Upcycle Progress: Origami Nightstand

I still have a pile of old homework assignments from last year, so I thought about what I could do with all of that paper (besides throw it away). I also happen to need a nightstand, so I began thinking of ways to use paper. I used to dabble in origami as a kid, so what if I made a nightstand that looked like a large origami box?

There are a lot of origami box designs, so I had to find a design that both looked good and will be easy to incorporate into a nightstand. I found one that I think should work well. My plan is to make a wooden frame for the nightstand with panels on the top and sides. Then, I plan on making a very large square sheet using my old homework and fold it into an open box (should be a little tricky). The box should then slide over the frame upside down to form sort of a cover.

I played around with the box design to see how much paper I would need to get the final size that I want. Here’s what the box looks like made from a mass transfer assignment:

IMG_20160123_165549IMG_0797[1]

box, nightstand, origami, paper, Upcycle
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3 Comments. Leave new

  • This could be a neat piece of furniture with a lot of personality. The outer surface would show your work at times that it was neat, messy, correct and “slightly” off. I would be impressed if you managed to build the nightstand entirely from paper (but I wouldn’t consider it cheating if you used cardboard as a rigid backbone). I’m looking forward to seeing the final result.

    Reply
  • Jason Mcgrath
    January 30, 2016 9:55 pm

    Interesting idea. Old homework is a great resource. It is plentiful and holds so much time and thoughts that cannot easily be imitated.

    Although I like the choice of project, when I clicked in this post I was hoping to see a luminous paper crane or something more indicative of oragami culture. Perhaps there’s an opportunity more a more compelling form factor.

    Reply
  • This is nice, works on several levels. Homework is intricate and abstract, as is origami.

    Reply

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