Introduction: Cardpunk Goggles
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About: I'm all about Making and Mental Health. Reach out if you need a chat .
You've heard of steampunk, cyberpunk, even dieselpunk.
Now, there's cardpunk - an alternative reality where all the cool stuff is made of cardboard.
Now, there's cardpunk - an alternative reality where all the cool stuff is made of cardboard.
Step 1: Tools and Materials
The main tools we used for this project were a selection of sharp knives, scissors and a pin.
The materials were;
The materials were;
- The cardboard innertube of a roll of toiler paper.
- Some light cardstock
- Scraps of corrugated card
- String
- Glue
Step 2: Cutting
To make the frames, cut each end of the tube off at an angle to suit the head of the wearer.
That's probably roughly 45o, but you could even trim the cut part of the frame to a curve to match the wearer's eye-sockets.
Draw around the frames on the cardstock - these circles will become the lenses.
Draw on numerous small thin tabs.
Pierce the cardstock many, many times with the pin.
That's probably roughly 45o, but you could even trim the cut part of the frame to a curve to match the wearer's eye-sockets.
- To aid getting the lines even, I marked the high and low points, wrapped a piece of string around the tube between the two points, and then drew along the string.
- To make the two frames as similar as possible, I cut the sloped piece off the end the first frame came from, turned it around, and slid it over the other end of the tube as a template.
Draw around the frames on the cardstock - these circles will become the lenses.
Draw on numerous small thin tabs.
Pierce the cardstock many, many times with the pin.
- Make sure that the pin has a large head, or that you wear a thimble - that's a lot of holes, and a lot of wear-and-tear on your finger.
- Put a pad of paper towel under the cardstock, and a piece of scrap corrugated card under that, to allow you to pierce right through the cardstock without piercing yourself...
Step 3: Gluing
The lenses need to go into the frames.
Crease all the tabs, and then glue them. Most glues will do the job, but I am using PVA woodglue to add extra strength to the finished item.
Place the flat side of the frames on your working surface, then push the lenses into place - the tabs should all fold back along the inside of the frames, making sure they are flush to the front edge of the frames.
Use pegs to hold the lenses in place while the glue dries, and then trim off any tabs that are sticking out. You may also need to re-pierce the holes in the frames, and possibly re-pierce the pinholes in the lenses.
Crease all the tabs, and then glue them. Most glues will do the job, but I am using PVA woodglue to add extra strength to the finished item.
Place the flat side of the frames on your working surface, then push the lenses into place - the tabs should all fold back along the inside of the frames, making sure they are flush to the front edge of the frames.
Use pegs to hold the lenses in place while the glue dries, and then trim off any tabs that are sticking out. You may also need to re-pierce the holes in the frames, and possibly re-pierce the pinholes in the lenses.
Step 4: String.
Cut a short length of string, and tie an over-hand knot in one end.
From the inside of one frame, thread it between the "short side" holes of the frames. this will form the "bridge" of the goggles.
Adjust the string to fit, then knot the other end of the string to stop it falling out.
Cut two lengths of string, each long enough to go just over half-way around the wearer's head.
Fix one piece of string to each side of the frames.
Cut a rectangle of scrap corrugated card, roughly 5cm long and 2cm wide. Pierce three holes in the rectangle, and thread the two pieces of string through the three holes.
I haven't seen this device used elsewhere, so I'm claiming originality - I call it a friction buckle.
From the inside of one frame, thread it between the "short side" holes of the frames. this will form the "bridge" of the goggles.
Adjust the string to fit, then knot the other end of the string to stop it falling out.
Cut two lengths of string, each long enough to go just over half-way around the wearer's head.
Fix one piece of string to each side of the frames.
Cut a rectangle of scrap corrugated card, roughly 5cm long and 2cm wide. Pierce three holes in the rectangle, and thread the two pieces of string through the three holes.
I haven't seen this device used elsewhere, so I'm claiming originality - I call it a friction buckle.
- Starting at the end of the card, thread each piece of string up-down-up through the holes. That means each piece of string will go through all three holes, but in the opposite direction. look at the photos to see what I mean.
Step 5: Basically Finished.
That is the goggles effectively finished.
They can be tightened by pulling the loose ends of string at the back - the corrugated rectangle is a friction-fix buckle.
Cool as they look, though, they can still be card-punked up some more.
They can be tightened by pulling the loose ends of string at the back - the corrugated rectangle is a friction-fix buckle.
Cool as they look, though, they can still be card-punked up some more.
Step 6: Cardpunk!
Steampunk has added cogs.
Cyberpunk has added electronics.
Dieselpunk has oily bits.
Cardpunk has extra card..
Cardpunk purists will stick to self-coloured corrugated card, maybe with details added with fine markers (such as "this way up" or "fragile" symbols), at most a layer of weather-proofing varnish, but the less-dedicated cardpunkers may decide to add paint, stickers, even decorations made of plastic or other non-card materials.
For this pair of goggles, I found suitably-sized symbols printed on the corrugated box - the circular arrow was the perfect size, and the recycling sign does not actually cut down the visible field very much at all. I cut them out, and glued them to the front of the frames.
Go for it, and post pictures of the goggles you make.
Cyberpunk has added electronics.
Dieselpunk has oily bits.
Cardpunk has extra card..
Cardpunk purists will stick to self-coloured corrugated card, maybe with details added with fine markers (such as "this way up" or "fragile" symbols), at most a layer of weather-proofing varnish, but the less-dedicated cardpunkers may decide to add paint, stickers, even decorations made of plastic or other non-card materials.
For this pair of goggles, I found suitably-sized symbols printed on the corrugated box - the circular arrow was the perfect size, and the recycling sign does not actually cut down the visible field very much at all. I cut them out, and glued them to the front of the frames.
Go for it, and post pictures of the goggles you make.
