Cardboard furniture is a great alternative if you can't afford regular furniture! You can make a table, chairs and sofas out of cardboard with your own hands!
Such an ordinary thing as cardboard, which we often throw away with the rest of the rubbish without hesitation, can be an excellent material for building good furniture. Of course, you can assume that such interior items will be fragile and easily bend under the weight of the items placed on it, but this can and should be avoided by properly processing the cardboard.
Such furniture has a lot of positive advantages:
- Stylish design... You can design any thing for your home, based only on your taste or the preferences of your family;
- Economy... Spend quite a bit of hard-earned money to buy necessary tools, and you won't have to spend money on delivery / installation;
- Mobility... With light, at the time of folding furniture, moving will not become your nightmare - you will only be happy to collect things for a new life;
- Ergonomic. There is no need to walk through an endless store in search of “the very thing” that will appeal to you at the same time, fit into the interior and be comfortable - from now on you can combine these three qualities;
- Security... There are absolutely no harmful and dangerous elements in cardboard furniture - after all, you make furniture out of boxes with your own hands, which means that you check and see all the components;
- Environmental friendliness... The furniture has lost its previous appearance and attractiveness, or you decide to change the design - just take it apart and put it in a bag. You can throw it away without worry, or you can use it to light a fire for barbecue - cardboard will not harm the environment in any way!
- Strength... With proper processing of cardboard, furniture made of it will last a very long time.
Despite the large number of advantages, cardboard furniture has one extremely unpleasant feature - when it is in a humid environment, the furniture deteriorates and becomes unusable.
Consider this fact and always remove cardboard furniture from the street, otherwise it could be rendered unusable by a sudden rain.
Tools and materials for manufacturing
What is needed to make cardboard furniture with your own hands? The unchanged materials will be:
- Packaging cardboard / cardboard boxes - you can ask for boxes in the store or search at home from purchased equipment;
- Plain and colored tape, paper tape, double-sided tape;
- Stationery knife for cutting cardboard (watch the sharpness of the blades and change as you dull);
- Sharp scissors;
- Dull knife;
- Roulette / iron ruler;
- Pencil and eraser;
- Glue (PVA, hot melt glue, wallpaper glue, liquid "moment" - depending on the situation, but sometimes you can only do with scotch tape);
- Sandpaper (you will use it to grind cardboard slices);
- Kraft paper (white and dark) and tracing paper.
Types of cardboard
To make cardboard furniture with your own hands, you will need different cardboard, depending on the situation.
Cardboard can be one-, two- and three-layer, depending on the number of layers, which, in turn, consist of small waves that are visible on the cut of the cardboard. The more layers of waves the cardboard has, the thicker the cardboard. Also, remember to identify the sides of the cardboard before starting work:
- smooth (sometimes with pictures) side - front,
- rough - purl.
To reinforce the edges of cardboard furniture, use a dark colored kraft paper to glue all the seams with it with wallpaper glue. Stick white paper (or tracing paper) on all furniture - it makes it easier to decorate furniture.
Remember: kraft paper and tracing paper must be torn by hand before gluing, not cut!
How to make cardboard furniture more durable
Depending on the purpose of the item (it will be a box for children's toys or a TV stand), cardboard is strengthened in different ways. For a more reliable and durable fastening, remember the following:
- Use parquet varnish, applying it to ready-made and decorated pieces of furniture;
- Try to make furniture symmetrical - it is more stable than irregularly shaped furniture;
- If you are making asymmetrical furniture, then add more supports for the fortress to it;
- The more cross sections your furniture has, the more stable it is;
- To give more strength to your structure, use a trick - make two layers of cardboard on all pieces of furniture. But, attention, the layers should be different: one layer should have horizontal waves, the other - vertical;
- Light cardboard is less durable than dark cardboard;
- The thicker the cardboard, the stronger it is.
How to use cardboard furniture
How to properly use DIY cardboard furniture
In order for your cardboard new thing to serve faithfully for a long time, do not forget that:
- Furniture made of cardboard is afraid of moisture (varnish will not save you from a shower);
- Use it for its intended purpose: if you made a table for letters / keys / change, do not put a bulky flower pot on it;
- Make sure that there is no open fire(be it a fireplace, a fire or even a cigarette) - you can lose not only an interior item if you allow a fire hazard.
How to make cardboard furniture with your own hands if only a box comes to mind? ? We are in a hurry to surprise you - you can make a lot of amazing gizmos out of cardboard that harmoniously fit the interior, from the nursery to the hallway, and if you are completely overwhelmed by inspiration, then there are many ideas for an office and a country house.
Below you will see how to make cardboard furniture with your own hands using patterns and diagrams. Choose something for the first time that is not too difficult to get comfortable with the manufacturing technique.
Important! When designing furniture, remember that decorating furniture will take 0.6cm, and always add these centimeters when counting dimensions.
Master class number 1: Cardboard shoe stand
We decided to simplify your task - we set the first master class that anyone can collect. So, armed with all the necessary items, let's start.
Step 1
- Take sheets of cardboard - about 21x24cm - and divide them into three equal strips; Use a dull knife to push the strips well so that they bend.
- Glue the long sides of the sheet with any colored tape.
- Then fold the triangular oblong shapes from the sheets and secure with the same tape.
Step 2
You can make any number of triangles. To secure the shelves, take whole sheets of cardboard and glue triangles to them double-sided tape or PVA. You can put a sheet of cardboard on the very top and put high boots on it.
Master class number 2: Bookshelf made of cardboard
Step 1
Take long, not wide sheets of cardboard - some of the sheets will go to vertical bases, so they should be slightly longer, in general, the size of the sheets can be any, at your discretion. You can look for such sheets in hardware stores - it happens that they are thrown out with just such cuts.
If not found, take whole (no curvatures!) Sheets and measure for the line for cuts so that on all sheets they coincide when threaded into each other.
Step 2
If you take thick cardboard sheets, then when you connect them together, they will hold tightly and without additional funds. You can fix thin sheets together with hot melt glue; it will dry out quickly, so you will have to act quickly when joining the sheets. After connecting the sheets, you can already use the shelf.
Master class number 3: Hanging shelf for shoes
- Take a couple of large sheets of cardboard and line them up into equal rectangles based on the size of your shoe. Then cut them out.
- Fold each rectangle as shown in the photo, fasten the resulting pockets with tape.
- Slide the pockets into each other so that it is easy to secure them with double-sided tape, but there is still room for shoes.
- You can fix the shelf on the door - it will not interfere with you at all and take up a lot of space.
Master class number 4: Do-it-yourself laptop stand
Almost all of us have an indispensable tool for work and communication - a laptop. And we have to buy all sorts of peripherals for it (mouse, flash drives, removable hard drives, etc.). And so, when there is a desire to put it on a stand for the convenience of work, we have to go to the store and spend extra money. For those who want to avoid unnecessary expenses, but do not want to give up the stand, there is an excellent way out - to make it yourself. And how to do it - you will read in this article.
Materials and tools:
- Laptop for measuring the size of the stand;
- yardstick;
- several sheets of paper or newspaper for stencil;
- thick cardboard for the stand itself (you can use an unnecessary box);
- long ruler;
- marker or pencil;
- large scissors or a utility knife.
You have already understood that we do not need any special materials - all of the above is likely to be in any home. We start manufacturing.
Step 1.
We take paper or newspaper and spread it on flat surface... All steps for measuring the dimensions of the stand and making a stencil are best done according to the principle of "measure seven times, cut once", because at best the stand will be crooked, and at worst it will not hold the laptop.
- First, we will make a projectile (this is a crossbar between the legs to make the stand more rigid). We take a tape measure and measure the length of the laptop along the keyboard, from corner to corner.
- Mark with a marker on paper exactly half of this length.
- We draw a line - this will be half of the base of the prong. It is better not to paint this part entirely. Make a slight mistake and your laptop will look crooked.
- We measure up from the edges of the segment 4 cm and 7 cm. Draw a rectangle.
- We mentally divide the rectangle into 3 parts: the first third is an almost straight line at a height of 4 cm, the second third - with a piece or hand we make a bend at an angle of 45 degrees to the 7 cm line, the last third - from the right end of the segment we draw a line to the 7 cm line at an angle 45 degrees.
- All this is simply and clearly shown in the photo (det. 1). At the point of contact of the two curved lines, a narrow sleeve is made - at this point there will be a cutout for aligning the parts.
Step 2.
The same photo shows the template of the stand legs (detail 2).
You choose the angle of the stand based on personal preference. This will add up the height of the right and left side of the leg. When drawing a template for the leg, pay attention to the tooth, which will subsequently keep the laptop from falling.
In height, it should be at least a third of the thickness of the laptop. The slot in the foot for grip with the prong should not be in the middle, but at a distance of about 1/3 from the far edge. It also affects the stability of the structure. Curves are at your discretion.
The slots in the legs and the foot can be no more than 3-4 cm in height. In width, they can be 3-5 mm, depending on the thickness of the cardboard, but in both parts they can be the same.
Step 3.
Cutting out paper templates. We apply the template 1 of the part with the bottom cut to the flat edge of the box, chosen as the future stand. It is desirable that the stable parts of the stand are perfectly flat (the stand will not sway on the table).
- Carefully trace the template on one side, then flip it mirrored to the other side and continue to trace. We get one inseparable symmetrical part (projectile). Only apply parts to smooth parts of the box (cardboard) that have no folds.
- On another cardboard (for example, the bottom of the box) we put the paper template of part 2, i.e. leg. We circle and repeat the same a second time. The legs should be exactly the same.
Step 4.
We cut out all the details with scissors or a clerical knife. We move them along the slots, as shown in the photo.
If everything is combined correctly, then you can be glad that a simple (like everything brilliant), functional, sturdy stand for your digital friend is ready! Install a laptop on it and attach additional keyboards to it, watch movies at a comfortable height, sweep the cookie crumbs under the stand - you are now the proud owner of a home-made laptop stand!
Cardboard table layout
We also offer a simple photo-master cardboard desktop class
Furniture made of cardboard is a great way to turn unnecessary things into useful ones. The cost price, for example, if you make a cardboard rack with your own hands, is extremely low, but outwardly it looks very decent. Of course, if you try. Consider how to make cardboard furniture on your own, where you can use it, what advantages it has.
pros
The main advantages of a do-it-yourself cardboard shelf are:
- Minimum costs. You only have to spend money on glue and dye.
- Mobility, lightness.
- Original appearance.
- Almost unlimited creativity.
Important! You can finish the product not with paint, but with textiles or old wallpaper. Moreover, choose a shade so as to fit a hand-made product into any interior.
Individual elements of cardboard furniture are connected not with glue, but with plastic clips. This allows you to create a variety of shelving configurations and update the interior at no cost. Such furniture is perfect for a nursery:
- Due to the extreme cheapness, you do not need to be afraid of spoiling it.
- You can also involve the child in the process of “furniture production”, which develops his taste, perception of colors and creativity.
Minuses
However, there is also certain disadvantages... First of all, it is low strength. Of course, heavy loads are not for cardboard shelves. However, books, accessories or small souvenirs they stand up very successfully.
Important! A little trick will help make the shelves much stronger. Two boxes made of corrugated cardboard, nested one inside the other, make it possible to obtain a fairly rigid structure that can withstand rather heavy loads.
Materials (edit)
Prepare the following materials and tools to make a do-it-yourself cardboard rack:
- Cardboard. The thickness of the material plays an important role. The thicker the cardboard, the stronger the furniture. Thinner material is useful for finishing joints. In addition, if thin sheets are glued together, you can get a durable material.
- Glue. It is advisable to use Moment glue, as the canvas will not get wet.
- Tool. It is most convenient to cut cardboard with a jigsaw or a stationery knife. The sharper the instrument, the better quality work, so do not be lazy to change files more often. To make the glue harden faster, prepare a building hair dryer.
You can use a variety of materials to decorate the shelves from cardboard boxes with your own hands:
- Textile.
- Wallpaper left over from the renovation.
- Self-adhesive.
- Paint.
- Kraft paper.
Important! Kraft paper looks especially beautiful. The racks are not only beautiful, but also pleasant to the touch.
DIY cardboard shelf - master class
A cardboard rack is perfect for storing books and accessories. The procedure for its manufacture is as follows:
- Choose cardboard. The best option- five-layer. It is durable and easy to handle.
- Draw a sketch to scale, and then make a template in life size... In this case, the design can be of any kind.
- Apply the markings to the cardboard.
- Cut out the details with a utility knife. Moreover, each part consists of 2 blanks, which are glued together. With three sections - 2, with two sections - 8, with one section - 2. Use a ruler to keep your cuts straight and accurate. Take care of the coating of the work surface as well. It must be strong enough not to be damaged during operation.
- Before assembling the rack, secure the walls with stiffeners, which give the structure additional strength. These are cardboard strips with a width of 30-40 mm. Place them around the perimeter of the parts.
- Glue the parts of the parts together until the glue dries, place a weight on top.
- Assemble the parts according to the sketch.
- Cover all irregularities with a putty, leave the structure until the composition is completely dry. It will take about a day.
- Cover the shelves with the material prepared for the decor.
- Assemble the design finally.
DIY cardboard shelves - decor
There are no clear instructions or prohibitions here. Applications, decoupage, wallpaper, self-adhesive film, textiles - this is not a complete list. possible options... Self-adhesive film is a beautiful, simple and, at the same time, practical option. This furniture is easy to clean. It is easy to replace the decor if the initial one gets a little boring. The procedure is as follows:
- Disassemble the structure and paste over the side parts separately. Do not forget to leave about 1 cm on the fold for pasting the end pieces.
- Cover the front of the structure with a solid piece of material. Joints and seams should not be.
- Now connect the sections together.
Cardboard furniture – good way turn unnecessary material into a very original one, beautiful furniture... Its appearance practically does not differ from ordinary furniture, and price workmanship is extremely low.
If you are left with unnecessary boxes from under the refrigerator or TV, you will have to spend money only for glue and paint.
The owners of such furniture claim that it differs little from furniture made of traditional materials. So let's figure out which Benefits and limitations has cardboard furniture and how to make it do it yourself.
Shelves made of cardboard boxes
Advantages
To the main advantages cardboard furniture include the following points:
- Low cost;
- Originality;
- Convenience in use, moving;
- Possibility of creativity.
We have already talked about the cost of such furniture, you need to spend money on glue and paint.
Advice! The paint can be replaced with leftover wallpaper or fabric. This allows you to choose the necessary material and color to fit the furniture into some exquisite, unique interior or create one.
Furniture made of cardboard is not glued together, but consolidate special plastic clamps. It is easy to disassemble if it is necessary to replace any separate part or make permutation.
Summing up, we can say that such furniture is ideal for children's room. At first, it is very cheap, you can not be afraid of its damage. Secondly, it can be done together with the child, in a similar way developing his fantasy. You can even make cardboard child chair and use it like.
disadvantages
The disadvantages include a lower strength material. But this does not mean that the furniture will be fragile and unreliable!
Of course, it is not designed for serious loads, but you can do not be afraid put on a shelf made of cardboard, as well as on any other various accessories and books.
Advice! To increase the strength, the following technique is used: take a box of thick corrugated cardboard and put a second, slightly smaller one in it. You will end up with a very rigid structure that can withstand considerable loads.
DIY cardboard shelf
Materials (edit)
To make a shelf from cardboard you will need:
- Cardboard... Critical role in self-made cardboard furniture plays thickness material. The larger it is, the stronger the furniture will come out. Counts that the density depends on the color of the cardboard. The darker the material, the denser it is. But do not hurry throw away thin material! It is often used for pasting joints. In addition, such material can be glued together and get durable, thick cardboard. If you do this, then keep in mind that the waves of each new layer must lie perpendicular previous;
- Glue. Required material for gluing cardboard furniture. Can be used any type of glue, but the most preferred is "Moment"... When using it, the cardboard does not get wet;
- Tool... A clerical knife or jigsaw is required to cut parts. The sharper the tool, the more accurate the cutting will be, because the blades and files need to be changed as often as possible. Using a jigsaw will make it possible to cut multiple layers of cardboard. For faster drying of the glue, you can use a regular or construction hair dryer.
For finishing
Everything is to your taste, can use:
- Dye;
- Kraft paper;
- Self-adhesive;
- Remains of wallpaper;
- Other materials.
At this stage, no strict rules - as you see the furniture, so you decorate it. Kraft paper and wallpaper are usually pasted over the joints and edges, sometimes the entire surface of the shelves.
Advice! Using kraft paper in finishing will not only decorate the furniture, but also make it smooth and pleasant to the touch.
Description of the stages of work
As example we'll consider shelving made of cardboard... It will fit perfectly into your interior, and you can use it for storage books, picture frames and the like.
- Pick up the cardboard... A five-layer is ideal, it is durable and easy to handle;
- Then you need to cut the parts. WITH 3 their sections should be 4 pieces, with two - 8 , with one - 2 ... Part height with 3 sections corresponds to the height of the shelf. The height of the remaining parts is determined as follows: the convex part is the width of the shelf, the cut is the thickness. Draw the layout of the details with a pencil or pen;
- Using a clerical knife cut out the details;
- Now it is necessary cut into strips made of cardboard, which will add volume to the shelf. They should be more 4 cm width;
- Glue them as follows (it is convenient to do it with a glue gun);
- Then it is necessary glue both parts details. It is best to do this with Moment glue;
- Put for details Press(you can use books);
- Then assemble shelving;
- After that smear irregularities putty and leave to dry 24 hours;
- Now you can start pasting wallpaper or other materials. In this example, self-adhesive was used;
- Left collect parts and glue.
Finishing options
There are no strict requirements to this type of furniture - whatever comes to your mind, then do it! However, there are several interesting ideas that we will share.
Another option cardboard shelves - original rack-bar made in the form of a bear. Unusual, creative, stylish: such a shelf will adorn any interior, be it a bedroom, living room or office.
The next option is perfect for finishing personal account or office. A cardboard table can easily withstand a computer and decor elements, and the rack will serve for storing documents.
Cardboard shelves are an indispensable option for furniture in the absence of the opportunity to buy a new set. Children's room or summer cottage, corridor or kitchen - any room will be transformed if you place a convenient and practical shelf there. Having made it yourself, you can not only enjoy your skills, but also save some amount.
One of the cheapest and easiest materials to work with is cardboard. You can borrow it in any store, but for the manufacture of a shelf it is better to contact a furniture store. The cardboard used there is quite durable and consists of 5 layers. Its thickness ranges from 5 to 10 mm - this is optimal parameters for convenient work.
In order to make any piece of furniture out of cardboard with your own hands: a shelf, a bedside table, decorative fireplace, you will need a number of tools and tools to make your job easier. In addition to the main material, prepare:
- pencil, ruler, construction knife;
- a special surface for work, for example, a sheet of plywood;
- glue gun;
- glue "Moment";
- putty;
- wallpaper or self-adhesive for external decor.
Preparation for work
First you need to calculate the size of the shelf and the amount of material required for it. The parameters will depend on the future location of its location and your wishes. For our option, a project for 5 sections is selected. Optimal height shelves about 110 cm on the side with three sections, with two - 69 cm.The width of the sections will be square, each side is 30 cm.
The dimensions are known, you can start cutting the blanks. In total, you will need 2 blanks for each part, which are glued together:
- 4 parts with three sections;
- 8 pieces with two;
- 2 pieces with one.
By drawing out the details, you can calculate the size of the required sheet of cardboard. Do not forget to complete all drawings with a pencil, and make cuts construction knife... For comfortable and high-quality work, use a solid, non-wooden ruler, as well as a good work surface that you will not mind ruining. As a result of working with a knife, she may be damaged.
After cutting, you get separate cardboard shelves - parts that need to be assembled together. Before proceeding with the assembly, reinforce the structure with special stiffeners, which will add volume to the walls. To do this, you need cardboard strips of arbitrary width (about 3-4 cm), which are placed along the perimeter of the part in a zigzag manner.
Back to the table of contents
Assembling a shelf from cardboard
First you need to glue all the details and stiffeners with wood glue, since it does not deform the cardboard. Do not forget about the details placed around the perimeter. After carefully gluing, place the blanks under the press. They can be books, an inverted stool at home. When assembling, we connect all the parts in the cut out places, as if hooking them together.
After that, it is necessary to level the entire surface with putty, make even corners, cover up holes or other manufacturing defects. This is necessary to obtain a flat surface, which will then be easier to decorate. Leave the shelves in a dry place for about 24 hours. After completely dry, make the product original, matching the style of your room.
Useful Tips
Cardboard is universal material, from which you can make not only boxes, but also various crafts, as well as quite useful things in everyday life.
This environmentally clean material not difficult to find, and also fairly easy to work with.
Here we have collected the most interesting and useful things that you can make out of cardboard at home or in the country.
How to make a cardboard organizer for cables / cords / wires
You will need:
Toilet paper rolls
Cardboard box (perfect for shoes)
Scotch tape or glue to hold the grommets together (optional)
* The number of bushings depends on the number of cables and the space in the box.
* You can fill the box full or half with grommets to make room for larger items.
* To prevent the sleeves from dangling in the box and snug against each other, you can secure them with tape or glue.
Crafts from cardboard: laptop stand
You can make a convenient laptop stand from a regular pizza box. This stand was created by Russian designer Ilya Andreev. He cleverly handled the folds on the cardboard to create a foldable stand.
Another option for a cardboard laptop stand
You will need:
Stationery knife
Ruler (preferably metal)
Place where you can cut (board or special rug)
Glue (PVA or hot).
* Select the sizes of details according to the size of your computer.
* Make cuts on the parts about 6 cm.
* This stand has been designed for 13 and 15 "notebooks.
* Use glue to secure all parts starting from the bottom.
* Allow the glue to dry before testing the stand.
Triangular shoe rack made of cardboard boxes
You will need:
Scissors or utility knife
Ruler and pencil
Wide tape.
* Each module in this shelf is a triangular tube. Its size depends on the size of the shoe.
You should make one module first.
1. First cut the cardboard, divide it into 3 parts with a pencil and a ruler, bend it into a triangle and secure with wide tape.
2. Create a few more modules in this way.
3. Each row of triangular modules must be glued to a sheet of cardboard for stability.
4. You can put another cardboard on top.
Organizer made of cardboard (diagram). Option 1: for papers and documents.
You will need:
Cereal boxes
Scissors
Colored tape or colored paper for decoration (optional)
PVA glue.
1. Glue the boxes together.
2. Wrap the boxes with colored cardboard or colored wide tape.
DIY cardboard organizer (diagram). Option 2: for papers and magazines
Organizer made of cardboard for stationery (photo)
You will need:
Cereal boxes
Scissors
Colored tape or colored paper
PVA glue
Cardboard rolls for toilet paper or paper towels.
DIY cardboard shelves (photo)
1. Prepare cardboard. If you have boxes, straighten them.
2. Now you need to make a hexagon from a sheet of cardboard. To do this, you need to make additional folds, one on each of the two largest sides of the cardboard.
3. Place the box straight and make a couple of cuts (see image) so that the upper parts of the shape can be bent towards the center.
Loading ...