The technology of creating do-it-yourself furniture from cardboard, and visual schemes and patterns
In order to creatively decorate the apartment, as well as add personality to it, you can make cardboard furniture with your own hands, patterns and patterns are so simple that even a beginner can make products. A variety of options will allow you to choose the right piece of furniture and make it, involving all family members in the process.
What can be done
At first glance, you might think that cardboard is a fragile material that requires special handling. On the one hand, this is correct, on the other hand, choosing the right kind of cardboard, you don’t have to worry about its further use. Cardboard furniture will be distinguished by durability and practicality, if you follow the sequence of work and recommendations on the use of tools.
To choose an option for the independent manufacture of furniture products, you need to consider several suggestions:
- Toy furniture made of cardboard - it is profitable and creative to make doll furniture for yourself. If children require the purchase of a new house for Barbie with all the accessories, the output will be the production of this option with their own hands;
- Shelves for books - are considered one of the simplest cardboard products. It will not take a lot of time to make them, and books do not have a big load on cardboard;
- Original table - this will not be a dining table on which dishes are constantly located, but a small coffee or coffee table. On such a piece of furniture a child can perform developmental tasks, because it is designed for a small load;
- Chest of drawers - it’s convenient to fold documents or papers into such furniture, children's accessories will also fit here. The chest of drawers is easier to make from cardboard boxes from large equipment, such as a refrigerator;
- Shoe rack - the original stand for shoes in the form of triangular cells fits in any hall. Entering the room, all guests will be surprised how convenient and practical the rack turned out;
- A small chair for children - since cardboard is not designed for heavy loads, furniture for children is what you need. A small chair for the baby will become his favorite subject, where he can draw or play.
As you can see, furniture made of cardboard - is easy to perform. For its manufacture you need the simplest material and a minimum of tools.
TableShoe rackChairChest of drawersShelvesToyNecessary materials and tools
Regardless of what type of furniture will be selected for independent production, the list of materials will be unchanged. This necessarily includes the main raw material - cardboard.
To make the products durable, it is worth giving preference to three-layer cardboard. The quality of the material can be checked at the cut.
If a single-layer analogue was purchased in advance - do not get upset. From this option, it turns out well the manufacture of a dollhouse and furniture for dolls. If it is used for work on real furniture - it is necessary to glue several layers of cardboard to give greater strength.
List of materials and tools for work:
- Scotch tape - it is better to purchase paper, ordinary and double-sided;
- Clerical or sharp construction knife;
- Scissors;
- Roulette and a long ruler;
- Pencil and stationery eraser;
- Sandpaper - for stripping slices;
- Kraft paper;
- Glue - depending on the type of cardboard, you may need PVA, hot melt or Moment.
If all of the listed materials and fixtures are prepared, it is worth moving on to the manufacture of the selected furniture. Experienced cardboard masters recommend that beginners choose simple work to start, such as a shelf or a table.
Cardboard rules
In order for home-made furniture to be made not only beautiful but also durable, a number of rules should be followed. They will help to make high-quality products that will appeal to all households:
- Bonding layers - when working with single-layer cardboard or to strengthen furniture, it is necessary to glue the material. When gluing cardboard together, try to lay the layers perpendicular to each other - this is how they give increased rigidity;
- The choice of glue - people who have already made furniture from this material are advised to use the glue Moment. It does not get wet after application and instantly fastens the details of the products. You can also purchase a glue gun and thermal sticks, which melt when heated, creating an adhesive trace;
- Why do we need kraft paper - Kraft paper is used to paste over the edges and joints of furniture. With this move, the furniture looks neater. Before pasting, the joints are cleaned with sandpaper. It must be remembered that paper cannot be cut - it must be torn by hand. So the layers will become smooth, without transitions;
- Features of cutting - during the manufacture of furniture from cardboard, special attention is paid to cutting the material. A clerical knife is usually used - it is important that it is always sharp, because the accuracy of the details depends on it. If thick cardboard cannot be cut, you can use a jigsaw.
Using a jigsaw, work is much faster. It is important to carefully cut the details and prevent mistakes, because the tool is too powerful for cardboard.
Cut the cardboard with a knifeChoose the type of cardboard you want.Use kraft paperChoose glue carefullyStep-by-step instruction
So that the production was quick and not accompanied by problems, there is a step-by-step instruction, the master class of cardboard furniture consists of a phased description of each action. It begins with the creation of a drawing, then comes the formation of parts, their strengthening. The final stage is the assembly of furniture. Each of the steps must be considered separately.
Drawing creation
The first thing to do is to complete the furniture drawing. To begin with, they draw it on a regular A4 sheet to see a smaller version. In such a sketch, it is important to prescribe all sizes and observe scaling. If you have the skill to work in special programs that allow you to develop product models - it is worth using them.
The first drawing should have an image of the product in a general three-dimensional form. Next, you need to draw a projection of furniture with a view from above, side, back separately. The next step will be the image of the product parts: each part must be drawn separately.
When the drawing is ready, it must be transferred to the cardboard sheets:
- Using a tape measure and a long ruler, they are drawn with a pencil on the surface of the raw material, measuring out the necessary dimensions;
- For work, you may need a square so that the corners of future furniture are even in the picture;
- When drawing on thin cardboard, try not to leave scratches with a pencil, and when making furniture from corrugated cardboard - draw lines clear and deep;
- Cutting the details is necessary in compliance with all indentation and possible distance reserves.
You can use ready-made patterns or come up with your own product that meets specific sizes and preferences.
Forming parts
It is worth noting that when cutting parts there should not be visible bends. If the work is done on a box of household appliances - it is better to do cutting on even edges. Of the six-layer cardboard, you can make furniture with your own hands of increased strength, for example, a bookcase for shoes or books.
Product details are formed using a sharp clerical knife. Masters advise using a construction knife if it is intended to work with multi-layer raw materials. As the knife becomes dull, its blade changes. A dull knife will not be able to evenly cut off the necessary part along the contour - you will have to redo the pattern.
Depending on the type of furniture assembly, the details may be:
- Plug-in;
- Glued;
- Incremental.
The latter option involves the gradual build-up of cardboard to achieve optimal thickness. Such a move will further strengthen the model, preventing it from sagging under load. It is advantageous to use cardboard sleeves in the construction - special tubes with high density. They are suitable for the production of legs for furniture, as well as for the assembly of structures in an original style. For example, a chair made of cardboard pipes looks creative and can support the weight of a person.
Plug-inGluedEscalationStructural Strengthening
Every detail after cutting with a knife should be processed. This happens in the following way:
- Stripping. The cut off edges of the module should be necessarily sanded. This technique will give them smoothness and prepare for further processing;
- Pasting. For this, kraft paper is used. It is necessary to tear it with your hands, and then carefully glue the edges with PVA glue. You can apply paper on the entire surface, which creates additional hardening.
The furniture assembled with the help of grooves will be durable and reliable. In the photo below you can see the principle of manufacturing such furniture: in the process of pattern, oblong holes are additionally outlined, which are subsequently cut out. An additional structure is inserted into the grooves, which fastens the frame from two sides. Thanks to this, the furniture becomes stronger.
Often use stiffeners, which additionally fix the basis of furniture. With the help of them you can independently strengthen the tabletop made of cardboard, a shelf for shoes, a bookcase. Stiffeners and grooves must be coated with glue. Having strengthened the structure, in the future you will not have to worry about the durability of the furniture.
Sandpaper the surfacePaste the surface with kraft paperAssembly process
All prepared parts are glued with a glue gun or glue Moment. If the assembly is carried out using grooves - they are also glued for strength. It is recommended that all irregularities on the surface of thick cardboard be repaired with putty - it will not leave any traces, and excess will be hidden under the finish.
Parts requiring gluing in layers must be placed under the press. Books or other heavy objects are well suited for this. After gluing, they are left for several hours, and preferably for the whole day, until completely dry. All the resulting ribs must be masked with kraft paper. Gently glue the resulting corners to give them roundness. Then it’s the small business - decoration. There are several options:
- Decoupage - pasting with napkins;
- Acrylic painting;
- Wallpapering;
- Use of self-adhesive film;
- Decoration with mixtures.
Finished furniture can be used for its intended purpose a day after production. Everyone can make cardboard furniture with their own hands, how to find patterns and patterns will be discussed below.
Apply glue to the coatingPress the elementsPutty cracksPaste with kraft paperMaking decorPatterns and patterns
Environmental friendliness is the main characteristic of cardboard furniture. This material does not contain components harmful to humans. It does not emit any substances into the atmosphere, it will be durable with proper use. The only minus is that cardboard is afraid of moisture, so installing furniture from cardboard is not recommended in humid rooms and next to heating radiators.
DIY patterns and patterns of cardboard furniture are presented in this material. They are offered for the manufacture of the following models:
- Coffee table;
- Child chair;
- Shelf for books;
- Shoe rack;
- The basis for the closet for clothes.
Based on the proposed options, you can easily draw up your drawing. It is worth taking into account the proportions of sizes and increase or decrease all indicators. Cardboard is considered the most affordable material for the manufacture of furniture. It is also easy to operate, but requires careful care. Use a thick corrugated cardboard, then the manufactured furniture will be durable and practical.