Nguyen Hoang Hai, 39, from the southern province of Binh Duong was inspired after seeing a French man making a table and chairs from cardboard paper. 

After four years, Hai can now create tables, chairs, and sculptures of various animals from old cardboard.

Steps to create a product go from considering the ideas, designing, framing, cutting the carton boxes, shaping the product with paper pulp, sanding and coating it with paint. 

Hai, who taught himself, said one of the hardest parts is to shape the product to the design as well as make it firm.

It normally takes two to three weeks to finish a small-sized work, while larger ones take him up to a month.

Hai’s cardboard products fetch between VND3 and 14 million each. (U$1 = VND22,943)

According to Hai, his products have the advantages of being light-weight, easy to transport, environmentally friendly, and their durability.

Cartons Hai asked for free, or purchased, from local scrap dealers. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Nguyen Hoang Hai is working with paper pulp at his workshop at 100 Bui Quoc Khanh Street, Chanh Nghia Ward, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Nguyen Hoang Hai draws the shape of an animal on cardboard paper before creating a sculpture out of it. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Hai is working on a frame for a sculpture from cardboard paper. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Hai is working on a frame for a sculpture from cardboard paper. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Paper pulp is mixed with tapioca starch used as material for Hai’s works. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Nguyen Hoang Hai is working on a Buddha statue which sold for VND8 million (US$348.62). Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Decorative sculptures made from cardboard paper by Nguyen Hoang Hai. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

A rhino-shaped chair made from cardboard paper by Nguyen Hoang Hai. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Nguyen Hoang Hai is seen with his sculptures of animals made from cardboard paper. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

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Ngoc Phuong - Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News