How to Build a Wooden Storage Box
Storage boxes are handy for storing out of season items such as sweaters, blankets, holiday decorations, garden equipment, and tools. They provide a place for children's toys, sports equipment and craft materials. Well-made storage boxes can be carved, stained, stenciled, decoupaged or tiled to make a piece that delights the eye.
In the past, wooden storage boxes were most likely to be a cedar hope chest. These contained everything a newlywed couple would need to start their own home. Today, young men and young women alike would benefit from a variation on the hope chest concept. As they head off to college or move into their own apartments to enter the workforce, a storage chest filled with kitchenware, small appliances, bed linens, draperies and cushions would ease the transition from high school student living at home to independent adult.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 3' x 4' x 1/2" Cedar boards
- 2 24" x 24" x 1/2" Cedar boards
- 2 24" x 4' x 1/2" Cedar boards
- 4 2" x 1" x 3" Cedar chunks
- 3' Brass piano hinge
- Brass wood screws
- 4 C-clamps
- Power drill
- 1/8" bit
- Countersink bit
- Belt sander
- Sandpaper
- Carpenter's glue
Instructions
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1
Place the front and back cedar boards between the side boards. Mark screw positions one inch from the top and one inch from the bottom, so that the screw holes will be centered in the 1/2" thickness of the front and back boards. Make pilot holes using a 1/8" drill bit and power drill.
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2
Sand the four cedar chunks until they are smooth, rounding the edges. Position one of them in the four corners of the bottom cedar board. Apply carpenter's glue to each foot and press it into place. Clamp feet until glue dries overnight.
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3
Drill pilot holes into each foot for two wood screws, one in the outer corner, and one on the diagonal from the first. Countersink all holes. Use a belt sander to sand away any burrs on any of the cedar boards of the box or the feet. Screw the feet into place using 1" brass wood screws.
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4
Screw the sides to the front and back of the storage box. Set the bottom on the resulting cedar box. Drill and countersink pilot holes. Attach the bottom to the cedar box. Turn the box upright so that it is standing on its feet.
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5
Position the piano hinge flush with the back edge of the top piece for the cedar box, so that there are six inches at each end that will not be hinged. Use brass wood screws to secure the hinge to the top of the chest. Have someone else hold the top in place while you position it on the top edge of the cedar storage chest. Use brass wood screws to finish securing the top to the rest of the box.
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