I turn corrugated boxes inside out to reveal the colors and textures hidden within.

This detail shows an example of contemporary art in the form of an altered book. The original book was titled "Talking Peace" but has become "Peace by Piece". I've incorporated several tiny mosaics of recycled pink marble within the corrugated mosaic of recycled corrugated packaging material, which is then nested inside an open book. To see the entire altered book go to the Altered Book Section of the Available page.

Most corrugated cartons are simply sturdy containers, useful for storing goods and materials, or for shipping them safely from one place to another. They are so important that the health of the economy can be gauged by the volume of boxes being manufactured and sold.

Once a box has completed this phase of its life, it is discarded and we hope it gets recycled. Crushed, chopped up and reconstituted as paper pulp to emerge as a new corrugated box. Between one box life and the next, the possibilities are endless.

I have a long standing commitment to protecting the environment and I invite you to support products that are earth friendly. Handmade green gifts are a wonderful way to tell someone special that you care about them and future generations by encouraging recycled and sustainable products.

Each piece of Corrugated Art is individually designed and handcrafted by Luci Lytle.
I hope you enjoy venturing "beyond the carton" with Corrugated Art.

2010 Events & Exhibitions

Celebrating "Made in British Columbia"
B.C. Day at Crafthouse on Granville Island
Vancouver, BCCanadawww.craftcouncilbc.ca
Monday August 2, 2010, 10 am to 4 pm
demonstrating Corrugated Mosaic and sale of Corrugated Art

Revision 2010
Vancouver, BC Canadawww.Revision-theartofrecycling.com
October 2 and 3

Recycle Santa Fe 2010
Santa Fe, NMwww.recyclesantafe.org

Recycled Art Show, sponsored by the Bellingham ReStore
Allied Arts Gallery of Whatcom County
1418 Cornwall Ave
Bellingham, WAwww.re-store.org
April 2 - April 30, 2010
Art Reception April 2, 6 - 10 p.m. during the Bellingham Artwalk
Recycled Fashion Show April 17, 8 pm at W.W.U.'s Viking Union Multi-purpose Room, in partnership with W.W.U. Fine Arts and Theatre Department.

9th Annual Recycled Art & Fashion Show, sponsored by the Seattle ReStore
Blowing Sands Glass Gallery
5805 14th Ave NW, Ballard
Seattle, WAwww.re-store.org
April 10 - May 5, 2010
Art Reception April 10, 6 -9 p.m. during the Ballard Artwalk
Recycled Fashion Show April 30, at New York Fashion Academy, 2 shows:
7 PM for all ages and 9:30 PM for over 21 only - ID required

Additional links can be found on the Photo Gallery & Links page.

Anatomy of the Corrugated Box

Corrugated is made up of two liners, flat layers, sandwiching a fluted paper which is called corrugating material. The flutes come in different heights: the highest is A flute and E is the smallest. Double wall is generally B flute with C flute. I don't know why, but there is no D flute. The triplewall below looks like B flute one top, A flute on the bottom, with C flute in the middle.

Singlewall is sturdy, doublewall is stronger and triplewall is thick and extra strong but more difficult to cut.
Singleface is what the industry calls the sheet of paper (liner) with one corrugated layer glued to it.
This can be hard to find so I often need to "peel" the second liner off the top to expose the corrugations for my mosaic work.
I hope you'll notice that I include as many different types of corrugated as I can find.

Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ's: a lay person's guide to corrugated packaging materials and Corrugated Art

This important question does not get asked very often , but bears explaining:
What is the difference between CARDBOARD and CORRUGATED?

Cardboard is rather like particle board, tiny fibers pressed together but not very strong. It is the paper used in most cereal boxes. It's thickish gray paper printed with colorful pictures and text printed on it.
This goes into the mixed paper bin at the recycle station.

Corrugated is more like plywood in that it is made up of multiple layers which increases its strength and durability.
It is the combination of one or more fluted (corrugated) layer(s) sandwiched between liners of flat paper. This material is usually brown but may be printed on the outside of a carton to advertise the company or contents. People in the packaging business just call it corrugated.
This goes into the corrugated or 'cardboard' recycling bin.

Where does triplewall corrugated come from?

Ordinary boxes are commonly made from singlewall or doublewall corrugated. Triplewall is a little more unusual. The next time you're in a grocery store, look for the giant corrugated paper bins that hold melons or bags of vegetables. The first one I got held bags of carrots so I generally refer to them as carrot corrals although they are really called triplewall bins or totes.

How do I peel the top layer off?

That was something it took me awhile to figure out so I consider it a "trade secret" but if you think about it, you can probably figure it out too.

Where do I get my corrugated materials?

99% is post-consumer packaging from recycle bins, dumpsters, alleys, Costco, other stores, and anywhere I spot a nice looking, orphaned box. Occasionally a sheet of singleface (peeled) corrugated will catch my eye at a paper store, usually what I can't resist are tiny pieces of text and flecks of color mixed into the corrugated paper.

How do I get all those colors?

"Shopping" for corrugated is an exciting treasure hunt, I never know what I may find.

These are the natural colors. The outer layer of most cartons is brown. I look under the top layer to see what color may be hiding under the surface. Most are plain brown inside but now and then, I find something unusual which is exciting. The faint zebra stripes above are from a dark glue that was used to adhere the layers of paper. Most glues don't show.

	Here, the red corrugated was painted before being cut into pieces.
	Here, the green corrugated was found on the floor after an indoor art festival. The black corrugated was from a shoe box found in a recycle bin. I didn't need to paint these.

What if someone wants a custom or personalized gift for a special occasion?

I love creating something special that someone will receive and they will know they are cherished. Clocks, lamps, plates and boxes are very adaptable and can be personalized to relate to a special interest, hobby, profession or theme. Another of the great things about Corrugated Art is that it is so lightweight and easy to ship.
Go to the Contact Us page and send a message via email. Try to give me some information about the occasion and the person(s) interests and preferences. The more information I have the more creative I can be when I respond to your inquiry with ideas for a personalized gift that you will love to give. Also, try to give me an idea of the timeframe, i can often fit a rush order in but need as much notice as possible. Even if I'm out of town, I check my email regularly and will get back to you.

How do I make a purchase, I don't see a shopping cart?

Because each Corrugated Art item is a one of a kind piece, a shopping cart could get complicated - two people could have the same lamp in their cart at one time.
To keep it simple, go to the Contact Us page to contact me via email or phone about the piece(s) you are interested in and I'll get check the availability.

Are the prices listed in US or Canadian currency?

The US and Canadian dollars are near par so I've kept it simple with just one price for US and Canadian clients. This is subject to change, without notice, as currency fluctuations occur.

What forms of payment are available?

I accept either US or Canadian checks but my credit card processor charges in Canadian dollars. I'm looking into PayPal.

Does it take a long time to create Corrugated Art?

The short answer is "Of course!"
My two favorite parts of the process are the beginning- -finding the corrugated & recycled materials-- and the end where I cut and glue the mosaic design into existence. In between are sorting and storing the corrugated. peeling some of it to expose the corrugations or flutes, determining the function and shape for the piece (clock,picture frame, wall art, etc.), and then building the frame or structure of the piece. Oh yeah, there are also public relations, answering the mail, reading craft magazines, getting together with other artists, accounting, going to art exhibitions, updating the web site and marketing. If I didn't enjoy my work, I'd find something easier to do. I just love making things and recycling! When I was doing engineering, I had to keep track of every tenth of a billable hour. Now I just work - I don't keep track of the time when I'm having fun.



How do I cut the corrugated so crisply?

I use a utility knife with a fresh, sharp blade. Spent blades go to scrap metal recycling. It helps if the humidity is low when I plan to do a lot of cutting.

What does the Recycled Content Rating mean?

Basically, I make a well considered guess.
I try to summarize just how much of an individual piece is actually "recycled". I use 99% as my best rating as I always use some glue and other new stuff that may not show. A clock will have a new clock mechanism so I give it a maximum of 95%. Then I evaluate the sources of the other materials to be either new, recycled or found. Lost and Found covers a lot of territory: on the sidewalk or curbside, in a recycle bin, an alley or parking lot, a salvage or thrift store, garage sales, Craig's List, Freecycle, leftover materials from other projects, et cetera.

Got a question?
My email address is Luci@CorrugatedArt.com