Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Taking stock

(Card stock, that is...)

Last weekend I caught up with a friend who recently visited New York.

'I brought you back a little something' she said. And added, almost apologetically 'It's really quite small'.

After assuring her that I really REALLY liked small things, she handed me a card. Not just any card, but a card she bought at the Museum of Modern Art gift shop. A card that could be turned into a one-sixteenth scale Ercol butterfly chair
Fingers holding a greeting card by One to Sixteen, which contains pieces to make a model 1958 Ercol butterfly chair.
If this isn't a good example of what the phrase 'It's the thought that counts' really means, I don't know what is...

Last night curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the package. Read the instructions. Punched out the parts (super-easy, especially as little arrows were printed on the backing pointing to where the chair pieces were attached to the card.)
Card containing printed pieces to make a model 1958 Ercol butterfly chair, and glue to make it.
Then realised that there were bits on the backing that weren't explained in the instructions. And the picture in the instructions of how to glue the chair together was very small. And very confusing.
Piece of cardboard threaded through a curved slit marked 'seat curve'.
Luckily, this morning I noticed the words at the bottom of the instructions: 'Further assembly instructions: www.onetosixteen.com'.

I checked out the website and found full, clear and easy-to-follow instructions.
Glue, ruler, scissors and toothpick plus a half-built cardboard model of a 1958 Ercol butterfly chair.
Hand holding a half-built cardboard model Ercol butterfly chair in front of online instructions for making the chair.
 And pretty quickly my flat pieces of card turned into a chair.
Almost completed cardboard model of a 1958 Ercol butterfly chair, set in a jig in front of the tools used to make it.
 They've thought of everything, as included in the package is a floor and background to display your finished piece in.
Completed cardboard model of a 1958 Ercol butterfly chair, in a printed room setting.
The only problem? I want some of the other models. And they're not sold in Australia. :-(

2 comments :

Tina said...

Hope your friend realizes what a fabulous gift this is. Keep all the card pieces because there is a way to make this chair easily out of PVC foam board. Maybe you could contact museum and order more kits to be sent to Australia - let your follows know and maybe put in a bulk order. I'd put my name down for some.

elizabeth s said...

This could be the start of something BIG!
and what a thoughtful friend you have. I LOVE this idea and the card chair is really lovely! :D