dandan.

I reasoned that three or four layers of cardboard, bound or glued together, could be as strong as a plywood piece of the same size, at least to vertical forces. So then I just drew some sketches and went straight to cutting the boards to my specs. The hardest part was to cut these things straight and exactly the same size, as I only had a 24-inch ruler and a utility knife.

Experimenting with smaller pieces of paper would have been smarter, as I noticed that my design had a fairly serious structural flaw (can you guess what it is by looking at the pic? it's pretty obvious) once I cut the pieces and glued them together. So I devised small supports of wooden dowels along the underside of the shelf where it meets the vertical 'column'(or sidewall)s through drilled holes on these columns.

Once the pieces are cut, glued together and the holes are drilled, assembly is fairly simple and easy. When the holes are snug, the boards tend to stay in place because of their natural elasticity, so there's no need for more glue or nails. It's easy enough to take it apart when you don't need it anymore, or when you are moving.

The result? Well, it's no Frank Gehry, and it's not that pretty either, but as a bookshelf it functions all right. We already crammed it with books and it seems to be taking the load quite happily (pictured right. There's also a lightstand in the foreground, also made of cardboard that came with, surprise -- a lamp -- and put together in less than half an hour with what was around). I named it "Clutzy" in the spirit of Swedish furniture-making tradition.

Here's a picture of my other masterpiece, "Chubb" coffee table (the top sheet's not glued on yet). The legs came just like that in a furniture package as a filler/cushion, I just cut them to the length I wanted. The top is four sheets cross-glued, with the bottom two sheets cut out for the legs to slot in. It's stable enough for me to sit on! I designed it to go with the low sofa/futon we bought, but once put together, it reminds me of those traditional chabu-dai (low, portable dining tables for small meals) I used to see on television dramas in Japan.

I am contemplating a few more pieces, maybe paint the ones I made so they look less cardboardy and ghetto. I will report any progress if there is anything noteworthy.