How to Make Cardboard Crafts HARD and STRONG After They are Finished (the Cheap way)

Strong, Hard Cardboard Can Be Hard To Get. Learn The Cheap And Simple Way To Make Your Cardboard Crafts Stronger Even If They Are Already Finished! 💲Get The Heat Gun HERE: amzn.to/3So5sfW ***💲Get the wood glue HERE: amz.run/679r ***Learn how to make strong cardboard folds HERE: • How to Make Strong Fol...
📝Disclaimer: This video is NOT sponsored but attached products and resources may be affiliate links. ( :
📕Show Notes📕
🎁(VIDEO) How to Make Cardboard Stronger! (10 tips):
• How to Make Cardboard ...
1️⃣(PLAYLIST) Watch more episodes of the Maker Brain SHOW:
• The Maker Brain Podcast
2️⃣ (VIDEO) The Best Way to Break Down, Flatten, and Store Cardboard Boxes:
• The Best Way to Break ...
3️⃣ (VIDEO) What is the Best Thickness of Cardboard for Making Perfect DIY Projects?
• What is the Best Thick...
4️⃣(VIDEO) How to Make Strong Folds in Cardboard!
• How to Make Strong Fol...
5️⃣WOOD GLUE
💲Get the same wood glue I used (Tight Bond Original): amz.run/679r
6️⃣ HEAT GUN
💲SEEKONE heat gun that I used: amzn.to/3So5sfW
🎉🎉 Get my Free Guide of All the Tools that You Need to Start Crafting with Cardboard: thoughtful-knitter-1761.ck.pa...
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
💡❓ What do you coat your cardboard with? Do you even put anything on it? ❓💡
- I read and reply to every comment so I would love to hear your answer in the comments below!
📜 About the Video:
In this video, Eli shares how to make cardboard stronger and harder by using wood glue mixed with water. You can paint on the wood glue mixture to harden the cardboard so that it doesn't break as easily.
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#MakerBrain #EliTennant #cardboardcrafts #crafting #cardboardproject #craftingtutorials
💻 About Maker Brain:
My name is Eli Tennant and on this channel, you will receive bi-weekly DIY and project tutorials as well as maker tips and tools videos. Whether you are just starting to make your ideas or have been at it a while, I have you covered with helpful content to bring you to the next level!
🔵You can discover more on my channel ➡ / makerbrain
🏆 Mission:
My mission here at Maker Brain is to help you access and implement your creativity with hands-on DIY projects so that you can have fun and be successful in doing what you love!
Thanks for watching and God bless you,
- Eli Tennant

[@Rosa-mb5yp]

This 72 yr old woman thinks you are adorable. I love your curiosity, experimentation, and the fact that you are so humble and honest. Your videos kick up a lot of questions and those that join in show their curiosity's as well🤗

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you for your kind words. I try to be my real self on my youtube channel and help everybody as much as I can. Curiosity is wonderful. Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@gloriacasey7393]

you can use Mod Podge. It dries faster. Varnish, but you can't use a heat gun on it. I have used glue water and napkins, tissue paper, brown paper or any paper really. It's poor mans Paper Mache and stands up to a heat gun.

[@MakerBrain]

That's a good idea, Gloria. I would like to make a video about mod podge sometime soon... I've used it a little bit but it doesn't get quite as hard as wood glue. That being said, it looks way nicer and I'm glad to hear that you can use a heat gun on it. Have a blessed day , - Eli Tennant

[@claramaldonado94]

🎉

[@user-qp5ot2wm4u]

You're a very good speaker. Thanks so much for the information, helped me out a lot!

[@FFND16N]

Because of cardboards porous nature and absence of a 'grain' orientation to the paper fibres within it--the slightest exposure to humidity & moisture begins to compromise it's stability. It is recycled-grade kraft paper chosen for it's general compression strength/crush resilience in corrugated form, but overwhelmingly it's cheapness & disposability: not meant to last. Protecting the cardboard from moisture using a type of resin offers the best durability as it prevents water from reaching & softening the paper fibres. There are specialty, 3-layer corrugated cardboards that are assembled from stiffer paper grades[..eg: bamboo paper..] & better quality binding adhesives; however the closest the average person can get to transforming generic brown carton material into something stiff like balsa or very lite ply would be epoxy and or acrylic resin. I spent a couple summers about 9 years ago--experimenting with Gorilla glue/PU adhesives, epoxy resin, Minwax-type WBPU and lacquer-based wood fillers...purely to find the 'best'[..most effective, least->'modestly' toxic, cheapest & easiest to apply..] stiffening compounds. Things like wood glue, WBPU & ModPodge will work, yet all introduce moisture to the process; so the cardboard is somewhat compromised unless you force drying it rapidly--which can lead to warping/distortion of your parts. The other adhesives I mentioned all require volatile solvents to properly 'thin' them: - Xylol/Xylene for G.G./PU adhesives(..many suggest water or alcohol for thinning PU resins: DEAD WRONG!..)...Very effective stiffener, somewhat 'cheap' but xylene is pretty toxic. I had good success using it for RC planes but the toxicity encouraged me to stop. - Acetone, denatured ethanol or M.E.K. solvent[..this is HIGHLY toxic--protective gear NECESSARY; AVOID if possible!..]-->for thinning epoxy resins. Epoxy is best strengthener but tricky to work with consistently...far from cheap...somewhat toxic. Lots of disposable mixing stuff/gloves required... - Cellulose-wood filler for carpentry finish work: dries thin & light but lacquer thinners evaporate completely--leaving no stiffening resin behind as binders. Not very good at keeping moisture out nor ultimately stiffness... There is one combination I haven't had a chance to try, which might provide a good balance of stiffening for cardboard...moisture resistance...cost & complexity...degree of toxicity to handle. This would be acrylic plastic. Dissolve pieces of acrylic in pure acetone until it forms a low-viscosity liquid resin; mix in a small proportion of denatured ethanol and/or xylene to slow the very rapid evaporation of the acetone. A couple drops of epoxy 'Hardener' thoroughly mixed in may provide some beneficial properties too. Now apply this acrylic liquid on your cardboard parts; a paint sprayer or airbrush would provide the fastest, most even treatment. The solvents used should ensure the acrylic resin penetrates into all the paper fibres without weakening them as water would; these solvents all evaporate quickly & completely and are not quite as toxic as others mentioned. (Hopefully..) the solid acrylic should evenly impregnate all the cardboard fibres & it's corrugations; making it stiff, light and waterproof.

[@MakerBrain]

WOW! Thank you for such a detailed and in-depth comment. This could basically be a video script! You have obviously done a lot more testing with cardboard hardeners than I have. I want to make more videos on this topic and have a few cool projects in mind that require weather-proof cardboard. I think I will definitely come back and reference this comment to know what I am doing. God bless you, - Eli

[@FFND16N]

@@MakerBrain Ohh, thank you very much--I'm glad you found those details helpful. I would have liked to have created a video tutorial of my experiments, much the same way you did. But I didn't document nor make plans to video my processes along the way...as I was figuring stuff out on the fly. I DID hope to have a process that others could use & benefit from--same as you. I don't mind if credit goes to you for posting such a process & working it out successfully. It is MORE important to the bigger picture that the average Maker can add another "cheap & accessible" technique to their tool bench, in the end.

[@MakerBrain]

You are very kind. I have been busy and not made a video for several weeks, but I look forward to testing out and documenting this process. I would give credit to you because it is your idea and to convince people that there are great things being shared in the comments of Maker Brain videos. - Eli

[@elizabethpolhemus4230]

I iron suran wrap onto cardboard sometimes a couple layers depending on how strong I need the cardboard

[@MakerBrain]

Wow, I never thought of that but it sounds like a super cool idea!

[@motobenbh4722]

Oooh

[@judithbrown-foster2009]

You are good at so much more than cardboard crafting - you are so great at communicating,;I get your points so clearly. By the way, I have been using sandez seller to cost, because I saw it on a video. Can you share how to attach handles to make them able to bear the weight of what they are carrying?

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you so much for the encouraging words, Judith! In the end, I believe that it is more important for me to add value and change people's lives in a little way than to teach about cardboard. That is one reason that I care a lot about communicating well 😁. As for cardboard handles, that seems like a great video idea and I will think about it in the coming weeks. Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@ClulssCrs3310]

Thanks!

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you so much for the Super Thanks, Anzu Love!! It means a lot to me to see that my videos are meaningful and helpful. Here is a short video simply thanking you: kzbin.infoDXoG1DGjHrE?feature=share Have a blessed day, - Eli Tennant

[@calysagora3615]

Hi! You've got yourself a new subscriber! Have you tried making a resin out of polystyrene? It's a super-cheap solution to this! Things like single use plastic food items, styrofoam insulation, foam food containers etc, can be very easily dissolved in acetone, or other dissolvents, but acetone makes it dry fast and odorless. It's easy to make as thin or thick as you want, depending on application. Watching styrofoam turn into a fraction of its volume in minutes is fascinating, and it makes for a hard waterproof surface.

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you for subscribing, it means a lot to me. I have heard of people dissolving these plastics to make it kind of glue but never thought of it to coat my cardboard projects. It seems like it would result in a hard almost plastic-like exterior to the project, which is exactly what I want. I have been trying to figure out ways to make cardboard projects that can survive the elements. Thank you for sharing this idea! I appreciate you. - Eli

[@phil7556]

Dont use a heat gun. Even on its lowest setting its too hot . Use a regular hairdryer.and just blow it enough to get a skin on it so it wont run and drip off. I have a some experience with this and the person commenting above about gluing brown craft paper tissue paper ect works great with the glue to strengthen cardboard was exactly right. And because of the water content the, "decoupage", technique will shrivel or wrinkle but as it dries it will relax to a flat mostly smooth hard finish.

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you, Phil. I hadn't thought about it that way before... I might try the paper-over-glue technique on my next project. - Eli

[@namamikushwaha7533]

Finally my project won't break ❤️

[@MakerBrain]

I feel you, Namami. I have had so many cardboard projects break because they were too weak. I haven't been able to use this hardening method on very many things, but I'm hopeful that it will make my future cardboard projects much stronger! Have a blessed day and happy crafting! - Eli

[@namamikushwaha7533]

Thankyou so much ❤️

[@sujadutta]

Thank you so much for all your efforts to help us👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@MakerBrain]

You are very welcome, Sujatha! Thank you so much for commenting! Your appreciation means so much to me and I am glad to be able to help you.😊 I actually just got up from editing a video that I am trying to finish before the end of the weekend😁. Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@kaikanai]

Can the wood glue be covered with paint or do i have to paint over the woodglue

[@MakerBrain]

Hmm, Kai. I haven't tested that but I would recommend painting it after hardening it so that the wood glue soaks in more. But you could try it either way(?) Good luck, - Eli

[@buyerenogurlfwendo2106]

Would you compare the Finished results to like ABS plastic?

[@MakerBrain]

Hmmm, it is certainly harder than regular cardboard but not really like ABS. Thanks for the comment, - Eli

[@danab172]

Question. I made buttefly wings out of very thin cardboard. Painted and glued foil on it. Bent the wings upwards. Its very flimsy. The bend made them crack. Its for a costume. My question is how can i harden this project including the bent wings? Keep in mind i want a clear gloss look that will go over paint and foil. Thanks so much for your help and advice!

[@MakerBrain]

Hmm, so you need a hardener to go on top of everything... Mod Podge sells some products for sealing/strengthening projects. I think that they even have a special product for hardening stuff. I am not sure how well they will work on top of foil though. You could always try coating it in epoxy, but that might be too brittle. If it works with your costume, you could add some reinforcing ribs to the back of the wings. Let me know if any of these ideas help. God bless you and happy crafting! - Eli

[@danab172]

​@@MakerBrainThats what I decided. Mod Podge. Thanks, Eli.

[@MakerBrain]

@@danab172 I hope it goes well!

[@winnielol5]

Can I use the wood glue over cardboard that has already been painted?

[@MakerBrain]

Hi, Winnie, I have not tried it over paint... It might not work the same way because the paint might act as a barrier between the wood glue and the cardboard. If I were you I would try it on a small, separate test piece to find the best method and then do it on the entire project. Good luck! - Eli

[@Red_Larva_OiOiOi]

So i just have to use glue and put some water in it and brush it on a cardboard?

[@MakerBrain]

That is the idea, but it works best if you let it dry naturally rather than using a heat gun. Also I have only tried it with wood glue so I am not sure how other glues will react. Lastly, if you know how to use Epoxy that would be the strongest hardener you could use on your project. Thank you for the comment and let me know if I can help more. - Eli

[@Red_Larva_OiOiOi]

@@MakerBrain im Still 12 so ima try it with white glue

[@MakerBrain]

Good luck! It might still work well with white glue. - Eli

[@somedudeontheinternet5213]

Would this work on very large projects, like my doom crucible? My main problem is probably the fact it is so flimsy. Do you know anything that could fix that aside from 2 pieces of cardboard? Because i already am using that and it doesnt help much. (And yes, i will add a piece of cardboard against the grain of the other 2.)

[@MakerBrain]

I'm going to be completely honest, I haven't tried very many hardening methods on cardboard. From what I have seen and tested, hardening it with epoxy would be the strongest way to go. The annoying thing is that epoxy fumes are toxic so you need a well ventilated space to use them. Using wood, glue and water would probably give you an okay result, but I've never tested it on anything that big. Good luck with this project! - Eli

[@ImeldaFagin]

There’s a site on KZbin but it’s in Spanish. He makes furniture by layering cardboard with wood glue and layers of Kraft paper. I made a 5 drawer container, about 4 feet by 20 inches. I use it to store craft stuff and it has held up perfectly.

[@JoBro622]

lol bro I was finding a video for MY doom crucible. Great minds think alike

[@kyeoptamcg]

Will be the texture of the cardboard looks like a real wood?

[@MakerBrain]

Not really, it would look more similar to a crow-foot or popcorn sealing texture. If you do it carefully and let it dry slowly it will be more glossy and smooth. Thanks for the question and happy crafting! - Eli

[@Coolguyyep]

would it work with water resistent glue or does it not work

[@MakerBrain]

I have not tested the water resistant wood glues such as Tight bond 2 or 3 but I presume they would work in the same way. However, I cannot guarantee their water resistance would work in this scenario. It's a really good thought though. - Eli

[@whitelion7976]

How about coating with automotive resin?

[@MakerBrain]

That is a good idea 💡. I am actually not very familiar with automotive stuff, are you talking about something like automotive Bondo? Or something more like resin that is used in combination with fiberglass? Thank you for the comment! - Eli

[@rebeccaarmstrong7467]

Does this make the project weatherproof? I want to do a Halloween project outside and I'm looking to find a way to waterproof cardboard for month.

[@MakerBrain]

I haven't really tested that... I think it would make it more water resistant but definitely not waterproof because the Tightbond 1 wood glue that I used is not waterproof. And I don't know if this hardening trick would work with a waterproof wood glue because it might not be water soluble. Good luck with your Halloween costume! Let me know if there's any way I can help. - Eli

[@MarkoVukovic0]

Did you find a solution? I would say something like Mod Podge Outdoor followed by a spray on clear acrylic sealer.

[@MakerBrain]

I have not found a good solution for this, but your suggestions all sound good. I know some people have used spray-on plastic to seal cardboard so that it could hold water. Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@kaia8167]

I'm too late to help you with Halloween, at least this year, but can tell you that wood cream (which is a mix of mineral oil and beeswax) makes cardboard waterproof. You have to make sure to cover up the edges, though, so water can't work it's way inside.

[@db613]

How much weight will this add to the cardboard?

[@MakerBrain]

I don't have a scientific answer for you, but The cardboard was barely any heavier because I barely added any wood glue and most of the water evaporated. I hope this helps, - Eli

[@db613]

@@MakerBrain I had a bike box I was traveling with on an airplane, and followed this idea to stiffen and make it waterproof. I coated it with MogPodge and thenn spray sealed it with lacquer it properly added some weight but not too much

[@fahdaal7963]

Can you paint over it??

[@MakerBrain]

If you primed it I think you could paint over it, it might just be an odd texture

[@haydenc2742]

What if you watered down elmers school glue...then used a spray bottle to saturate the cardboard and let it dry?

[@MakerBrain]

Hi Hayden! The spray bottle seems like a really smart idea, but I am not sure how much reinforcement Elmer's glue would give it. I don't think it would be as strong as wood glue, but it might do something. Good luck and happy crafting! - Eli

[@Robodie]

I don't know what kind of spray bottle would play nice with PVA glue, even watered down. It tends to gum up the works quickly, and (most) spray bottles aren't made to handle much viscosity.

[@Coolguyyep]

i wrks with out that bottle

[@Bat_God]

This is too damm underrated 😵

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you, Mr.Outlaw. I always try to give the most valuable information in my videos. - Eli Tennant

[@bonginkosimotloung4440]

I searched for this because I want to make a car bumper out of cardboard and harden it. So can it withstand weather

[@MakerBrain]

Wow, that is a pretty big project. I hope it goes well for you! I have wanted to experiment with more hardening techniques to make a back fin (spoiler) for my car. But it is winter right now and I need to wait until I can work on it outside. - Eli

[@Hoodlum078]

Is it waterproof?

[@MakerBrain]

I haven't tested it in water... But I don't think it would be waterproof. It would certainly help the cardboard be more water resistant. Have a blessed day! - Eli

[@Hoodlum078]

Ok thanks

[@JonahSpruill]

Does this method work after being bent

[@MakerBrain]

If you bend it after putting the wood glue glaze on it, then the glaze will get small cracks and it loses a lot of its strength In that area. I think if you bent it before putting the wood glue glaze on it, it would be fine. You might just get some extra wood glue pooling up in the corners of your fold. I can't give you a definitive answer because I haven't tested it a lot. Good luck with your projects! - Eli

[@JonahSpruill]

@@MakerBrain thank you so much I making a Batman cosplay

[@MakerBrain]

That sounds like a super cool project! Good luck!

[@Palletknifepaint]

Can I se a hair blow dryer?

[@stanimatorblue]

Shellack

[@MakerBrain]

Haha, thank you, Stan. Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@smcptrsa]

Use hot glue gun to harden cardboard

[@MakerBrain]

That is a neat strategy that I still use sometimes. Coating cardboard in hot glue can make it a lot more durable. Thank you for commenting and God bless you, - Eli

[@PinkStratovolcano]

I do that but hardened hot glue tends to be flexible and elastic

[@MakerBrain]

You are right, zuky and thank you so much for commenting. Hot glue can make cardboard crafts a lot more durable but it won't actually make them hard. If you are interested, here is a video on 10 ways to make cardboard projects stronger: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaTCfIywntqDiK8 Have a blessed day, - Eli

[@eaman11]

Guys just buy 1kg of epoxy resin and some thin sheets of glass fiber.

[@carlottascreationsandpaint2036]

that sounds like it'd be more costly than wood glue and water.

[@MakerBrain]

It would be more costly and epoxy is also fairly toxic to work with if you don't have proper protection and ventilation. However, epoxy and fiberglass would be incredibly strong compared to this DIY concoction. In fact, if you just coat the cardboard in epoxy, it can get very strong. Thank you so much for commenting, Eaman and Carlotta - Eli

[@eaman11]

@@carlottascreationsandpaint2036 You have to buy epoxy in large amount if you want to get it cheap. Every thing is more expensive than cardboard yet I would not say that epoxy is an expensive material. It is not ideal, it's not a good idea to put something rigid on something soft, with time it will give up.

[@MakerBrain]

Thank you for replying, Eaman. I hadn't thought about how putting something hard on something soft could lead to structural failure. I appreciate you pointing that out. - Eli

[@PixelGliderr]

Am i the only one who use fevikiwk to make the cardboard strong 😂

[@MakerBrain]

Thanks for the comment, I have never heard of Fevikiwk before, but it basically seems like super glue which is a fairly common thing to use to harden cardboard. Happy crafting! - Eli

[@PixelGliderr]

@@MakerBrain 🤗

[@PixelGliderr]

​@@MakerBrain btw i really liked your video about "how to cut cardboard neatly" 👍 Damn thats helpful bro ❤

[@MakerBrain]

@@PixelGliderr I am so glad that it helped you! (-:

[@PixelGliderr]

@@MakerBrain damn bro!! You reply to comment so fast 😂👍