I love turning what most people would consider trash into functional forms of art. I was lucky enough to come across some extra large (and super sturdy) shipping tubes, and rescue them before hitting the trash pile. They made for the perfect recycled shoe rack pyramid project.
You'll need...
Start off by sawing the tubes in 12" pieces.
Sand the edges of the tubes with a sponge sanding block to smooth out the edges...
*Gluing the tubes together requires just a touch of patience as this type of glue takes at least 2-3 hours to cure...though 24 hours is preferred.
Start the gluing process by applying a line of glue straight down the length of a tube (this type of glue expands quite a bit when drying so go easy with it).
Next, match it up with a second tube and clamp the tubes together. this would be tricky to do without clamps. If you don't have any, try using a belt to hold them together (I've not tested this method so don't hold me to it- just an idea :D)
Let the tubes dry for at least 2 hours then repeat the process until the bottom row is complete. Repeat these steps for each row of your design (I went for a pyramid shape, you can do any shape you'd like!)
When all rows are glued and cured, begin constructing your shoe rack by gluing the rows together starting from the bottom row up.
I used mod podge to seal the edges and to create a smooth painting surface. Allow 24 hours for this project to fully cure.
Then comes the really fun part (finally). Decoration and finishing! Yay!
I finished my shoe pyramid with a clean, glossy white spray paint with sparkly white glitter around the edges.
The possibilities are seemingly endless in my brain for the things one might do with large cardboard tubes. I love making things out of trash...and I love you for reading this! Hope you feel inspired to create. <3
You'll need...
- one large tube
- white spray paint (feel free to go wild with whatever color/paper/fabric you please)
- gorilla glue (awesome stuff)
- strong clamps
- sanding sponge or sand paper
Start off by sawing the tubes in 12" pieces.
Sand the edges of the tubes with a sponge sanding block to smooth out the edges...
*Gluing the tubes together requires just a touch of patience as this type of glue takes at least 2-3 hours to cure...though 24 hours is preferred.
Start the gluing process by applying a line of glue straight down the length of a tube (this type of glue expands quite a bit when drying so go easy with it).
Let the tubes dry for at least 2 hours then repeat the process until the bottom row is complete. Repeat these steps for each row of your design (I went for a pyramid shape, you can do any shape you'd like!)
When all rows are glued and cured, begin constructing your shoe rack by gluing the rows together starting from the bottom row up.
Then comes the really fun part (finally). Decoration and finishing! Yay!
I finished my shoe pyramid with a clean, glossy white spray paint with sparkly white glitter around the edges.
The possibilities are seemingly endless in my brain for the things one might do with large cardboard tubes. I love making things out of trash...and I love you for reading this! Hope you feel inspired to create. <3
