When most people see a piece of cardboard, whether it’s a box, a tube, or just a flat piece, they don’t see much more than a way to pack things. Terry Obst of To-Do Cardboarding sees potential, and has been making cardboard art and furniture as result. Obst was on hand at the 34th annual Sunflower Art and Craft show held in Yorkton over the weekend to exhibit his wares.

The artist says he began working with cardboard because he wanted to start making things again, and also it was something unique which not many people were using. From the art, which is silhouettes on a corrugated background, to the furniture, it was something unique that he was able to start putting together.

Cardboard isn’t often used for things such as tables and chairs, yet Obst has also made entertainment centres and cupboards out of the material. He says that once he’s done, it’s as durable as any other furniture out there.

“It’s very strong, sit on it and you’ll see how strong it is. Laminate it together, glue it together, reinforce it with struts and it’s very strong,” he says.

When creating any of his cardboard projects Obst has to start from scratch, he says, as there are no plans out there and not very many people do it. He says that as he works with the material more, he is able to get more ambitious with his plans and is getting better at knowing the strengths and potential of the material.

The average project takes half a day and Obst says he gets most of his material from businesses in town. He also points out that cardboard is an instantly recognizable material, and that helps to generate interest.

“Everybody knows cardboard, and everybody knows the work that goes into it,” he adds.

The material is varied as well, Obst admits, and he says that each project requires something a bit different, whether it’s the double-corrugated material for the furniture in order to get strength, or a smoother style to get a nice surface for the artwork.

“People think cardboard is cardboard, but it’s all different. Cardboard is single, double, soft, hard. It comes in all different shapes and sizes.”

The Sunflower event was Obst’s first sale since starting working with cardboard, and he says that over the weekend interest was building, as it was something people had not seen before.

To see more of Obst’s cardboard creations, he invites people to get intouch with him, either by phone at 782-0957 or by email at o...@sasktel.net.