How to Make 5X7 Wood Recipe Box
Make a 5x7 wooden recipe box to delight the chef in your life. The materials are inexpensive, available at virtually any hardware store, and require no special tools for assembly unless you want to get fancy and carve wood with your power equipment. When finished, you'll have a handcrafted recipe box that will be treasured for years. Just follow these steps.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 pieces of 5x5 wood, 1/2 inch thick
- 2 pieces of 5x7 wood, 1/2 inch thick
- 2 pieces of 5x7 1/2 wood, 1/2 inch thick
- 12 brass screws, 1/8 inch Phillips head
- 2 brass hinges, 1-inch wide with mounting screws
- Wood stain in color of your choice and paint brush
- Electric drill and 1/16 inch drill bit
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Optional:
- Wood burning tool
- Dremel electric router
- Electric jig saw
- Table vise
- Safety goggles
Instructions
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1
Use the electric drill and 1/16 inch drill bit to drill a hole into each corner of the 5x5 pieces of wood and a hole in each corner of 1 piece of 5x7 1/2 wood, which will be the bottom of the box.
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2
Place the 4th piece of 5x7 1/2 wood (which will be the lid for your recipe box) alongside another piece of 5x7 wood (which will be the back of your recipe box).
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3
Align the two pieces lengthwise, so that the lid extends over the back by 1/4 inch on either side.
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4
Center the two brass hinges over the lid and back so that each hinge rests between the two pieces, and the hinge mounting brackets are flat on the wood.
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5
Drill shallow starter holes into the wood through the holes in the hinge mounting brackets.
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6
Attach the hinges to the lid and back of your recipe box with mounting screws through the hinge holes. You will screw in 8 screws total; 4 for each hinge.
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7
Align a 5x5 square with the back of your recipe box, and secure it to the back of the box with 2 brass screws at the top and bottom.
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8
Align the other 5x5 square with the back edge on the other side of the recipe box, and secure it to the back of the box with 2 brass screws at the top and bottom.
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9
Place another pre-drilled 5x7 wood piece between the open edges of the 5x5 pieces to form the front of your recipe box.
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10
Secure the front of the recipe box with 4 brass screws through the pre-drilled holes in the 5x5 pieces, 2 screws on each side. The front piece should align smoothly with the two end pieces.
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11
Secure the bottom of the box (the 5x7 1/2 pre-drilled wood from Step 1 to the bottom edges on the sides of your box with 4 brass screws through the bottom piece.
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12
Stain the wood any color you desire, and allow to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
The interior dimensions of the box will be 5x5x7, which is standard size for recipe cards. Use a woodburning tool to etch the box with designs, the name of the owner, the word "recipes" or any other decoration you desire. Use the Dremel tool with a router attachment to carve textures and designs into the wood. Use these steps and an electric jigsaw to adjust the wood dimensions so you can build a box of any size you desire.
Wear safety goggles when working with power tools.
