How to Make a Wooden Bread Box

While many people don't bother with them anymore, a bread box has been one of the signature features of a kitchen for ages. A bread box can add a touch of the classic or nostalgic to any room, in addition to being a useful addition to store your loaf of choice. Buying a bread box at a trendy store, though, can cost a pretty penny, so in the end it's more sensible to make one yourself.

Things You'll Need

• 1-by-4 inch or larger wood
• Measuring tape
• Straight edge
• Pencil
• Saw
• Fasteners (nails, wood screws, wood staples or wood glue)
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Stain (optional)
• Hinges (optional)

Instructions

1. Decide on the dimensions of your bread box and draw out a blueprint. Your bread box should ideally have a "floor," four "walls" and some kind of lid. Measure the size of the bread you'll be keeping in your bread box (or adjust your measurements for keeping multiple loaves of bread). Make sure that your bread will fit in the box for which you've drawn a blueprint.

2. Measure your dimensions on your wood using your straight edge and pencil. If you want a square bread box, then all four "walls" should be the same, but as most bread is rectangular, that might be a better design for your bread box as well.

3. Sand and/or stain your wood if you desire. Sanding is recommended as the rough sandpaper will make the edges of your bread box smooth. Paint or stain should also be considered beforehand. This will be a receptacle for your food, so keep that in mind when deciding how to finish it.

4. Assemble your bread box. You can use wood glue to put your pieces together and to add strength to the construction. If using glue, it's recommended that you also use another fastener in addition to the glue to hold your box together. Wood screws work best for this project. Put screws in at an angle from the bottom and the top so that the "walls" and "floor" are all connected to each other.

5. Add your lid. Your lid should be assembled just like your "walls," with wood glue first and then screws put in at an angle to hold it together. It's recommended that you install your lid with hinges so that it won't fall off but you can still flip the lid up to gain easy access to your bread. (Wood screws should do the job here as well, although they should be short enough not to stick through into your box and make a hazard for both your hands and your bread.)