Making a room divider from cardboard boxes?

**pollypurebred39** · 08-14-2008, 11:13 PM

Since our home is really small we have struggled with creating homes for our furniture. Our living room is is not only our family room but also our dining room and home office. There is not enough wall space for the home office so I created a small cubby with the back of a bookcase and the back of our small hutch in an L shape up againist one one the living room walls. The problem is since at present we don't have a nice desk in there but a mish mash of storage things to keep our bills/etc. organized it looks messy and cluttered. Even though it is kept neat and weeded out. I thought about a curtain but it would have to hang from the ceiling and it just wouldn't look right. So I was thinking about making a room divider. Since I can not spend anything on this project I was thinking about using fridge boxes. Does anyone know of a way to make this DYI project look good and not like I slapped together some cardboard boxes?

Thanks,
Polly

**joyofsix** · 08-15-2008, 01:28 AM

I would cover them with something, wallpaper, cool tissue paper, decoupage (sp). Maybe cover and use as a bulletin board for family pics or cool sayings?

**Ceashels** · 08-15-2008, 04:33 PM

You can probably decorate the cardboard with other paper, pictures or fabric (thrift store sheet). But the one thing that will give it a less cardboard look is covering the edges. If you use fabric as the cover, use fabric for some binding.

The fewer "mish mash" of materials you use, the neater and more appealing it will look. I wouldn't mix fabric, paper and paint on it... that kind of thing.

You could also take some ribbon and criss cross it in a diamond pattern to hold pictures, cute quotes, memos, lists, and things like that so it is a functional message board or display board for family photos.

Perhaps making it double thickness will resemble the thickness of wood more as well as provide sturdiness.

It sounds like a fun project.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-15-2008, 07:23 PM

Ceashels, Hmm...Those are really great ideas. I was trying to figure out how to hinge it and doubling the carboard not only gives it a more sturdy look but solves the hinge problem as well. I'll glue they hinges with heavy duty glue and sandwich them between the two sheets of cardboard. I am loaded with fabric. I used to do parties and used a lot of fabric. I also used to use fabric in my basket gifts for sale. I have a wardrobe filled with $1.00 a yard fabric. Some real heavy duty stuff too so that should help the divider to not have that flimsy homemade quality.

I'll need to decide if I should cover the board first before sandwiching them together and then run a bead of cording around it. That might work out better, but the hinges just may get in the way. But then again I think they might be more in the way if I wait to cover it with fabric.I'll have to think on it more.

Thanks for the great ideas. Double cardboard is genius!

Polly

**Ceashels** · 08-15-2008, 09:52 PM

If you cover each side first then glue it together, your cut edges can be hidden between the two sheets along with the hinge. You wouldn't need to put cording on the inside edge with the hinges unless you wanted to and just cut it where the hinge starts.

**MisaLady** · 08-15-2008, 10:41 PM

What if you covered it with Brown Paper Bags. Take a look at the link because it actually looks REALLY good. And you can also do it with brown kraft paper. It can be painted on. I've seen it done before but this is a really good description of how to do it.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-16-2008, 03:53 AM

MisaLady,

I think this is kind of what Joyofsix was thinking along the lines of when she suggested tissue paper. It is so cool! I love that web site, what a great find. Thanks for sharing it. I can see myself getting lost in all that creativity on there. I registered and plan on really using it for later projects.

I have to say it is a really good idea that I think I will use on another project I've got brewing in the back of my head. For this project though I've got to stay on budget. The budget is zero! All income right now has to go towards bills so I need to use the supplies I have already.

It kind of reminded me of the kind of stuff my Mom used to do when I was a kid. She always made things look nice. We lived in a pretty beat up home but my Mom would hide the defects, like our tub had some enamel worn off in spots and she covered them with adhesive no slip stickers.(Not real pretty but no one knew there was a mess underneath) Our fridge also had the same kind of wear so she purchased these beautiful hand carved wooden butterfly magnets that she places over the spots. No art work on our fridge. My Mom hated that. We even had this beat up rusty car that my Mom painted with a can of light blue rustoleum. It covered the rust spots and they never bled through, or wore off. She used a foam paint brush and you could not see a single paint stroke. It looked professionally done. She was amazing with that kind of stuff.

My house is pretty beat up also and I've decided that I need to devote more time to making things look nice. Hide what can be hidden behind the guise of decorating. I'm hoping the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree.

Thanks Again,
Polly

**pollypurebred39** · 08-16-2008, 03:56 AM

Ceashels,

I think I'm going to it exactly like you said. I think that would work out best. I really don't go for a homemade look to things and I think this will work out great.

Thanks for your advice,
Polly

**pollypurebred39** · 08-16-2008, 04:01 AM

Joyofsix,

Thanks for your imput. I think I may make a bulletin board for the wall inside the cubby for my husband to keep all those misc. slips of paper that you just can not throw away or file. Thanks for the idea. Brainstorming on the FV is a really effective way to make a project have legs.

Thanks,
Polly

**pollypurebred39** · 08-16-2008, 04:27 AM

Ceashels,

What do you think of adding an extra layer of cardboard for triple thickness? I have cording thick enough to go around the edges. I have more than enough spray adhesive for the job. I was just wondering if that might make it even more furniture like. I guess I could m lay 3 sheets of carboard ontop of one another to get a gander at it. But sometimes you can really tell for sure until you've got a finished project. I'd hate to waste materials. What do you think?

Polly

**Ceashels** · 08-16-2008, 08:09 PM

I think you'll have to make a stack of 3 to see how it looks. If it is really heavy cardboard you need to keep in mind the height you are looking at making it. You don't want it to be too high or too heavy. If you like the look of it, you can just add a 2 inch strip as the "middle" layer around the border then put a full sheet on for the back.

If you think you are going to put heavier things on it or if it will get handled daily, the added strength of the third sheet may help quite a bit.

I would love to see a picture of it when you are finished. It sounds like a great project to me.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-17-2008, 02:26 AM

Okay, that sounds about right. I'll play around with it to see what looks right. I figure I'll start the project in the Fall, after my youngest starts cyber school and is well established for the year. And of course we are still doing yard sales and I am gathering and cleaning and pricing stuff right now. I want to be well past that and then I'll start.

I have no idea how to upload pictures on the internet but I'll sure give it a try when I'm finished so you can see what you helped to create.

Thanks again for all your help. I think I just may be able to pull it off.

Polly