[Cardboard Remake] Stocking Cardboard (Paperboard) Edition

← Previous Article ｜ Table of Contents

I have a bit of a paper fetish and have a habit of collecting paper whenever I find some that feels just right. So,

today is a cardboard lecture!
(geeky)

There are several good things about cardboard (specifically paperboard this time), but first and foremost, it's great for adding strength to your craft projects. For example, if you incorporate cardboard into regular paper, you can make things like this. (A card holder made from a Wild Bird Society envelope, a curry roux box, and some green paper bag)

Furthermore, this cardboard stuff is used all over the place in daily life. So, you'll have absolutely no trouble getting your hands on it. This is an amazing thing.
From a crafter's perspective, this situation is no different from having "money lying around everywhere," which is seriously wild.

So, today I'm going to write about how "stocking up on cardboard makes crafting fun!"

Where to find cardboard

Some people might think, "Is cardboard really in that many places?" Let me be clear. It's everywhere. Just listing the places that come to mind...

Alfort boxes
Pocky boxes
Toppo boxes
Curry boxes
Fruiche boxes
Ice cream boxes
McDonald's cups
Plastic wrap boxes
Yogurt backing boards
Firework backing boards
Covers from finished coloring books
Memo pad backing boards

Seriously, it's everywhere. If I kept listing them, the sun would set and rise again. It's that common in daily life, so I hope you'll try looking for it.
I feel like if you made a hardcover notebook out of your favorite snack box, taking notes would become fun.

How to stock cardboard

Once you've collected a ton of cardboard, I recommend sorting and storing it by size and thickness. I divide mine into the following four categories.

Category 1: Large and thick
Category 2: Large and thin
Category 3: Small and thick
Category 4: Small and thin

By the way, Category 1 is (super valuable), Category 2 is (valuable), Category 3 is (normal), and Category 4 is (recyclable waste).

Now, as for what determines whether it's large/small or thick/thin, I decide size based on "whether the long side is 15cm or more", and thickness based on "whether it is 0.3mm or thicker". You can measure the thickness with calipers, but you can usually tell if something is over 0.3mm just by touching it. You'll think, 'Oh, this one's thick.'

If you decide based on this standard, most things around you will fall into categories 2 to 4. It is quite rare to come across category 1. In crafting, size takes priority over thickness. For crafts where you need thickness, you can manage by gluing sheets together, but you can't do anything about the size.

A Great Character in the World of Thick Paper

From my perspective as a paper enthusiast, there are some thick papers that have a really nice quality to them. For example, the thick paper that holds a six-pack of beer cans is quite classy. While most thick paper is gray on the back, that one is often brownish. That color tone matches projects quite well.

Also, speaking of super idols in the crafting world, there is origami paper, and when you buy this origami, there is always a backing sheet inside. This idol-secretary-like thick paper is also quite good. This one is not only large but also thick. Even if it weren't thick, the size is guaranteed to be a 15cm square, so it is extremely easy to use. Moreover, it has no printing on it at all, and that truly pure cardboard feel is cool.

Finally, boxes from Japanese and Western confectionery shops. These are also seriously good. What makes them good is, first of all, they are huge. And since most of them are assembly boxes (boxes made by assembling a single sheet of thick paper), you can easily return them to a single sheet with just a little effort. In other words, unlike typical snack boxes, they don't have perforations or glued surfaces, so it's great that there are many usable parts.

Afterword

How about it? Pretty good, right? Thick paper (especially cardboard). I wrote whatever I wanted to write selfishly, so there might have been some parts that were hard to understand, but oh well. I would be happy if even a little bit of the message that cardboard is amazing gets across.

Well, this paper enthusiast lecture. I don't know if there will be a second installment, but if I have the chance, I will write more.

← Previous Article | Table of Contents

---

Check out my cardboard creations here!