Wow! It has been essentially a month since I last posted. Honestly though, it felt like no time at all. If you follow my social media feeds at all, you would know I took some time off to deal with family matters. I also did some business in that time away attending a blogging conference (more on that later this week), worked on my office/craft room, and did some administrative stuff for the blog.

All that to say, it was time well spent but I am glad to be back. Now onto this month’s Craft Challenge!

The theme for May was recycled crafts and if you have gone through my blog you know I like to use recycled materials A LOT. So I was very excited for this challenge.

But seeing as I was busy, I didn’t spend as much time on this project as I was hoping. In fact, the final project was finished in one morning! It is a simple, functional DIY that is already in use in my home. Ladies and gentleman, my craft challenge creation for this month is…

A recycled cardboard shelf!

I designed this shelf to look like large file folders aligned on a backing. I wanted something I could use for fabric scraps and works in progress in my craft room and I like the way I could drape fabric over the edge for a change in look.

Now, I know it is just cardboard right now. I actually don’t know how I want to finish it off. Maybe you could help me. Should I paint the shelf, decoupage it with paper or fabric, or leave it as is? Or is there some other covering I could put on?

Weigh in on how I should finish my shelf and be sure to make your own by following these steps. Please note, you can alter the size of your shelf but be sure to keep the proportions correct!

Step One: Collect, measure and cut your cardboard.

Collect corrugated cardboard. Basic corrugation is fine (no need for super strength). Cut out the following pieces from your cardboard using a suitable tool (I used a paper cutter).

• 2-3 pieces that are 3’3”x1’3” (backing pieces)
• 3 pieces that are 1’10 ½”x1’9 ½” (folder pieces)

Step Two: Fold and cut the folder pieces.

Fold along the middle horizontally first so that the “lower” half of the cardboard is slightly larger than the top half. Once folded, cut a 5” line along the middle fold on each side.

Now, on the upper half of the cardboard fold the sides towards the floor. These folds will wrap around the backing to hold the folder in place. On the top half you also fold the sides but this time towards the ceiling, this creates the side of the folder. With that side of the folder, you need to fold again at an angle starting from the corner you cut earlier and ending with the full width of the side. This angled bit will help secure the folder by being glued to the back inside the folder itself. More on that later.

Step Three: Align your folders on ONE of the backing pieces and glue.

Align your first folder on one of the backing pieces. The middle fold of the folder should be 3-4 inches from the bottom of the backing. On the front side, glue the back of the folder onto the backing with a hot glue gun. The glue dries fast so focus on getting good edge coverage and a few key dollops in the centre. Flip the project over and glue down the two flaps to the backing creating a nearly full wrap.

Repeat for the other two folders!

Step Four: Glue the second/third backing.

To strengthen your cardboard shelf, I suggest gluing additional backing pieces on. Simply glue the second backing on over top of the first which has the wrapped around flaps. Work from top to bottom so you can glue as you go.

Step Five: Align and glue the folder fronts.

Almost there! Align the front of your folders so they take on the triangular shape and glue down the inner flap left over. This was the angled fold we made earlier. It can be tricky getting in there with the glue but not much is needed and focus should be on the upper portion of the folder to maximize strength.

Repeat for all folders.

Step Six: Decorate.

Self-explanatory!

Step Seven: Hang or lean on wall.

Hang using command hooks, screws, or nails. Or just lean it against a wall. I plan on building a cardboard bucket underneath where mine currently is then hanging the shelf just above it until it is level with the top of my desk.

I hope you enjoyed this creation, be sure to stop by the other Craft Challenge bloggers to see what they created for this recycling challenge! Simply click on the picture below to be sent to their blogs!