for wooden construction. It's more like a children's craft kit. But we're going to make a real masterpiece. Let's get down to business.

Preparatory work

There is one last spurt left before making cardboard furniture with your own hands. We have collected the necessary material and tools, now we need to do the preparatory work.

As for the search, we still need to find schemes for making cardboard furniture. Depending on what you want to make, you can find ready-made drawings or come up with them yourself. Next, you need to take measurements of the space where the creation will be located, and in accordance with the results obtained, make a drawing (or make adjustments to an existing one).

After preparing the diagrams and drawings (with the corresponding measurements), we proceed to processing the raw materials. We chose high-quality cardboard. It needs processing. It cannot be washed. If it gets dirty during transportation, wipe it with a damp cloth.

Done. We can start working.

Let's get down to business

We will not consider a specific example of how to make furniture from cardboard. But we will give a general principle of construction with detailed instructions.

1. Cut out the part according to the existing pattern with measurements. You can create patterns from paper, attach them to the base, trace with a pencil and cut out or draw directly on the base.
2. It is necessary to process the received parts. To do this, rub the cuts with sandpaper. If desired, you can seal the cut places (where the structure is visible) with tape or paper.
3. Perform the necessary manipulations for fastening. Depending on the type of connection, you will need to make the appropriate cuts (if the fastening is without glue), or mark the places for applying glue or attaching tape.
4. All that remains is to fasten the parts along the marked lines, and our cardboard furniture is ready.

We have reviewed the general manufacturing scheme. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about it. The work depends on the chosen scheme and the product you want to form. If you plan to make a bed, there will be a little more work, because such a scheme has more parts. It also requires more reinforcement. However, the manufacturing process occurs according to the above scheme. The creation is ready, let's move on to the design.

Decorating

The most interesting part. Here you can show your imagination to the fullest. In addition to the fact that you can create cardboard furniture of a fancy shape, you have a lot of possibilities for decoration. We use a universal base, it adheres well to other materials with glue or tape. For design, you can use paper, fabric, paints, decorative, natural decorations, pencils - everything that is at hand.

Hypoallergenic paint is suitable for children's furniture. Choose bright colors, combine them, creating a fairy tale for the baby. After painting, the item must be varnished so that the paint holds better, and in general, this will add strength to the creation. This option is best, since children can tear off decorative ornaments or spoil the upholstery while playing. Such decor is bright, safe and easy to clean.

Cardboard furniture for everyday use (cabinets, chairs, shoe racks, bookcases, tables, etc.) can be decorated in a more complex way. Having made chairs for the living room, upholster them with velvet or another fabric. Or create covers from satin or silk. Such a design will look luxurious, decorating cardboard eco-friendly furniture. Simply varnish the bookcase and glue the cuts with paper with a wood-like print.

Another option is to leave it in its original state. After sanding the edges, making them smooth and safe, simply place the utensils in the room (or outside). This look will emphasize the originality of the item without adapting it to the usual wooden furniture.

We have offered ideas for both lovers of the original style and connoisseurs of the classics. The choice is yours. But, regardless of the appearance you have brought the furniture to, it requires special care.

Care instructions

If you are making a disposable item, then special care is not required. Just throw it away after use. However, cardboard furniture can last a long time. To do this, follow the care instructions.

Product:

1. Do not place in a damp place or in the rain;
2. it is not advisable to leave it outside overnight (at night there is a temperature drop and the air humidity increases);
3. For better preservation, cover with varnish;
4. wipe periodically with a dry or slightly damp cloth;
5. will not withstand heavy loads, so explain to children that they should not jump on them.

By following these simple instructions, you will prolong the life of your cardboard furniture for a long time.

We hope that we have managed to introduce the reader to the new recycling movement. Recycling of raw materials is an excellent prospect for the future of preserving the cleanliness and life on our planet. Now we have made useful and practical things from cardboard. Perhaps in the future this type will become the most used. And in the modern world it is distinguished by its originality and unusual style.

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