On this blog, I have shared a number of my carved cardboard furniture projects. Cardboard carving can be intimidating, especially for beginners, so I created these two tutorials to help you learn the basic carving techniques and get started with confidence.
You’ll learn the techniques that make cardboard carving more approachable and achievable. Of course, you’ll need plenty of practice to build your confidence and control, but with patience, anyone can learn this skill.
I’ve included both tutorials in this post, along with free downloadable practice templates so you can practice the techniques yourself.
Once you become comfortable with cardboard carving, you can use these techniques to create furniture, home decor, or anything else you can imagine making from carved cardboard.
Loading Blade In X-Acto Knife: Demo
First things first! Before you can start carving cardboard, you need to know how to properly load a blade into an X-Acto knife. In the short video below, I’ll show you exactly how to do it.
Carving Simple Shapes Tutorial #1
This is Tutorial #1 in my cardboard carving series. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to cut simple shapes, like a square, cleanly and accurately using an X-Acto knife. Practice with the free templates to build control and precision. Once you’re comfortable with straight edges and corners, move on to the next tutorial covering curved lines and more advanced cutting techniques. Mastering these fundamentals will allow you to create intricate cardboard designs with confidence.
Tutorial #1 Video
Carving Curved Line Shapes Tutorial #2
This is Tutorial #2 in my cardboard carving series. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to cut shapes, like a circles,wavey lines, decorative shapes with curved lines using X-Acto knife. Practice with the free templates to build control and precision. Mastering these fundamentals will allow you to create intricate cardboard designs with confidence.
If you have not seen my tutorial about carving straight line shapes on cardboard, please check it out below. Once you’re comfortable with straight edges and corners, move on to the next tutorial covering curved lines and more advanced cutting techniques.
Video Tutorial #2
Final Word
I hope these carved cardboard tutorials help you learn and build confidence in your carving skills. Carving can be quite calming, and there’s something very satisfying about creating beautiful things from ordinary cardboard.
I have used cardboard carving in almost all of my furniture projects. If you’d like to see what you can create with this skill, please check out my carved cardboard furniture projects on this blog.
