Back in December, I blogged about a cardboard desk. Today, we’re looking at furniture that’s made of even less expensive material – old newspapers. There are a couple of different designers playing with this reusable material. Yasmin Sethi combines the strength of layers with the strength of cylinders to make tables and chairs from rolled newspapers. Her Newspaper Furniture is simple to make and reportedly sturdy enough for actual use.

Another eco-friendly innovator, Mieke Meijer, is taking things one step further by turning old newspaper into pieces of faux lumber. The newspaper is compressed and bonded into blocks of solid material pulp. The ink between the layers creates an effect that actually looks like wood grain. The “logs” can be handled a lot like real wood as far as cutting, sanding, and finishing goes. Various artists are using this wood substitute for furniture ranging from desks and storage units to seating.

There will always be those who make an art form out of even the most mundane objects. This touch of whimsy can make us look at everyday things in new ways. This week, let’s take a look at what happens when you mix food and furniture. You’ll probably be surprised to find that there’s a thriving subculture of sculptors who make edible furniture. Some of these are miniature designs while others are full sized replicas. You can see a collection of candy chairs at weblogtheworld.com. The smallest of these creations might grace the living room of a gingerbread house while the largest (the sugar chair) could carry the weight of a small child.

Think there’s no market for this stuff? You’d be wrong. You can actually order your own customized sugarchair made out of pure cane sugar here. Prices are available only upon request, so there’s no telling what this sweet seat would cost you.

Putting Bread In the Table

Spanish designer Enoc Armengo tried his hand at crafting a table and chair set out of bread. The art installation is called panpaati. This idea may seem half baked as far as utility is concerned. It’s unlikely that the furniture could bear much weight. But it is still useful in the sense that it is safe for human consumption (it might be delicious with a drizzle of pesto). So, you might not sit down at the table to eat, but you can sit down and eat the table!

Decadent Chocolate

Another high-carb offering in the world of edible art is the sofa cake. Art aficionados at the Let Them Eat Art exposition had the opportunity to taste a delectable chocolate lounge. From a distance, it looks like shiny leather upholstery, complete with covered buttons. But it’s really a giant sheet cake. This one is sure to help you work on your couch potato figure!

Does this furniture look good enough to eat? If you were making a chair out of food, what food would you choose and why? Let us know in the comments.