Tiny Gum Wrapper Chair

How to construct a chair out of 3 foil gum wrappers. No other materials required.

Step 1: Folding the Stick

Lay the wrapper out flat with the serrated edges facing up. Make sure the little flaps at the ends are unfolded all the way.

Step 2: Step 2 - Folding the Stick

Fold lengthwise in half with those serrated edges inside the crease.

Step 3: Step 3 - Folding the Stick

Fold again lengthwise. Try to keep the folds as even as possible.

Step 4: Step 4 - Folding the Stick

Fold in half one more time. When you get done with the final part of rolling the stick, it will look like this.

Step 5: Step 6 - Folding the Stick - Roll It

Finally, press your thumb nail into the middle of the width of that thin strip. Do this all the way down the length of the folded strip. This creates a crease for your final fold. Fold in half again as best you can around the crease you made with your thumbnail. Roll this strip between your thumb and index fingers until it looks like a skinny, rounded stick of aluminum. This will be the frame of the chair.

Here's a video of me making a stick. (~3 minutes long)

Step 6: Step 6 - Make Your Ruler

Take another wrapper and fold it in thirds so that it's only 1/3 the length of the first one.

Step 7: Step 7 - Folding the Ruler - Finish

Take this same piece and fold that in thirds again. You will then have a piece that has 9 equal folds along the length. You will use this to measure the frame, seat and back of your chair.

Step 8: Step 8 Measure Frame

Unfold the wrapper you folded into 9 equal folds. Lay it beside the stick you produced. Mark off with your fingernail exactly nine equal parts on the stick.
(if you want, you can fold another stick to be used in the next steps - not necessary, but does prevent over working sometimes)

Step 9: Step 9 - Making the Seat

Take a fresh wrapper. Lay it flat with serrated edges up. Fold into thirds lengthwise. This will give you the right depth for your seat.

Step 10: Step 10 - Rolling the Seat

Take your "ruler" and line it up on your piece from step nine that's folded in thirds. Count off four segments from each end and make a fold of 90 degrees. You should have equal lengths on each side with a segment in the middle the same size as each of the ruler segments. Take your stick piece and roll the long sides of this "U" shaped piece to the center until you reach the folds on each side.

Step 11: Step 11 - Rollin the Back

Repeat step 10, but this time use the ruler piece and pull up four segments on each side into a "U" shape. Use the stick again to roll the sides of the U into the center segment. Keep the roll as tight as you can, but loosen the hole when you pull the stick out. These rolled up sides need to slide onto the chair frame.

When you are done you should have two of these pieces that look the same - one for the seat and one for the back.

Step 12: Step 12 - Folding the Frame

Take the stick with the ruled off segments and make a U shaped fold with 4 segments on each side and 1 segment in the middle. These folds need to be as close to 90 degrees as you can make them.

Step 13: Step 13 - Fold Up the Legs

Take the U shape from the previous step and fold up at a 90 degree angle the segment that is one away from the bottom of the U. Do this on both sides of the U. You now have one segment across the back, one segment on each leg flat, and three segments on each leg sticking straight up.

(I know, my photography needs some work)

Step 14: Step 14 - Folding the Seat

Take each side of the U from the previous step and fold, at a 90 degree angle the legs back toward the base of the U (keeping them parallel the the ground). This will give you the seat.

Step 15: Step 15 - Slide on the Seat Bottom

Not it's time to slide on the seat bottom. Take the seat bottom that you created in earlier step and thread the legs of the U through the two rolled up ends of the seat bottom. Not an easy task at time, but if you work at it, you can make it work.

Step 16: Step 16 - Folding the Back

Now take the final segments of the U and fold them straight up at 90 degrees from the seat.

Step 17: Step 17 - Slide on the Back (your Done)

Take the seat back you created earlier and slide it over the two segments of the seat back. Again, not easy at times. Keep the rolls facing the same way for both the seat the the back. I have shown where the rolls are on back and under. You could do it either way.