Cardboard furniture: unusual options

DIY cardboard furniture is an option when ordinary interior items are beyond your means. Chairs, shelves, tables and even a bed can be made from cardboard at home.

Due to the low cost of cardboard, furniture is inexpensive. Cardboard can be found in almost any store and can be obtained for free. Creative people who are interested in original interior design of their home can find a considerable number of ideas for decorating furniture on various sites on the Internet.

Cardboard furniture: unusual options for economical furnishings

Furniture made in an unusual way looks like an alternative to metal and wood. Cardboard safe
for the environment, an interior made of such material will not harm health and will be environmentally friendly because it does not contain harmful impurities.

This is a great way to change things up without spending a ton of money. There are various ideas on the Internet that will help you show and tell how to build your own furniture from cardboard (shelves, cabinets, bookshelves, chairs).

Advantages of creating furniture from cardboard

By choosing furniture from a similar material, you will receive maximum positive advantages:

1. Unusual stylish design.
Based on your taste and the preferences of loved ones, you will create a unique interior.

2. Economic benefit.
You do not have to spend significant amounts of money on the purchase of expensive materials. You will be freed from delivery and complex installation of furniture.

3. Convenience and mobility.
It is enough to put things in cardboard boxes, sign and pack them, and your move will turn into an easy walk.

4. Environmental safety.
The material does not contain any chemical impurities or elements. Does not emit harmful and dangerous substances. If it loses its appearance, it is enough to disassemble it and use it to its advantage (light it for a fire, cut it for further use). Broken furniture will not affect the external environment in any way.

5. Durable properties
. All assembled furniture made of cardboard
If assembled and installed correctly, it will last a long time.

Despite all the above advantages, there is one significant drawback to the furniture
. It quickly loses its shape in damp rooms and when exposed to water. It breaks down and can no longer be used.

Necessary equipment and materials

Cardboard furniture is a great way to change your interior. There are a variety of ideas on the Internet that will tell you how to build your own furniture from cardboard (bookshelves, shelving, cabinets, armchairs).

To make cardboard furniture you will need:

• a sharp knife for cutting (it is better to take a large one);

• sheets of cardboard (purchase at an inexpensive price or for free in a store);

• construction and household tape (regular or different colors – depending on the product that will be installed and assembled);

• scissors;

• ruler or construction tape for measurements;

• paper, construction adhesive;

• simple and colored pencils;

• sanded paper (sandpaper, for processing the outer edges of cardboard);

• transparent (tracing paper) and colored paper.

 What types of cardboard there are

To make furniture items, different cardboard is taken from boxes. It comes in several types: single-layer and consisting of two layers or more. To find out more about the number of internal layers, make a cut on the cardboard and you can see from it how many small waves are superimposed on each other. The thickness of the cardboard is determined by the height of the wavy layers superimposed on itself.

Pay attention to the surface of the cardboard: the back side has a rough layer, the front side has a smooth and even layer.

Depending on what kind of furniture you are assembling (a bookcase or a children’s playhouse), the mounting method will be different for all products. A reliable fastening will be obtained if you apply PVA-based glue to the surface for a stronger connection. To protect furniture, treat the surface with parquet varnish
, and do not store in areas with high levels of dampness. Apply varnish to the finished product
, evenly distributing over the entire surface. After painting, let it dry thoroughly, then reapply again.

For a stable position, try to make symmetrical shapes. Cardboard furniture made at right angles is many times more stable compared to products not made according to the drawing. When installing asymmetrical furniture, add fasteners to the base for a stable position. Parallel assembled parts in the product configuration make the furniture durable and strong.

For extra strength, take note of a little secret. When making, fasten the cardboard in two or three layers together. Please note that the layers must be of the same size and overall structure. Alternate them with each other. Change straight waves to vertical ones and vice versa. Depending on the tone, the cardboard also varies. Light-colored material has a less durable connection than dark-colored cardboard. In terms of thickness – the more waves, the stronger the structure will be.

 Main points of caring for cardboard furniture

By making furniture from cardboard, you get an excellent alternative product when regular furniture is expensive. Anyone can make tables, armchairs, bookcases. Show your imagination, and hand-made furniture will transform your interior and make it different from apartments furnished with ordinary furniture.

We are used to throwing away cardboard and considering it an unnecessary material, when good furnishings can be made from it. Of course, such structures raise doubts about the strength and reliability, but this can be easily avoided if the surfaces and internal parts of the cardboard of the product that will be manufactured are properly treated.

To make your furniture last as long as possible, follow the basic rules. Products made from such material are afraid of:

• wet conditions;

• open fire;

• products exceeding the weight of furniture.

Be sure to monitor not only the external condition, but also avoid being close to fires, stoves, or fireplaces. An ordinary cigarette may cause a fire. Do not store heavy items that significantly exceed the weight of the furniture. Arrange things according to size. There is no need to place flower pots or fruit baskets on a cardboard table. Place it in the place where you will put various small items (keys, newspapers, pencils).

Properly composed and processed cardboard furniture will last a long time and will delight you every day with its unusual appearance, and will also make your interior special and unique.

 Furniture items that can be made from cardboard

Where to start making furniture if the only option that comes to mind is a decorated box
from under household appliances. We hasten to please you – from cardboard you can make many different options that fit perfectly into the design from the nursery to the living room, and if your imagination runs wild, then for the dacha and office.

For your attention, below are options for do-it-yourself cardboard furniture using diagrams and drawings. To begin with, choose an option that is not entirely difficult to strengthen your knowledge.

Please note! When thinking about creating furniture and creating a preliminary drawing, when calculating the dimensions, add 10 cm for subsequent decoration.

 Modular system

When installing a cardboard cabinet, it is important to observe a certain condition – good ventilation. This is necessary to prevent premature destruction of the material.

Beautifully decorated furniture with high-quality manufacturing will not only decorate the interior, but will also last a long time. Modular cardboard system suitable for storing:

• household items;

• dishes;

• products (candy, cookies, spices)

• toys;

• books;

• clothes.

Despite its appearance, cardboard furniture retains all its functional properties: shelves, doors, and fittings look identical to those of regular wooden furniture. As mentioned above, the main factor for long-term operation is the presence of good ventilation, which removes excess moisture, as a result of which the cardboard is destroyed.

The cabinets and shelves have a rectangular shape and special edges that are connected using a locking edge. Thanks to this quality, it folds easily and can be used to create a structure containing several cardboard boxes and shelves. Manufactured cardboard furniture can support 10-15 kg of weight.

Before assembling a modular system made of cardboard, prepare the parts from which future cabinets will be held together.

Assemble the body of the future system. To do this, use double-sided tape to glue them to each other. Decorate the fastened shelves with colored tape or craft paper. Leave the resulting sections half empty, and fill the other part with drawers. The structure can be assembled to any size and height.

Common options:

1. Modular systems installed near the desk are suitable for work and study. You can store documents and stationery items in them;

2. Up to two meters high. Typically used for home interiors and storing toys, clothes, books.

Furniture, consisting of several modules, is suitable not only for storage, but is also actively used by children in play activities, and also serves as interior decoration.

 Cardboard bookshelf

1. Prepare sheets of cardboard. Sheets 30-35 cm wide are suitable. Some of them will be mounted vertically. Take a closer look at the cardboard in which household appliances are supplied. Many sheets already have cuts. If you find this option, you are very lucky! They can be inserted into each other without resorting to additional fasteners.

Didn’t find such cardboard? No problem. You can take ordinary material from under the boxes, measure and draw cut lines with a pencil so that when they enter they coincide with each other;

2. Thick corrugated cardboard, connected to each other with glue, can last quite a long time, without additional fastening. Sheets of thin cardboard are fastened together using hot glue.

Please note! It dries quickly, so it is necessary to connect the sheets of cardboard as quickly as possible. Once dry, you can continue assembly. The assembled shelf will please you with its appearance and practicality.

Making a stand for shoes

Start assembling cardboard furniture with a simple task. Try putting together a shoe rack. Gather the necessary sheets of cardboard and objects and begin:

1. Prepare sheets of cardboard measuring 20*25 cm. Divide into three parts. Bend the sheets with a knife (blunt side) and press them down as firmly as possible. The cardboard should bend well. Glue long parts of the material on all sides with colored tape. Fold the resulting parts into a triangular shape and secure them together with glue or the same tape;

2. You can prepare a certain number of triangle shapes as you need. Let’s start decorating the shelves. We attach the triangles to separate parts of the cardboard with tape (or PVA glue). Depending on the size of the height of the shoes that will stand, place a cardboard sheet on the very top and secure it. The shelf is suitable for tall shoes.

 Vertical kraton shoe rack (hanging model)

Prepare two large sheets of cardboard. Cut into small squares of equal size to fit your shoes.

Fold them into a pocket shape and secure them with a staple gun or double-sided tape. Insert into each other and glue to the base of a separate cardboard sheet. The hanging shelf should be such that shoes can be easily inserted into it and not fall off.

The design will look great on a door or on a separate side of a hallway closet. The shelf will help you quickly put your shoes in order and will not take up much space.

How to make a corrugated cardboard rack with your own hands, see the video below.