How To Build Cardboard Chair?

Cardboard is a very inexpensive, readily available and Eco-friendly product. It is also very strong and durable if treated well. There are many uses of cardboard, especially in boxes and cartons for shipping purposes as it is best in durability and can turn into a good place for storage. It doesn’t need any screws or mechanical fasteners. It just requires a few coats of polyurethane to make it more harder and to create a durable finish. Cardboard is found in abundance. It can be found in college campuses and cafeterias, appliances stores, behind malls and also the sites where there are big stores.

Let us learn how to make a zigzag cardboard chair which can be one of its own kind:

MATERIALS:

Forty pieces (approximately) corrugated cardboard, 30" x 30"

Four pieces ¼ “-thick hardboard, 30” x 30"

Wheat paste

PVA Glue

Eleven thick-walled (at least 3/16th “ thick) cardboard tubes, 1 ¾ “ diameter (approximately) x 24” long

Polyurethane, Wax, or Other Finish of Your Choice

TOOLS:

Pencil
Tape measure
Straightedge
Box cutter
Paintbrush
Scrap plywood
Weights or sandbags
Clamps (optional)
Circular saw
Jigsaw or handsaw

STEPS:

1. Take cardboard and a cutter and cut the cardboard into 30” square pieces of 5” tall. You can mark them and fold them to become creases and then cut them apart.
2. Spread out 2 of these pieces with rough side facing and brush them with wheat paste. Stick another piece on the top of it and repeat this until the thickness is 2 inches.
3. Cap the stack with the second piece of hardboard — smooth side facing out — and a piece of plywood to distribute the clamping weight. Evenly lay out plate weights, sandbags, cinder blocks, or other heavy objects on top of the stack. Let the paste cure for at least 24 hours. This is important, as it takes a long time for the center of the laminated stack to dry, and cutting into soggy cardboard will ruin the lamination. Turn a fan on the stack to promote airflow. Repeat the process to create a second stack.
4. Place the silhouette on to a dry surface and cut the shapes with a circular saw. Finish it up with interior cuts. Wear a mask as the dust is super-fine and can cause allergies.
5. The sides with holes should be mirror images of each other.
6. Glue the tubes from one side and then carefully glue it to the other sides. Let the glue dry.

Finishing:

Finish the chair as desired. Water- or oil-based polyurethane or a simple wax is good options for these materials. If you wish you can also use printed cardboard boxes and you will not need to paint it or decorate it. Just keep in mind to cut the correct design to come on front.

And here is your cardboard zigzag chair ready to use!