Pappedeckel
Introduction
Have you ever heard the funny-sounding word pappedeckel? It is a great word that comes from Germany. It mostly means thick, flat, and very strong cardboard. People use it for many things every single day. You might have touched it today without even knowing it! I have worked with many craft materials over my ten years as an art teacher. This strong paperboard is one of my clear favorites. It is easy to find, cheap to buy, and fun to use. In this handy guide, we will learn everything about this awesome material. We will talk about how to cut it safely.
You will learn the best ways to paint it. We will even talk about fun school projects. You will also learn how to build strong boxes with it. Whether you are an artist or just packing a box, this guide is for you. Let us dive right in and explore the wonderful world of heavy cardboard!
Comparing Paper and Cardboard Types
Before we start making things, let us look at some paper types. It is good to know how our thick cardboard compares to other materials. This simple table will help you see the main differences clearly.
| Material Type | How Thick Is It? | Best Everyday Use | Can You Bend It Easily? |
| Regular Printer Paper | Very Thin | Writing and printing | Yes, very easily |
| Corrugated Cardboard | Very Thick | Big shipping boxes | No, but it folds easily |
| Pappedeckel | Medium to Thick | Coasters and sturdy crafts | No, it stays very flat |
| Standard Poster Board | Thin to Medium | School science fairs | Yes, with a little effort |
1. What Exactly Is This Material?
The word pappedeckel comes directly from the German language. The word “Pappe” means cardboard. The word “Deckel” means a lid or a cover. Put them together, and you get a strong, flat piece of cardboard. In the past, people used it to cover things safely. Now, we use the word to describe thick, flat paperboard. It is not like the wavy cardboard you see in big moving boxes. Instead, it is completely flat and smooth on both sides. This makes it a very special material. You will often find this material sitting right in your own home.
Have you ever looked at the back of a yellow writing notepad? That stiff brown board is exactly what we are talking about. It keeps your paper flat while you write. People also use it to make board games, puzzle pieces, and hard book covers. It is pressed very hard at the large paper factory. This pressing makes it stiff and hard to bend. Because it is so flat, it is perfect for drawing and painting.
2. Why Is This Material So Popular?
There are many great reasons why people love to use this thick cardboard. First of all, it is very kind to the earth. Most of it comes from old, recycled paper. When you use it, you are helping to save tall trees in the forest. It is also very easy to recycle again when you are done. This makes it a great choice for green nature projects. It is a smart way to protect our beautiful planet. Another big reason is the very low cost.
Art supplies can be very expensive at the craft store. But this flat cardboard is usually very cheap. Sometimes, you can even get it for free from old boxes or notebooks. It is also very strong and lasts a long time. You can build toy houses or pencil holders that stay standing tall. It will not flop over like thin printer paper does. This makes pappedeckel a total dream material for teachers, parents, and young artists everywhere.
3. Fun Crafts You Can Make at Home
Crafting at home is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. You can make so many fun things with this thick board. One of my favorite projects is making handmade picture frames. You just cut a big square. Then, cut a smaller square out of the very middle. You can paint the frame bright colors and stick fake jewels on it. Then, glue your favorite family photo behind the open hole. It looks great hanging on any wall!
You can also make your own cool board games. Take a large sheet of pappedeckel and draw a winding path on it. Color the game squares red, blue, green, and yellow. You can make up your own rules and use small toys as the game pieces. It is very stiff, so the game board will not rip while you play. Making your own games is almost as fun as playing them! Your whole family will love trying out your new board game invention.
4. Using It For Safe Packing and Moving
When you move to a new house, keeping your things safe is hard. Glass cups and plates can break very easily in a bumpy moving truck. This is where our trusty flat cardboard saves the day. You can cut small pieces of it to put between your plates. This acts like a soft, strong cushion. It stops the plates from hitting each other and breaking into sharp pieces. It is a very cheap way to protect your nice dishes.
You can also use it to keep important papers safe in the mail. If you send a nice photo to your grandma, you do not want it to bend. Just slip a piece of pappedeckel into the envelope with the photo. It will keep the envelope perfectly flat during the long trip. Postal workers will not be able to bend it by mistake. Your beautiful photo will arrive at grandma’s house looking perfect and brand new.
5. The Story Behind The Famous Beer Coaster
Did you know that this material is famous in restaurants all over the world? In Germany, a very popular use for it is the classic “Bierdeckel.” This word translates to a simple beer coaster. When you order a cold drink, the glass often drips water. This wet water can easily ruin nice wooden tables. So, people place a thick cardboard coaster under the glass. The coaster catches all the water drops and saves the nice table from ugly rings.
The special pappedeckel used for coasters is amazing at soaking up water. It acts just like a flat, dry sponge. Long ago, people actually put these cardboard lids on top of their mugs. This kept bugs and leaves right out of their drinks. Later, they moved the lid to the bottom to catch the wet drips. Today, people love to collect these coasters as a hobby. They come in many bright colors and have funny pictures on them.
6. How To Cut and Shape It Easily
Cutting thick paperboard can be a little bit tricky for beginners. Normal school scissors might not work very well at all. If the board is very thick, school scissors can bend or break. For thin pieces, adult sewing scissors might do the job nicely. But for the thickest boards, you need a totally different tool. A sharp craft knife is usually the very best choice. Always remember that a craft knife is a tool for adults only. Kids should always ask a grown-up for help with this step. When you use a craft knife, you also need a strong metal ruler. Place the metal ruler straight on the flat board. Hold it down very tight with one hand. Then, run the craft knife along the edge of the ruler. Do not try to cut all the way through the pappedeckel on the first try. It is much better to lightly score it three or four times. This makes a very clean, straight edge without hurting your hands.
7. Best Ways To Paint and Decorate It
Painting on thick cardboard is a truly wonderful experience. Because the surface is flat and hard, the paint goes on very smoothly. You can use almost any kind of paint you want. Acrylic paints are usually the very best choice. They dry very fast and leave bright, happy colors. Watercolors can be a bit tricky to use. If you use too much water, the cardboard might get mushy. Always use a mostly dry brush if you decide to try watercolors.
Before you paint, it is a great idea to add a solid base coat. A base coat is a plain layer of white paint. It covers up the brown or gray color of the pappedeckel. Once the white paint is totally dry, your bright colors will really pop! You can also decorate it with other fun things. Try gluing on some shiny glitter, colorful yarn, or bright stickers. You can even use thick markers to draw detailed lines over your dried paint.
8. Why It Is Great For School Projects
Teachers and students absolutely love using thick cardboard for class assignments. Every year, students have to make science fair boards or big history projects. Regular paper is much too flimsy for these big tasks. It flops over and rips very easily. But flat, heavy cardboard stands up tall and proud. You can build a sturdy base for a cool science volcano model. You can also build strong walls for a small diorama of a historical town.
Another great school project is making large, colorful flashcards. You can cut the pappedeckel into neat, medium-sized rectangles. Write a hard math problem on the front and the answer on the back. Because the board is so thick, you cannot see the answer through the paper. These strong flashcards will last all school year long. They will survive being tossed into messy backpacks every single day. It is the perfect study tool to help kids learn and study much better.
9. How To Recycle and Reuse Old Pieces
We all want to keep our world clean and green. Luckily, reusing this flat cardboard is very simple to do. If you have leftover pieces from a craft project, do not throw them away! You can save them safely in a special scrap box. Small scraps are perfect for mixing wet paint on. You can squirt different paint colors on a scrap piece and mix them up. When you are done painting, just toss the scrap right in the recycling bin.
You can also use old pappedeckel to organize your messy home. Cut small squares and punch a single hole in the top of each one. Tie a small string through the hole. Now you have custom, homemade paper labels! You can tie these labels to storage baskets in your bedroom closet. Write what is hiding inside the basket on the label. This helps keep your bedroom very tidy. It is amazing how unused cardboard turns into a helpful cleaning tool.
10. Where Can You Buy Good Quality Sheets?
Finding good sheets of flat cardboard is actually very easy. You can buy them at almost any big craft or hobby store. Look in the busy aisle with the heavy papers and sketching supplies. They often sell large, beautiful sheets in many fun colors. If you need a lot of it, shopping online is a very smart idea. Many websites sell big bundles of plain brown or bright white sheets. Buying a large bundle online can save you a whole lot of money.
If you do not want to spend money, you can find it for free! Look around your own house first. The sturdy backs of old drawing pads are usually made of pappedeckel. Empty cereal boxes are a thinner version, but they still work for crafts. You can also ask friendly workers at your local stores. Shoe stores and grocery stores often throw away flat cardboard inserts. If you ask nicely, they might give their clean boxes to you for free.
11. My Top Tips for Working with Thick Cardboard
After many years of crafting, I have learned a few great tricks. First, always protect your wooden work table. Thick paperboard can be very hard to cut. If your knife slips, you might scratch your nice dining room table. Always put a thick cutting mat down first. This simple step keeps your furniture safe and your parents very happy. My second big tip is about craft glue. Standard liquid school glue takes a very long time to dry on thick boards.
Instead of liquid glue, I like to use strong double-sided sticky tape. It holds the pieces together right away. If you must use glue, a hot glue gun works the very best. A hot glue gun is a tool for adults, so please ask for help. Finally, if your piece of pappedeckel bends a little bit, do not worry! You can fix it easily. Just place it under a big, heavy book for one whole night. By morning, it will be perfectly flat again.
12. Fun Ways To Teach Kids With Cardboard
Learning is always more fun when you can use your hands. Thick cardboard is a great tool for teaching young children new skills. You can make giant puzzle pieces for tiny toddlers to play with. First, draw a big, silly picture of an animal on the board. Color the animal with bright, safe markers. Then, an adult can cut the board into five or six large pieces. The little kids will love putting the funny animal back together again.
You can also teach basic math with homemade board shapes. Cut the pappedeckel into neat squares, circles, and funny triangles. Let the children count the straight sides of each shape aloud. They can sort the shapes by big size or by bright color. Because the shapes are thick, small fingers can pick them up very easily. It feels much better than trying to pick up thin, flat paper. Learning with physical objects helps kids remember their math lessons much faster.
13. Building Strong 3D Models and Houses
Making three-dimensional models is a very exciting challenge. Regular paper simply cannot stand up to make a tall house. It falls right over as soon as you let go. Heavy paperboard is the perfect building block for making big models. You can design an entire dollhouse using nothing but flat boards and strong tape. Start by cutting out four large walls with a knife. Cut square holes in the walls to make open windows and big doors.
Next, you have to build a strong, sloping roof. You can fold a thin piece of pappedeckel right down the middle. This fold makes a perfect triangle roof. Tape the roof firmly to the top of your four straight walls. You can even cut tiny, overlapping squares to look like real roof tiles. Once the house is built, you can paint it to look like red bricks. You can make tiny beds and chairs for the inside, too.
14. Creating Unique Homemade Greeting Cards
Sending a simple card from the store is nice. But a homemade card is always so much better. A card you make yourself shows someone that you really care about them. Thick cardboard makes a very fancy and sturdy greeting card. You can start by cutting a neat, medium-sized rectangle. You do not even have to fold it in half like a normal card. You can make a cool flat postcard design instead. This style is very modern and looks extremely neat. Paint a beautiful flower or a bright yellow sun on the front side.
Let the wet paint dry completely before you do anything else. On the blank back side, you can write your sweet message. A thick pappedeckel card feels very expensive when you hold it. It feels like real art, not just a cheap piece of paper. Your friends and family will probably keep the nice card forever. They might even hang it up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is this material the same as regular shipping cardboard? No, it is very different! Regular shipping cardboard has wavy lines hidden inside. Those wavy lines make it thick but easy to crush. Our thick flat cardboard is completely solid and smooth all the way through.
2. Can I run thick cardboard through my home printer? Usually, the answer is no. Most home printers can only handle thin paper or light cardstock. Heavy paperboard is much too thick and stiff. It will likely get badly jammed inside a normal home printer.
3. Is it safe for small kids to use for crafts? Yes, it is very safe! It is just thick paper. However, kids should only decorate or glue it. Because it is hard to cut, an adult should always do the cutting with a sharp tool first.
4. Will cutting this material ruin my good scissors? It might! If the board is very thick, it can bend the metal blades of normal scissors. It is best to use heavy-duty craft scissors or a sharp craft knife to protect your good scissors.
5. Can this thick cardboard safely get wet? It can absorb a few small water drops, like a drink coaster does. But if you soak it in a lot of water, it will become soft and mushy. You should always try to keep your craft projects nice and dry.
6. How thick are these cardboard sheets usually? They come in many different sizes. Some are as thin as a cereal box. Others are as thick as a hardback book cover. You can choose the exact thickness you need based on your specific craft project.
Conclusion
We have learned so much about this amazing crafting material today. From building tall model houses to painting beautiful greeting cards, the options are truly endless. Thick paperboard is strong, cheap, and very friendly to our earth. It is the perfect helper for big school projects and safe moving days. Next time you see the stiff back of a writing notepad, you will know exactly what it is.
You will know the magic of pappedeckel! Do not throw away your empty cereal boxes or old cardboard scraps. Save them up and start creating your own amazing art today. Are you ready to start your next big craft project? Grab some scissors, find some thick cardboard, and let your imagination run wild!
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