Sofa from White Card and Foam
Health and Safety - Scalpel and snap blade knives are very sharp so gloves should be worn to stop any injuries. Electric machinery can be very dangerous if not used properly. Always ask for help if you are unsure on how to use a piece of machinery. Super glue should only be used in a well ventilated area and goggles and a dust mask should be worn. If glue gets on skin, seek advice on bottle. If glue gets in eyes, seek medical help immediately.
- Foam board
- White card
- MDF
- Bandsaw
- Sandpaper/electric sander
- Super glue
- Wadding
- Foam sheets
- Fabric
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue stick
I had already made a quick model of a sofa from white card so knew the basic pieces I would need. It made it easier to split the sofa into sections; the base, seat, back, front and arms. The measurements I used were off the Ikea website which is a very good source as they supply all the measurements needed for all their items, from lamp shades to beds.
To attach all the pieces together I used super glue. This is good as its very strong and dries quickly so there isn't the risk off pieces slipping or falling when drying. The problem with using super glue is that it runs very quickly and so can drip everywhere. Also if the glue dries before having the pieces in the right place it can be difficult to re-glue. To add support and strength under the seat, I cut some pieces of MDF out on the bandsaw to the correct length and height. These were then glued into place between the base and the seat. For the arm rests, I decided to use pieces of wood to allow me to get a solid round top. This could have been achieved by using foam sheets or card however I felt wood would have a more long lasting and stable look. To shape these, I started by measuring how thick I would need the wood to be and then cutting a rectangular block from MDF. Then using the electric sander I rounded the edges until I achieved the desired effect. This was then super glued onto my card model. To give the whole structure a smooth finish, I covered the arm rests with sticky back foam. Sticky back foam is definitely worth purchasing as its very strong and not many glues stick well to foam.
I experimented with the best way to create the seat cushions as I needed them to be spongey enough to sink when the puppet is seated on the sofa. This is what will make my film look more realistic. I decided to use foam sheets cut to the correct size and wrap these in wadding to add a softer look when wrapped in fabric. It was quite difficult to get the right shape for the back cushions so to make this process slightly easier, I made a rough template on paper which meant I could play around with the size before cutting from foam.
I chose a fairly thick, textured fabric to cover the sofa in to make it look more realistic. I found it easiest to use hot glue to stick down the fabric and it didn't drip or seep through and change the colour. This meant that the edges sticked up quite a bit. So to fix this, I put a little bit of PVA glue along the edges and then covered these with thin pieces of ribbon. This created a neater finish.
