Tip #1: Furniture from Corrugated Cardboard “My collapsible laptop stand is made from corrugated cardboard,” writes Morten Rand-Hendriksen. A prolific explainer of complex things and self-avowed tinkerer, Morten points out that doing things with your hands can be therapeutic. I’d add that you can end up with some boss furniture and accessories without spending too much cake. I’ll let Morten take it from here, with thanks for letting me share his article.
Cardboard Lamination Creations - article and video
Tip #2: Mod Podge Découpage “Découpage” might be a stretch for what I do, but with a bit of Mod Podge and paper or cloth you can turn trash into treasure. A few of the items I’ve created with this versatile stuff include:
- Refrigerator magnets (source craft disks and magnets from any art supplly store and then collage your art on top of them)
- Hanging ornaments
- Desk trays
- Dress-up shoes
The Mod Podge is both glue and coating, so you can build layers to your heart’s content.
Tip #3: Cleaning the Stuff Paper and cardboard are obviously not waterproof, so you do have to be careful with water around them. The other day I accidentally found that a dab of Murphy’s Oil Soap on a paper towel worked wonders on a greasy, grimy laminated cardboard box that I use to store my favorite kitchen tool (a Dahlstrong knife equally good for cutting bread or slaying dragons). Except for a couple of dents and dings, the box is so clean I could regift it, which I would never do.
P.S. on ‘dress-up shoes’ When one of my son’s school classmates turned five, I found a pair of old high-heel shoes in my closet and went to TOWN on them. Mod Podge, sequins, beads, a couple of feathers … these shoes were fit for a princess.
Sadly, I never photographed them. Equally sadly, it was pretty clear that the recipient of the gift didn’t like it (although every mom in the room wanted a pair for herself).
Over the years, I’ve added temporary new life to worn-out shoes by basically gluing a bunch of items to them (cloth scraps, magazine photos, Lego guys, you name it). I’ve never expected them to last more than a few months, so I’ve usually coated them with Mod Podge, but if you want to get fancy you can buy leather paint and coatings from Angelus Direct.
You can see photos of my other Mod Podge creations (as well as other 3-D inspiration from other mor10 fans) in the comments to Morten’s post.
