Covered Business Card Box

A few weeks back, Jessica on How About Orange posted with instructions for making a box out of business cards. The folding instructions came from here, but Jessica gave suggestions for how to make the box without flaps on the outside. I decided to give it a try, and it was incredibly easy!

So I added my own twist: I used rubber cement to add some of my beautiful koi paper. I simply took each business card and cut paper to fit, added rubber cement to both the back of the paper and the business card, and trimmed the edges. The whole task took less than 5 minutes. You can see the results above (through the blurriness of my camera phone).

Cardboard as Building Material

As a person who spent many years with a cardboard dresser by her bed, you don't have to tell me that cardboard is underappreciated as a home-furnishings material. Still, I was impressed by the examples of uses for cardboard in SuperNaturale's article, "Cardboard, Your New Best Friend." It got me started looking at cardboard furniture resources, and I discovered that there's a whole world of cardboard building going on out there (besides the famous Frank Gehry cardboard chair). Take a look:


Akira at dandanews made this cardboard bookshelf with large cardboard pieces she had on hand.




These were all designed and created by the French artist collective, the Cartonnistes, founded by (genius) Eric Guiomar. Guiomar actually teaches classes in cardboard furniture making, and he offers an instructional dvd through Vine Street Works.



Even a cardboard house. Architect Shigeru Ban designed these cardboard log homes to be emergency shelters after the Kobe earthquake in Japan. I think they're pretty cute.

Convertible Lounge Chair

The sustainable style foundation blog includes this chair, which I think is a pretty creative, funny idea. It's the OZ Lowchair by Cate&Nelson Design, and it was on display at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York last week.

The chair never needs re-upholstering because if you're in the mood for a color change, you just flip over a piece of the layered felt. Kinda reminds me of one of those giant paper flip chart pads.....

Freshome Guide to Used Furniture

Freshome has a post today with suggestions for those buying used furniture. As someone who currently owns only 2 pieces of furniture, I think this guide is quite helpful.

I'm Loving...the Art of Nate Wragg

As a kid, I loved to draw (still do, actually). Luckily for me, I learned early on that there will always be someone around with more talent, skill, and commitment. I mainly learned this from my friend Nate--who was 3 years younger but always a much better artist than I was (even when he was 5 and I was 8). His artistic talent is no joke: Nate now works at Pixar, and he exhibits art in his free time. Enjoy a few examples of his creativity:

You can see more of Nate's work on his blog, or buy his stuff through Gallery Nucleus. He also does commissions; if you're interested, contact Gallery Nucleus.

I'm Loving....Alexander Henry Fabric

I just adore the bright colors, pretty florals, and fun graphics on Alexander Henry fabric. Time for a fabric shopping spree! If I haven't bought out the whole stock, you can get Alexander Henry on purlsoho.com, Z & S Fabrics, or buyfabricsonline.com (which sells only Alexander Henry fabrics). Or check the Alexander Henry website for bricks and mortar retailers near you.

Have a great weekend!

DIY: Quick and Easy Fabric Wall Art

Living in a dorm requires creativity if you don't want to feel like you're stuck in a prison cell. This is an example of a 5 minute project that can liven up any room--for no money! All I did was take some fabric (satin and velvet) from old shirts. I cut them into pieces and fit them over 3 squares of cardboard I cut from an box. Used some nice packing tape on the back, and...voila!

Okay, so they probably won't be in the Met any time soon, but they brightened up my blah cement block walls for a few years. I've actually gotten so fond of them, that I'm considering bringing them along on the move to the new apartment. I guess that's another plus: they're very lightweight and easy to pack.