START
TURN CORRUGATED
CARDBOARD INTO A
SCULPTURED CAT PAD
Time: A Weekend Complexity: Easy
1. GLUE CARDBOARD TOGETHER
1a. Pour carpenter’s glue generously onto the center of the first board, then
spread the glue out with the brush and trim guide. Take care not to pour it on
too thick near the edges, or the glue will seep out, leaving unsightly ooze that
dries yellow. Lay the next board on top of the glued board, taking care to match
up the corners, and repeat until you’ve attached 10 cardboard pads together.
Repeat this process with the next 10 pads. Finally, glue 15 pads together the
same way. You now have 2 cardboard blocks of 10-pad thickness and 1 of
15-pad thickness.
1b. Carefully place something heavy and flat over each stack, such as a piece
of plywood, taking care not to shift the boards, and leave to dry and adhere for
several hours, or even overnight.
2. CREATE A DESIGN
Project photography by Julia Szabo and the MAKE Interns
I explain how to create an abstract castle featuring a tall central tower flanked
by a battlement on either side. Of course design possibilities are limitless, and
whether you want to duplicate my design or create your own is up to you.
2a. Take one of the stacked pads and, NOTE: If you're design-
following the diagram shown here, ing your own cat pad,
start at one 48" edge and mark the plan ahead and draw
following points with your rule: 6", 21", a diagram on graph
27", and 42". Then mark 6" up from paper before begin-
the bottom at all 4 points, and rule ning the project.
the lines down to those points. Repeat
with the other 2 stacks.
