How to Make a Cardboard Stool
Building a stool from leftover sheets (or new) of cardboard is a great exercise in how to create a functional piece of furniture from an everyday material. This project can be used as an invaluable aid in design and function. Cardboard has never been readily considered a furniture making material, except maybe for making stacks of shelves or storage boxes. Now you can venture beyond this idea and explore the exciting world of designing furniture with cardboard. Don't forget that cardboard is an excellent primary material for constructing a final project that is made from plywood.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
- Hot glue gun (electric)
- Glue (comes in the form of large pellets)
Instructions
-
How to Make a Cardboard Stool
-
1
Draw the shape for the seat of the stool and using an utility knife cut one piece in the shape that you want. (a circle is recommended, but you can chose other shapes). This will be your template.
-
2
Cut 5 to 8 more pieces at the exact same size as your template.
-
-
3
Glue all the pieces together ( like they were a stack of pancakes) using a hot glue gun. Then set the seat aside, for it is time to make the legs.
-
4
Design the shape of the legs. A large "U" shape is recommended, where the top of the "U" is cut flat and even and the width should only be a few inches less than the diameter of the seat. Use this piece as a template. Don't forget that the height of the stool is determined by the overall top to bottom measurement.
-
5
Cut 11 pieces to the exact dimension and size of the template.
-
6
Make two leg pieces by gluing six pieces together to form each leg. Be certain that the top and the bottom of all the pieces are square and flush.
-
7
Glue the tops of the two leg pieces to the bottom of the seat. Place the top pieces as far from the center of the seat as possible, but make sure that the two pieces are parallel.
-
8
Cut and install four braces. Each brace will be six inches wide and as long as the top of the leg piece that you made in step 4. These pieces once cut get folded in half (lengthwise) and glued to each side of the legs, where they join to the base of the seat. Trim any part of the base that extends pass the edge of the seat with a utility knife.
-
9
Measure the distance between the two leg pieces and cut eight new pieces to this length making sure each piece is six inches wide.
-
10
Make two cross pieces by gluing four pieces together to form one brace.
-
11
Insert the two cross pieces between the legs at a height that is just several inches above the ground. Put the hot glue at each end of the cross piece. Now your stool is complete.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The hot glue dries very quickly, so waiting time between steps is only a few minutes.
The hot glue burns for a few minutes if you spill any on your dry skin. This cardboard is best recommended as a template for making a plywood version. The plywood will be stronger and probably will not need as many layers.
