Cardboard bed- finished

I was very busy these days and I passed all my expectations. The bed is DONE!
Some words about final steps and decoration.
I messed up one thing, so I would like to share this mistake with you if you ever try to do cardboard furniture. Before you do any impregnation (wooden glue and water, in the first step), you should have your piece of furniture completely fixed.
When I made side parts of the bed, I have impregnated them immediately before I fixed them to the inner construction. These parts, while they were becoming dry, have distorted a bit, which could be seen on the images if you take a better look.

This doesn't affect the stablity of the bed itself, it affects a bit of visual feeling. So I decided to use smashed newspaper as the final decoration, since it was practically impossible to tear it up from the middle construction. Just cover one side of the newspaper with wooden glue mixed with water and gently press it against the part you want to cover. Use your fingers to get a bit of relief.
Here is the detailed view:

The rest of the bed I have also covered with small pieces of paper. Afterwards I did the final impregnation and let it dry completely. Whole bed is painted first with black acrylic color (you can see on the image that inner part is colored in black).

Than I used beeswax all over the bed, and mixed a red color with a bit of black. With this mixture I colored the bed. When the color was dry, I took sand paper and gently removed the red color from some parts of the bed, so the black color came up again
Here is the detailed effect I have reached using this technique:

And at the end I covered the whole bed with varnish. Now I have to wait several days until everything dries completely. In the next days I will post a new image with final decoration of the bed.

Read More

8:17 PM  Cardboard furniture, Home decoration  2 comments

Cardboard bed - II phase

I have neglected my blog in the last period, but I do have a good reason for it, that I will share with you in the following posts.

Even I didn't work a lot on this project, I reached to make a small progress.

The interior of the bed is completely filled with the rests of the cardboard and paper, in order to prevent eventual fall down on the ground if something goes wrong. However, I DO absolutely believe in cardboard's firmness, and I know that this cannot happen, but just in case:)).
This was probably most boring part of the whole project.
Afterwards I covered this interior with cardboard plates and on the top I used 2mm hard pressed cardboard.

I can hardly wait to finish it. Firstly, I cannot move through the house normally and secondly I am very eager to find out how it will look like at the end, since I still do not have a crystal clear idea.

Read More

9:30 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Bird's house

I have finally fixed the birds' house on my balcony. I hope it is now completely dried and ready to conquer rain and snow; the birds are still not coming, however I hope this will change in the near future. The final result of the house looks like this:

I have already added birds' food.

 I could not make photos from all sides, now when it's fixed. But I guess you still can get impression of how it looks like.

Read More

1:55 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard bed

I have finished the birds' house but still haven't made any photos. Coming soon!

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that I had started a cardboard bed. Since it was really hot at that moment, I stopped my work and decided to make it later.

And this 'later' is now! One of the hardest part of the work is now done: I have cut all pieces and put them partly together. There is still lot of work waiting for me, until the bed really get its form.
I haven't taken a photo of single pieces and now I am sorry for that. However, if someone would need a scheme, I will draw it with pleasure.
Here are some photos:

Please do not think I did it all alone. In every project I have the best assistant ever!

Read More

2:29 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Birds' cardboard house -II

My birds' house slowly but surely looks much better then I first thought. I do have many ideas how to decorate it, but I guess I will leave it for the second release, in springtime, because it is getting colder and colder these days so I must hurry up. I heard, it can take quite a while until birds start to use such kind of houses, however I really do hope they will like it as much as I did while creating it.

In one moment, the birds' house looked like this. It was still necessary to make final impregnation and coloring.

Birds' house from the front 

Birds' house from the back

Birds' house prefinal

On the 'ground' of the house as well as on its bottom, I used eggshells so it looks a bit as small 'stones'. And I colored it a bit. Soon, the final result will come. Enjoy your day!

Read More

10:58 AM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Birds' cardboard house

Every morning when I wake up there are few things happening that really make my day. At least my mornings. I go to the toilet, open the window  and my cat is there, immediately jumping on it in order to get first chat of the day. With sparrows which occupy the pear tree facing my window. And this is really a funny and wonderful moment I enjoy every morning. However, in cold winters, not that much.
According to the weather coaster, this winter should be very cold, -31. I have never felt this temperature in my life, so I suppose, the sparrow living in this area neither.
For these small and dear creatures I figured out a pretty big birds' house in Victorian style.There should be place enough for around 4 bird families, or even more, if they not quarrel.
Here is the point I reached up to now.

And some first steps so you could see how it is done. The bigger part is separated into two 'flats'.

It still needs a roof on the top and lot of decoration after coloring it.

I can hardly wait to finish it, and I can hardly wait its first visitors. Still I must admit that I am really very eager to see how the cardboard will bear this winter.

Read More

8:21 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Laptop cardboard holder

For one of my dear friend and colleague, who deserves a special place on this blog, I made a holder for a laptop.

I have to admit that I should have done it much earlier, but having decided to change the company, he finally managed to put me in action. 
Anyway, he helped me a lot regarding my cardboard projects. He wouldn't thrown away even the smallest cardboard box.

A holder for the laptop should have some holes, so that the heat can easily flow away. And since he likes to laugh a lot, just like children do, I immediately thought about smiley. However, when you get to smiley's mouth, I could not help but add the first and then the second tooth. Well, I really couldn't resist it.
First I created an initial draft.

I made three identical cutouts on the cardboard plate and fixed them together using plastic glue.

Then I cutted a lateral lever, which rely on the plate from the back; the lever is about 15cm high.
Then I fixed the front cardboard pieces (about 1.5 cm wide), so the laptop would not fall down.
I covered ends with paper tape.

After this initial fixation of cardboard parts, I took wooden glue mixed with a bit of water and did the first impregnation process. When it was dry I made a mixture of wooden glue, wood putty, wall putty, linseed oil and a little water. I waited till it was dry again and I colored it - using a golden dust for teeth - I couldn't help myself.:)
He says, it serves him well and he takes it even into bed ...

Read More

11:00 AM  Cardboard furniture  1 comment

Cardboard kitchen part II

First part of the kitchen is ready for final impregnation and coloring afterwards. Here are some photos.

Read More

4:23 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

How to create a cardboard door

I had real problem to find out how to implement cardboard door into the carton furniture. There are several solution on this subject you may find on Internet, but I didn't really like any. And then I read it on the blog of  Marie Krtonne who creates such wonderful cardboard furniture which fascinates me each time when I am there.

I followed Marie's instructions but I also added two new details.

• I fixed a piece of material inside of the door, in order to protect additionally eventual damage on it. I decided to put Vlieseline which is a bit elastic. I have fixed it with wood glue diluted with water, I let it dry and was absolutely satisfied with reached effect. The Vlieseline melted into the carton so I think it is now very good protected.
• I have prolonged the side length which should be fixed inside of the furniture and took the real dimension of the side part - width and height. I am not really sure if this is absolutely necessary, but anyway I have better feeling of fortification.

This big door is still not implemented, but the I have done the small one. Here is the result.

Comment réaliser une porte en carton

J'avais vraiment un problem d'implementer la porte dans un meuble en carton. Il y en a quelques solutions que j'ai pu trouver sur l'Intrenet mais aucune ne me satisfait pas. Et là, je l'ai trouvée sur le blog de Marie Krtonne, qui fait un meuble en carton tellement magnifique, que je reste absolument fascinée par la beaute et la précision de création.
 

Je suivais les instructions de Marie mais aussi j'ajoutais deux choses nouvelles.

•  J'ai fixé un morceau de matériau à l'intérieur de la porte, afin de la protéger des dommages possibles. Je me suis décidée d'user Vlieseline qui est un peu élastique. Je l'ai fixé avec la colle à bois diluée avec un peu d'eau, je laisse sécher et j'étais absolument satisfaite de l'effet obtenu. Le Vlieseline est bien fondu dans le carton, donc je pense qu'il est maintenant très bien protégé.
• J'ai prolongé la longueur du côté qui devrait être fixée à l'intérieur de meuble et j'ai pris la dimension réelle de la partie latérale - largeur et hauteur. Je ne suis pas vraiment sûre si cela est absolument nécessaire, mais de toute façon j'ai le sentiment que la porte sera mieux fortifiée. 

Cette grande porte n'est pas encore implementée, mais j'ai fait la petite. Voilà le résultat.

Read More

4:16 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard Kitchen

If I had not promised in my last post to start with the creation of the cardboard kitchen, I would not probably have begun this project yet. But I promised, so I had to. And imp has visited me, as AN would say in one of her posts: I have been haunted! First I draw the kitchen parts in the way I would like my kitchen to look like (honestly speaking, I do not need it at all:). It is only a rough draft, most probably the kitchen will not look like this at the end.

Very soon the manic cardboard cutting has been started. At first I wanted to make kitchen in one piece, but I resigned of that idea very quickly, for two reasons. The length of the kitchen should be 2m70 and I do have a problem to find or buy so long carton pieces; on the other hand, I have terrible need to move my furniture once in 3 months.  In this way I give to the general house cleaning a higher goal.

So, what I got so far is a third of whole cardboard kitchen.I must admit, I'm very proud that I managed to make a cardboard door for which I am almost 100% sure it won't get destroyed by time. Here some images and in the next post I'll discover the secret of creating cardboard door.

I apologize in advance because of poor image quality, but I simply cannot catch the daylight on weekdays. 

Read More

4:06 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard mirrow

This mirrow is one of my first trials to make something out of cartons. In order to provoke me, and to make me lough a dear friend of mine said following, as he first saw it: "Wow, how great it is, and so practical! One can synchronously shave his underarms."  Of course this was not my aim:))) but he reached his goal. I didn't have any aim, the mirrow is not practical at all, but I did like the creative solution. And this one I got somewhere on the Belgrade streets, so I tried to make something similar. Here it is.

Read More

3:41 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Multifunctional cardboard shelf II

I was away for a while. The shelf took more effort than I thought. Maybe I was also overtired lately, so the fatigue took me under control. However, the shelf is now done, my niece is mostly responsible for the final decoration, as it belongs to her. I haven't made lot of photos this time, I couldn't reach it, she has already brought it at her place.

Read More

8:57 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Multifunctional cardboard shelf

I have already mentioned that we have started a new project (my niece and I). This should serve mostly as a book-shelf, but regarding the chosen form, the parts of the shelf can be used as table or chairs or perhaps a flower stander... or whatever comes into your mind.
It consists of several basically separated boxes which have hole in the front part and some of them will have a hole on the back, depending on the inspiration in the specific moment.
Up to now we reached to create one box and a half, we aim to have at least 10 of it, we will decide it ad hoc. Here some images.

Read More

8:46 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard drawer part III

At one moment the shelf looked like this, and afterward I haven't taken any photo until it was done completely.

I like old furniture in general, so I tried to reach old effect also on this one and I think more or less I reached that aim. The front doors are also there. All in all I am very satisfied with final results. Special thanks to my niece who is helping me in creation of the carton furniture. Special thanks to dear God, who finally helped also to her to find a matter of interests that last more then one hour. We have already started a new project, I will write later about it.

Read More

11:41 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard drawer part II

As I promised in my last post, I publish some photos of a drawer. First I cut front parts. Two of them look like this (the back part of the drawer has identical size but no cuts in the middle of it, so I haven't taken a photo of it).

I cut around 40 pieces of cross parts that serve to bind front, middle and back parts together. The most boring but absolutely necessary part of work is to fix all joints with a tape.









For the moment, the drawer looks like this.

Read More

11:35 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard drawer

I have to admit, that I am not really a cook. Everyone who knows me in person would agree with this statement. I simply do not like to cook, neither for one person nor for two or three, and for more than this- I got really sick. That's why I do have a small cooker with two hotplates and an oven, and it will probably die NEVER. It serves mostly to boil water for Turkish coffee, that I like the most, so some kettle makes not much sense.

My cook is standing now on such wooden board placed on a heater. All this looks pretty ugly, so I will not make a photo of it.

Since I discovered the carton furniture, I finally decided to deal with my kitchen. I only hope I will not start to throw out wooden furniture in order to replace it with carton one, as lot of people (at least in Serbia) exchange their parquet floor with laminate! My aim is to create carton drawer on which I would put my cook, and that should look more or less like this.


This small project nears already its pre-final phase, the construction is done, drawers and doors are still missing. Tomorrow I will post images. I haven't seen on Internet that someone did a classical drawer door on carton furniture, I am really eager to know if it's possible.

Read More

11:27 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments

Cardboard shelf part VI and that's it

So finally done! Honestly, I thought this would never happen. In my last post I have already mentioned, that I would try to make some small resume of stuff I used in order to create a shelf.
Please note that I am very negligent concerning the costs and writing it all down, but here are some rough information:

• around 12 boxes used mostly for relocation (a lot of parts are left since I couldn't use them because they were too small for this shelf)
• 1kg 1/2 of wood glue
• 1kg 1/2 acrylic wood putty (I hope this is the right word for it)
• a bit of linseed oil, around 50ml
• 1kg white primary color for wood
• 1/2 kg specific glue also for wood, but it works for some other stuff, like gum or shoes.
• 1/2 kg acryllic wood varnish
• 1kg yellow acrylic color
• a bit of blue, black, brawn color (I used walls' toner)
• 1/2m jute tissue
• 1/2m cotton tissue (beige color)
• a bit of rope
• 1/4m tissue with stripes.
• around 40 pieces of hot glue sticks

This is it. It costed me around 70 euros, but note that I still have something left - for smaller shelf perhaps.
And finally, this is what came out of it:

I samo jos da primetim, fotografijom se nikada necu baviti:)))
Just to mention, I will never go in for photography:)))

Read More

7:51 PM  Cardboard furniture  No comments