Corrugated Cardboard is an extremely cheap, plentiful material with great structural properties that makes it perfect for DIY projects around the house. I also use it so much that I have come across some very useful tips and tricks for using it, and that is what I will be showing you today. These are all learned from experience, so you had better bet they are tried-and-true methods for success.

In this Instructable, you will learn:

The best ways to cut cardboard,

The dos and don'ts of gluing cardboard,

How to structurally reinforce cardboard,

How to give cardboard a professional-looking paint job,

And finally, one crazy trick for getting rid of those pesky frayed edges.

If you like this or learn something new in this Instructable, please vote for it in the Pro Tips Challenge. I'm getting kinda tired of using cardboard all the time (despite its many uses) and that 3D Printer looks like it could be a good upgrade
 

Well, this should be easy. Just get out a good pair of scissors, right? Nope, wrong. Using scissors is one of the most infuriating methods I have come across for cutting corrugated cardboard. The exception is for small, straight cuts. Here are some better ones:

Method 1: X-Acto knives

Using an X-Acto knife or a decent box knife is my go-to method of cutting cardboard. First, trace out what you want to cut with a pencil, and then score it with the knife. The best method is to make multiple (2-4) passes, cutting a little deeper each time, until you cut through. This is best for small cuts and detail work, although I have used it to cut large pieces before, but beware of hand cramps. Also, try to cut on top of a surface you don't mind getting a bit scratched, i.e. another piece of cardboard.

Method 2: Hacksaw/ Reciprocating Saws in general

For thicker cardboard, e.g. double layer cardboard, or large cuts, using a saw actually works really well, and is the best, fastest, and most accurate way to cut. I find a standard mini hacksaw is my favorite tool for dealing with this stuff, but any saw with a reciprocating blade (Scroll saw, band saw, jigsaw, heck, even a sawzall) will work fine, provided you know how to use them. In this manner, cardboard can be treated generally the same as wood, and many of the same tools you would use for plywood (except the planer) are perfectly acceptable for use on cardboard.

Method 3: Laser Cutters

I won't go into much detail, as I have less experience in this area, but for really complex designs or nice cutouts, a laser cutter is the best choice. It can do everything you could do with any of the other tools I've mentioned a lot faster and a lot more accurately than you can by hand. The only thing to watch out for is not catching the cardboard on fire!

Method 4: Soldering Iron/Pyrography

This method is a bit whimsical, dangerous, and not really accepted as a practical method for cutting cardboard, but man, is it fun! If you have an old, useless soldering iron, or a pyrography kit, this is a great and entertaining way to cut cardboard. Simply heat up your iron, and use it to burn through the cardboard. This is best done outdoors or in a garage, because it will set off fire alarms if you are doing it for a longer period.

So now you know how to best cut pieces of cardboard, and we can move on to the best ways to glue them together!