Cardboard Dresser

The following photos will show my progression from the cardboard boxes I moved with to a stylish new dresser for my new home.
I started with sturdy boxes from the meat department. I only used clean ones. No sense in having a smelly dresser. Then I reinforced the boxes with cardboard chunks. Most of the drawers are three layers thick. I also cut small pieces to fill any hand holes. Laying the cardboard so the inside flutes run at various angles helps to make it stronger. Once the drawers were made I lined them with wall paper and created dividers specifically for my needs. Next I made a reinforced divider/slider by determining the size of the largest drawer and adding one inch each way.


I cut two flat pieces of cardboard this size. If you need to piece them just use another cardboard strip on the inside and butt joint the bits to make them big enough. Next cut lots of strips of cardboard. I used one inch but half inch would probably work as well. You want really sharp blades (you will use a lot of them) and a good straight edge. My 22" quilt ruler was perfect for most of the job. A good metal yardstick is handy as well.
Update [4-29-2016] I eventually made a smaller dresser to match and invested $30 or so into an electric rotary cutter for cardboard. Makes it sooo much easier!
Once you have several strips cut lay one of your big pieces down and fold one of your strips so that it makes mountains and valleys. I folded mine about every 3" or so. Hot glue your strips throughout the flat piece. You will want a continuous strip around the outside edge. Once you have as many honeycomb pieces as you need to make the piece sturdy glue the other big piece on top. This part was tricky for me. I eventually just put white glue on most of the inside pieces and hot glued a few joints so I could get the top on faster before the hot glue dried. I went around the outside edges carefully to be sure everything was secure.


Finally I used reinforced paper shipping tape and taped all of my seems. The back and sides are made the same way, only on a larger scale. Glue the sides to the back and set the bottom slider in place and glue it in. At this point I used a couple of long decking screws as well. Set the bottom drawer on the bottom slider and use one or two thicknesses of cardboard as a spacer. Set the next slider in place and glue and screw into position. Continue until all are placed and will slide as you want. I added a piece that is two inches tall to the bottom at this point. It should fit the measurement of the case. This provides a "toe kick" under the bottom drawer. Next I measured from the bottom of the bottom drawer to the center of the next slider and from each edge of the case. Make a drawer front using the same technique as for the sliders. Your want the drawer front to cover from outside edges and almost meet the next drawer front in line. My drawers were all a bit different so I measured each as I went. Finally add a top. You will want it flush with the back or no more than 3/4" hangover. In the front you will want more of a ledge. Maybe up to a couple of inches. Glue and screw all of these in place, preferably from the inside as much as possible. Make sure you torque the screws so they slightly recess. That way they won't catch your moving drawer or clothes.You will also want to be sure they are not poking through to a drawer area.




Cover any screws with paper tape. Finish as you like. Paint or stain work well. It is cardboard after all. Just be cautious not to get it overly saturated but a little liquid won't hurt. Seal your final finish with three coats of a poly acrylic. It comes in satin, gloss and matte. Add hardware ( I needed longer screws for mine [2"]) and enjoy. You will go through a few large packages of hot glue and a bottle or two of white glue. That's about it other than your time. This one took me a couple of months working in the evenings and on the weekends.

Hot Glass

While experimenting with melting glass I came up with a way to make my own kiln shelf paper.
I cut a piece of newsprint the same size as my shelf.

Then I coated it with a mix of kiln wash and Elmer's glue. The first time I tried just the kiln wash but it fell off when it dried.

I found it was necessary to put large pieces of glass or frit molds in the corners to hold the paper flat. It seems to curl as the paper is burning off. Once the paper is gone you just have kiln wash under your glass.

As a teacher I am always trying to stretch the education dollar and this fits the bill.

Plastic crate into storage/footstool

Purchase a plastic letter file and a set of 1” foam chair pads from your local discount store.
Cut a piece of half inch lumber to fit the inside lip of the crate. Note: measure and cut carefully so that it sits on top of the little rim and is not likely to fall in.


Cut foam to fit the wood piece exactly. Hot glue it to the worst side of the wood. Use quilt batting to cover the foam and hot glue to the wood.


Next cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the top and to wrap around to the underneath side of the lid. Give yourself a couple of extra inches [2] on every side. Iron the fabric.
Lay the lid foam side down onto the wrong side of the fabric. Center it and then beginning on one of the long sides fold the fabric over about and inch and hot glue to the middle of the long side of the lid. Next turn the lid and glue the fabric to the center of that side. Now do the two shorter ends the same way.



If you have ever done any sort of upholstery this is the same idea, you are just using hot glue
instead of staples or tacks. You can of course use staples or tacks if you prefer. Glue just worked better for me on this job. Work you way to each corner making sure you do not pull one side more than the other. The idea is to keep the fabric straight and square while getting a nice tight, firm fit. You do the corners by folding in the point of the fabric and then glue, next pull a little at a time and glue to try to remove as many wrinkles as possible. You will have wrinkles, you just want them to be as consistent
and small as possible.



Add a loop of twill tape. Hot glue worked on one of my boxes and failed on another so I screwed that loop in with a small screw. A staple gun will work as well.
Measure the height and circumference of your box. Cut a piece of batting that size. Glue the batting around the outside of the box.


Next measure the box from the little rim on the underneath side up the side and around the top into the little recessed lip area. You will want your pretty fabric to cover this area so that none of the box itself shows. Cut your fabric that exact height and a length that will go around the box with an extra 2 inches to fold over. Iron your fabric and iron one inch of a fold into one end. Beginning at one of the short ends glue the unfolded end of the fabric to the bottom of the box on the straight edges. Note the photo.

Leave the corners for now. Once you have gotten all the way around then go back and put a little glue in the corners and smooth the fabric to the glue trying not to have any large wrinkles. Next begin gluing the unfolded edge into the top of the box on the straight edges and then go back and smoothly glue the corners into place.









Put your lid in the box and you now have a footstool/coffee-table or extra seating. If you put a board inside the box bottom or cardboard you can put smaller items inside. Otherwise it is great for storing yarn or other bulky item.