Day 14. Cardboard Cabinet (or: sometimes you need to know how to screw up!)

Ever since the day I first found out about the magical world of building with cardboard (remember the cardboard puppet theatre that I posted hundreds of years ago?), I really wanted to build a small cabinet for the kids play room or for my craft room. So I did. It took me something like three years, but I did. The problem with these kinds of projects is that they cause a massive mess, so the kids have to be asleep. Meaning I can only start working around 8:30 pm (which also means really bad pictures for you. sorry :) ). That reduces the number of days I actually find the energy to work, so what was supposed to be a 4-5 hours work takes 3 years to finish, but that's just me :)

Anyway, building with carboard technique isn't that complicated. You need to first build a framework, that is actually a crisscross of cardboard sheets, and then cover it with more cardboard. Unfortunately, I didn't write a complete tutorial for that cabinet (come on, I hardly finished it as it is!), but you can find many of these on the WWW, just google it.

After lots of scribbles and sketches I decided to make a wheeled 3 compartment cabinet.

Step one was building the framework.

Then I covered the framework with more cardboard sheets

Framework is ready!

Now we use gummed paper on all edges to smoothen things up.

On the next step I used wallpaper paste to paste simple brown packing paper all over the cabinet. The idea is to strengthen the furniture and to make everything look smooth and clean. Guess what? I can't find any photos of this step. You'll have to use your imagination...

After it dried, it was time to paint and apply lacquer. I actually don't like how the colors came out, but at this point I was so exhausted from the whole thing and I just wanted to get over with it, so I left it that way.

It all sounds pretty simple, isn't it? So why did it take me so long to finish it?!

As you can see, something was wrong with my framework design, or maybe I should have added wheels also on the compartment in the middle as well, because it got this funny 'belly', from the weight of all the fabric (did I mention screwing up?...). And as you can also see, somewhere in the middle of the process I just couldn't care less anymore, so the brown paper cover is all wrinkled... Maybe I was hoping it'll get fixed by itself. Well, it didn't... :)

So I know, that is not exactly what I had in mind, and I know, it took me 3 years to finish, but it is a cardboard furniture and I built it, and I like it even with all its flaws :) Can't promise I'll build another cardboard furniture anytime soon, but I just saw this kids cardboard bed shaped like a racecar, Big Boy would love it!

Cardboard Puppet Theater

When I first learned about cardboard furniture, I knew I had to try it out. Surprisingly, I didn't immediately try to build a complex, round, built-in cupboard, with Bat-mobile-like doors, but chose something more simple - a puppet theater for my kids. When I thought about the size, I decided to built it in a way that they can sit on the floor and bend a bit when they play, but now I think it was a mistake, and I should have built the bottom part (the part that hides them) a bit higher. It seems that the bending makes it a bit difficult for them (although my girl is too little to care if we can see her or not...).

Simple instructions for a puppet theater
If you make something that should carry weight, don't use this method. You need to build it in a different way, using some kind of framework. Hopefully I'll be able to finish soon a small cabinet that I already began building, and then I can post all pics and instructions.

Use a good, strong cardboard for this (the best are plasma TV's or refrigerator's). Put 1 piece of big cardboard on top of another, and draw on one of them the puppet theater. Make sure the direction of the cardboard is vertical. Tape the 2 pieces together and use a jigsaw or a cutting knife to cut them (I use a cutting knife and it definitely slows me down). You should also make a base for it, using the same method. I made a base out of 2 half circles, and it's stable. Also cut 6 cm wide stripes, different lengths, and use hot glue gun to glue them vertically in zigzag, until you cover the whole surface. Here's a sketch to help you understand what I'm trying to say...:

Then glue the second piece of cardboard on top. You'll need help and another hot glue gun, because the hot glue dries really fast. You can also do it alone, just bend the cardboard a little and glue part by part.

When you're done, you have to close all sides. Cut long pieces, 6 cm wide, and using hot glue gun glue them in between the 2 cardboard pieces, to hide the zigzag stripes interior. Now you have a puppet theater.

To strengthen edges, use gummed paper on all edges. Just wet it a bit, then gum.

The next step will strengthen the surface of the puppet theater. Buy simple, brown packing paper and make wallpaper paste (mix together 1 tbs. wallpaper paste, 1 cup water and 1 tbs. multi-purpose glue). Use wallpaper paste to paste the packing paper all around the puppet theater. If you need to cut it, use your hands, not scissors. This is important - if you use scissors, the lines will show later. After you paste it, you'll most likely see air bubbles. Just lift the paper a bit and paste again. Do it over and over, till no air bubbles left.

After it dries, paint it anyway you like, using acrylics. Last step - 2 layers of lacquer. You can add decorations, curtain or whatever. I used some leftovers of fabric that I had to sew a curtain.

Here's my puppet theater: