Free patterns for folded cardboard furniture

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, December 5, 2007 10:49 AM | permalink

"foldschool is a collection of free cardboard furniture for kids, handmade by you. The downloadable patterns can be printed out with any printer. Follow the instructions and assemble a stable piece of furniture." Link

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Discussion

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#1 posted by tresser

, December 5, 2007 12:24 PM

seems that they have awfully pointy parts to them for the units to be used around childrens.

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#2 posted by Father Brown , December 5, 2007 1:42 PM

I've got three youngsters and they've got more interesting things to play with than cardboard.

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#3 posted by ggm , December 5, 2007 1:44 PM

Victor Papanek and James Hennessy would be very pleased. nomadic furniture is one of my all-time favourite books, I built the H-module wooden shelves about 20 years ago and although they crumble, they remain in use.

I made a corrugated carboard comfy chair. It wasn't very comfy, but it was comforting to know I could.

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#4 posted by Mark Frauenfelder

, December 5, 2007 2:07 PM

"I've got three youngsters and they've got more interesting things to play with than cardboard."

Making things with cardboard is not interesting to you? We sure have different opinions about that, Father Brown.

My kids and I made a cardboard fort from Backyard Things That Are Fun To Build (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/15/backyard-things-that.html) one day in the summer and we had a terrific time together.

I'm looking forward to making this furniture with my kids!

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#5 posted by porn for creative souls , December 5, 2007 5:08 PM

too bad there isn't a downloadable pattern for this cardboard lamp

http://scophy.com/2007/11/19/design-mondays-lamp-outline-on-cardboard-box/

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#6 posted by Father Brown , December 5, 2007 10:50 PM

MARK SAID:

"We sure have different opinions about that, Father Brown"

Mark, I'm not sure if this is a matter of differing opinions. Our household just invested in a new 24-inch iMac and I'm currently teaching my twin boys (7 years old) Photoshop and also GarageBand. Next step, web design!

My daughter's only 3 years old but she's taken a keen interest in rudimentary 3-D modeling and basic gif animations.

Playing with cardboard just doesn't cut it around here anymore (excuse the pun)

Cute post anyway!
Thanks for all your great work.

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#7 posted by CJ , December 6, 2007 3:44 AM

I must be missing something. How do you get from a pattern that can be printed on any printer, to something that's big enough for a child to sit on?

I went through their "step by step" sample, but that was just a teeny shape, so it's didn't really clarify that somewhat important step.

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#8 posted by mattratto , December 8, 2007 4:27 PM

And may I ask, Father Brown, how or if you plan to encourage your kids to transfer their digital designs into material objects?

there's something to be said for moving from the screen to the tactile and physical world and I, for one, welcome our new cardboard overlords.