Designing Cardboard Furniture

Step 8 Other sample work from interesting designers

You'll be so inspired by these Design Ideas below!

Here are some other Cartonnistes - Cardboard Furniture Designers from France. Go to
http://www.vinestreetworks.com/cartons.html and click under the title MEET THE CARTONNISTES!

Also check out
http://ppc33.free.fr/ppetc_Pages/Diaporamastagesfinal/diaporamastagefinal.htm
http://www.lescartonnistesassocies.com/

Also see below the Retur designers using a different construction technique with screws and satay sticks:

Comments

[kleinjahr]

Tres bon, very nice work. I've got a couple of old books around here on cardboard/corrugated construction, furniture and housing. I'll have to go through them again. I do remember them suggesting, for a very strong panel, to glue layers together with the corrugations of each layer at right angles to the last layer, like plywood.

[Scriptone]

Thanks! just noted your comment.. I'm experimenting with constructing the woodwork way, in my Mushroom Bookshelf and Circular Shadowbox. I think it works well on a small scale, (see image curves add strength to a structure) but I'm not too sure the woodwork construction method is strong on a large scale though. Perhaps external struts will strengthen a furniture piece.

[live_corrugated]

Thank you so much for taking the time to show your process and beautiful product. It has been inspiring to pore over this rich variety of examples by you and other artists/craftspeople. Cardboard so lends itself to a diversity of form in large scale, its just a wonder that more people haven't been working with it.

[Scriptone]

Your welcome! Its so simple to make I thought quite a few people would be interested in crafting with it. You should put up your compilations too : )

[live_corrugated]

Hi again Scriptone,

I created an instructable. Check it out through my profile, because it isn't coming up through a keyword search yet. Will have to get down to the bottom of that. Maybe you could offer some comments to get my next one up to speed with the average user? Or is it even about the average user? ppl on Instructables seem quite above-average.

"Cardboard book shelves, like a carpenter"

[Scriptone]

I checked your instructable out it looks great the final cupboard, nice colour too. For the people new to cardboard furniture, they might find it useful to see more photos step by step next time. Was it very strong?

[live_corrugated]

Noted. Its stronger than the final photo suggests. With 20" long shelves I would feel comfortable filling it with paperbacks and a few folios.

[bobworld]

For a 7th grade science fair project, I made a chair and bridge to get to the chair out of cardboard, inviting all to cross the bridge and have a seat. This was in 1970! My teacher gave me a D- for a grade. I was pissed! Thank you for validating my efforts. Nice stuff you have! With new inspiration from you, I may go back to drawing board after 30+ years!

[drbill]

Sounds to me like your teacher had some kind of problem.
Hand that rocks the cradle ya know.

[Lynn Nexus]

... I had always been one of those people who can't throw good cardboard out until the cat or children smushed it up good. Now I know why. I've always wanted to make doll furniture but wood is so expensive and unforgiving. Now with these very informative instructions I realy feel like I could tackle making something fun for my doll! Not to mention how much easier it would be to make myself storage for my numerous crafts when I can design the storage myself.

[Scriptone]

Thanks for your comment : )

[Cindy]

Michaels Art Store gave me 30" x 40" Deep boxes. They were used to ship in the ornate frames to the store. The cardboard is very heavy weight and solid. The store manager was very happy for me to take away his cardboard. I have built huge shelves on all of the walls of my living room and have been struggling with finding the right material for doors. Cardboard will fit the bill nicely. Thanks for your posting and instructions. Cindy

[dominic.tarr]

wow, this furniture is very Dr. Seuss! a friend of mine said they wanted a chair for their birthday, i though about different ways of making it from wood, but i couldn't bear to make something as ungroovy as an wooden ordinary. cardboard is the answer. thanks!

[offthehookhats]

WOW! I LOVE THESE!! While attending Otis/Parsons WAY back in the day (88-92) when Otis was still a part of Parsons, our class was asked to construct forms of function using cardboard. I made a chair. A really BIG chair! The end result wasnt exactly what I had hoped it would be... thanks in part to the massive blisters I acquired via copious amounts of cutting with the utility knife, and my budget only affording me so much cardboard... Its shape was so awkward I needed help carrying it to class for the critique! ha! But it was surely the sturdiest chair in town! ha! These wild designs of yours are more of what I had in mind! Even though it wasn't me, I'm glad someone else brought these ideas into fruition! Who knows... seeing these, I might just be inspired enough (20 years later) to give the cardboard furniture idea one more shot! Thanks for the wonderful work and creative stimulus! -River