You don’t have to tell a 6-year-old that collapsed corrugated boxes are prime imagination material, they’re already rocketing towards Mars with a jacuzzi and a pet giraffe. An unsuspecting and humble foundation, no doubt, paper’s husky older brother is the ultimate in blank canvas. Keep It Weird pulls the packing tape from cardboard’s corners and releases its inner spirit.
Check out the Related Items below for more souvenirs from the cardboard city.
Michelle Traub is an editor for Etsy.
ArtyDidact says:
As someone who became involved in the consumer co-op movement back in the 1970s, I see the DIY movement as something very similar; it's about self-sufficiency and helping each other succeed, and choosing your own work conditions and priorities. If many of us choose not to be involved in corporate culture, I see that more as a boycott than as a retreat. The conventional workplace isn't meeting our needs, so we're making our own way. Read more
90 comments
Sign in to add your ownColettesboutique says:
So many amazing card board creations! No wonder kids will sometimes ignore their toys and play with the cardboard box.... The power of imagination.
1 year ago
PolkaDotToadstool says:
I've always loved the interesting texture of cardboard, love seeing it being used in such artistic ways.
1 year ago
LeatherheadOriginals says:
I loved playing with boxes as a kid! Built many a cool village/ Star Wars set from them! Now, I still use cardboard to make my hat patterns!
1 year ago
MootiDesigns says:
Creative minds. Keep it weird!
1 year ago
VoleedeMoineaux says:
Hell YES!
1 year ago
paramountvintage says:
so clever! this makes me want to get creative with my packaging!!!
1 year ago
redyellowandblueink says:
well shucks, if cardboard has made the weird post then call me weird. Or maybe it is my ultra fascination with cardboard, which I am obsessed. show me a sturdy well proportioned cardboard box and I am weak in the knees. And if the box isn't perfect my imagination starts running and sees the potential. I just can't explain my obsessive love of cardboard. "................pulls the packing tape from cardboard’s corners and releases its inner spirit." now that's the truth! You know what really knocks my socks off is making my own box from a flat sheet of cardboard. OK, I'll stop now. oh jeez i just saw the Neapolitan ice cream up there, you just pushed me over the edge, square ice cream, three perfect and simple flavors, inside a waxed cardboard box, joy!
1 year ago
picklehead says:
wow, this is amazing! I love it! I remember how much I loved to make houses out of cardboard boxes as a kid. Now my cats hog all the boxes!
1 year ago
VintageEye says:
I have a long history of cardboard construction projects but none quite so fanciful as these! Fabulous!
1 year ago
zasra says:
Wildly creativity with the cardboard here .... nice~ haha
1 year ago
Peachygirl says:
The creativity of some folks never ceases to amaze me and this is yet another case in point! Just an incredible display of talent behind these designs...just wow. I think my fave is the cupcake but I admire them all! Thanks for the inspiration! *•.♥.•*
1 year ago
amusebeads says:
Structure and simplicity, all in one package. I love cardboard constructions!
1 year ago
HauteStuffVixens says:
Yeay...I love it! I just made my toddler the coolest cardboard truck costume for Halloween, it's the perfect medium.
1 year ago
blueskyclouds says:
wow, what creativity!
1 year ago
NecessiTees says:
So clever! Love those ideas!!!!
1 year ago
bedouin says:
beautifully strange as always ~
1 year ago
BanglewoodSupplies says:
Love the cupcake!
1 year ago
mzube says:
Great cool and retro style in a way and wouldn't look out of place on www.mzube.co.uk
1 year ago
foxpots says:
There's a great cardboard sculpture in Vancouver - it's a full-scale cardboard bulldozer, built from recycled material from the Vancouver Olympics. It sits outside, left intentionally to decompose and provide support for organic growth. Very cool!
1 year ago
myvintagecrush says:
How fabulously creative!!
1 year ago
RossLab says:
It's a creative and fun way to recycle. Great !
1 year ago
TheBloomingThread says:
oh my gosh, how cute would that typewriter be on my book case!
1 year ago
piecesofelises says:
I love it! This is probably my favorite keep it weird post :)
1 year ago
audreytolove says:
Really amazing and cute!
1 year ago
piebirdqueen says:
I admire your creativity.
1 year ago
everythingok says:
Cardboard is my paper hero. It's by far my favourite surface to make paintings on!
1 year ago
yourauntiespanties says:
That typewriter caught my eye right away! Amazing! The cupcake is great too!!
1 year ago
SeaSand says:
As a kid who loved to play and create with cardboard... I am so inspired!
1 year ago
SuePetriPhotos says:
Love Love Love Cardboard Creations!
1 year ago
TheNightjar says:
heheh! love the card board cupcake!
1 year ago
baconsquarefarm says:
Oh my goodness what creativity with cardbox who would have thunk it. wow. The cupcake and shoes are awesome and typewriter too. Fun finds.
1 year ago
MegansMenagerie says:
Love these finds!!!
1 year ago
stepbackink says:
great imaginations
1 year ago
SchneiderGallery says:
The one who invented cardboard should get Nobel Prize!
1 year ago
ladyhawthorne says:
love the shoes!
1 year ago
mazedasastoat says:
Love everything about cardboard, even the smell! That sofa is amazing, & I'm drooling about the acres of pristine cardboard you must need to make an item like that!
1 year ago
notApplicable says:
so reSouRceFul!
1 year ago
peshka says:
Wow ! This work is amazing!
1 year ago
accentonvintage says:
Really cool! Getting great ideas for class art projects!
1 year ago
vtriece says:
I LOVE THIS!
1 year ago
blainedesign says:
Super great!
1 year ago
CruteStudio says:
Seeing these charming works was great timing for me. Candy for the eye. I just got a wonderful book called PUSH Paper curated by Jaime Zollars (a wonderful illustrator) and published by Lark Crafts featuring 30 artists who use paper, cardstock or corrugated cardboard. As a paper sculpturer I found their works amazing and inspiring.
1 year ago
frenchonion says:
Wow these are incredible! Who would have thought?
1 year ago
ThePolkadotMagpie says:
Michelle, I just forwarded this blog to my 24 year old son who used to make everything out of cardboard and boxes. He had an entire room of saved boxes for "future work." Until he was invaded by mice. :-( He'll be inspired, I know.
1 year ago
PoppyFandango says:
This really gets me thinkin about some new uses for my recyclables :)
1 year ago
kadydesigns says:
Cardboard boxes are awsome!! I made many forts and houses out of old boxes when I was a kid. It was so much fun! The shoes are so cool!
1 year ago
Parachute425 says:
Very clever. Love the shoes. I have a hard time throwing away a piece of cardboard or a box. Now I know what o do with it all. I need some boots for winter.
1 year ago
hubinshow says:
Great design ~
1 year ago
isitsecretisitsafe says:
That's so cool! The typewriter reminds me of The Science of Sleep!
1 year ago
RedorGrayArt says:
i cannot throw card board away .. I confess! I have such great ways to use it in my shop .. loved the post here today!!
1 year ago
JennasRedRhino says:
Ha ha! And I always think of a cardboard box as a toy for the cats!
1 year ago
MarleneCDesigns says:
Love it,I love to create with paper!
1 year ago
amberstudios says:
Innovative minds! Keep it weird!
1 year ago
Jessonchan says:
look very lovely . Great Job.
1 year ago
peonyandthistle says:
These are wonderful creations! Great way to upcycle and have fun!
1 year ago
WhiteLyme says:
I am always impressed by anything made from cardboard, at my work in just one week we end up with a huge mound of it (which we do recycle) but I stand there looking at it with desires to use it. Luckily we do put some of it to use making cardboard sales displays in competition with our other stores!
1 year ago
bernabermek says:
congrats!
1 year ago
Iammie says:
Amazing!
1 year ago
alycerosemary says:
I love it! My daughter has special needs and we get tons of boxes of supplies shipped to us every month. I try to resuse them as much as i can or think of things to do with them like inside hopscotch boards, containors to hold our recycle stuff, picture frames. I'm super impressed and am inspired to do more!
1 year ago
TheMysticCircleArt says:
This is so awesome. I too love working with cardboard. I love the beer box corset with skirt,how amazing everything is.
1 year ago
honeystreasures says:
Wow! I never would have dreamed of this even though I can remember playing with cardboard boxes for hours, making forts, etc.. My children played with them, too. What kid hasn't? Great imaginations at work here!
1 year ago
MarkofBrien says:
Collettesboutique said - "No wonder kids will sometimes ignore their toys and play with the cardboard box" That's exactly it! I love to create objects from just plain cardboard and a little imagination.
1 year ago
HoneyThistle says:
cardboard's one of my favourite media to use when I'm doing arts & crafts activities with kids. I remember when I used to make little paper cakes out of cardboard & paper mache. These are such great takes!
1 year ago
jimrose200 says:
good one
1 year ago
BrittneyWest says:
Weird people (and things) make the world go round. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article with awesome cardboard art! "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."--Rumi
1 year ago
cuteandcreepy says:
love that typewriter!!
1 year ago
JypsyJewels says:
What imagination! Remember when we would get a shoe box, cut square out of center, put holes at top and bottom on both sides. Draw pictures, wrap around two pencils and turn one pencil, and it would advance frame by frame and it looked like a tv set. That's going back pretty far; telling my age here. It is amazing the things we made with not much. I love that typewriter too!!!!!!
1 year ago
LittleWrenPottery says:
wow that cardboard sofa is something else, I always used to create cutout 'dolls' with leftover card. Puts my efforts to shame!
1 year ago
Relydesign says:
oh gosh these creations with cardboard are awesome :) love the man shoes :)
1 year ago
robertcoffin says:
Super cool. While running an art program for children we did many projects using boxes and packing material. The kids loved it and so did we!
1 year ago
DearJames says:
your wonderful, I once made a foot tredle loom out of a box. less than desirable tension though xD
1 year ago
tsubasafan says:
I have a 3D foundations class this semester and we make sculptures out of cardboard. So far I've made a hippocampus and my next project is a carousel dragon that people can sit on and take pictures.
1 year ago
AMSkrafts says:
The smart shoes are so well made, it's such an amazing likeness! And the cupcake is just adorable, I could eat it up in a second!...If it wasn't made of cardboard. Wonderful collection! Keep It Weird is my favorite series.
1 year ago
atelierpompadour says:
Cardboard shoes!! never seen !! can I have a pair of wedges?
1 year ago
askewcreations says:
Yep, you had me with the shoes!
1 year ago
chickydoddle says:
Awesome!! They look like they're made out of wood rather than cardboard. My kids are 6 and 9 and one of their favorite toy is a gigantic cardboard box. They will decorate it with lights and their own drawings to make it a cool hiding spot. I would love to have that cupcake please :)
1 year ago
thestapeliacompany says:
People who make realistic things out of cardboard are amazing. There was a video out there somewhere of a man who makes completely realistic and functional larger than life cameras out of cardboard. The video was fascinating. Love the weird stuff, keep it coming!!!
1 year ago
lachemisedepeau says:
this is awesome!
1 year ago
2LittleFeet says:
omygahd i love the things you can make from paper, it's so awesome
1 year ago
Mitmunk says:
Amazing! Some imaginative planning and play with cardboard can result in some cool models, as can be seen here :)
1 year ago
lauraboyter says:
Fabulous creations! How long the artist must have worked on that typewriter! Amazing!
1 year ago
QuercusQuercus says:
Why did I only discover Etsy *after* I lost my job as a packaging designer? D'oh!
1 year ago
junebugandco says:
In awe over the fabulous creativity featured! Pure awesomeness!!!
1 year ago
needlenerd says:
this is amazing
1 year ago
mynield says:
This is so cool! I learned to type on a manual typewriter, your creation brings back happy memories. Thanks x
1 year ago
Artefactsonoma says:
Well done.
1 year ago
Fabritorium says:
Amazing finds as always! I love this column..
1 year ago
bonspielcreation says:
Cardboard boxes are an important part of my life, I use them to package bags that people buy from all over the world. I keep a fishing gaff in my van to snag them out of dumpsters...is that weird?
1 year ago
dollypoppin says:
So in-love with the cardboard typewriter. <3
1 year ago
skw02001 says:
If you like this, see Chris Gilmour - absolute master of cardboard. www.chrisgilmour.com. Also see the Museum of Art and Design's "Slash - Paper Under the Knife".
1 year ago