How to Make a Kid's Jewelry Box from Wood

Make a jewelry box where your kid can keep her accessories.

If your child has a collection of jewelry, she will need somewhere to put it neatly when she is done playing dress up. You can make kid's jewelry box from wood as long as you use the right materials and follow the right procedure to make it safe and fun to use. Look at pictures of children's jewelry boxes or ask the child what she would like it to look like. You can buy a plain wooden box to decorate from a craft store, or take it upon yourself a to construct one.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood
• Tape measure
• Table saw
• Sandpaper
• Wood glue
• Table vice
• White paint
• Colored paints
• Paintbrush
• Jewelry box hinges
• Screws
• Drill
• Small mirror
• Rhinestones

Instructions

1. Buy some plywood that is about a 1/2 inch thick. Measure with measuring tape and cut two pieces of wood with your table saw that are 4 inches long and two pieces that are 6 inches long. These will be the four sides of the box, so cut the height of the sides to how deep you want the jewelry box to be (usually about 3 inches). Measure and cut the bottom piece and the lid of the box at 5 inches by 6 inches.

2. Sand all of the pieces so they are completely smooth. Apply some wood glue to the bottoms of the short sides and use a table vice to hold them to the short ends of the bottom piece until they dry. Glue the longer sides of the box to the bottom this way but this time apply glue to where the long sides will be touching the short sides.

3. Paint the pieces of wood with a white paint to prime them and then paint them with the colors that the child wants. A good color for a kid's jewelry box is either a light or neon pink, or a bright purple. She may also want a design such as stripes or polka dots. To make stripes, lightly outline with a pencil to show where the stripes will be. You can add smaller details after the lid has been attached.

4. Attach the hinges to the lid. Place the hinges 1 inch from either end of one of the long sides of the lid and set a screw into the holes of the hinge. Since the wood is 1/2 inch thick, you will need screws that are less than 1/2 inch long. Lay the box on its side and set two new screws into each hinge, attaching them to the top edge of one of the long sides. Make sure all of the sides line up.

5. Glue a small mirror to the center of the inside of the lid so that she can admire her jewelry. Attach large plastic rhinestones on the outside of the box to make her feel like a princess who has a box of jewels. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sponge paint brushes to avoid brush marks.

References

• Ask the Builder: Wood Glue
• Woodworkers Wood Workshop: This is the Jewelry Boxes category of information