How to Make a Wood Chest

Learn how to make a small wood chest.

Wood chests are practical storage items that can be as small as a jewelry box or as large as a toy chest, hope chest or blanket chest. Functional and beautiful, wood chests can be simply constructed boxes or complicated, highly ornate pieces. Making a simple chest with wood allows room to bring out the richness of the wood with stains and varnish. Alternately, you can embellish it with your own sense of design and ornamentation. A hand-crafted wood chest can be passed down to family members, adding meaning and significance to your handiwork.

Instructions

Select and Prepare Wood

1. Select smooth hardwood plywood such as pine or birch and have it cut to the required dimensions at a lumber yard or hardware store.

2. Sand the rough edges smooth, including the 1/2-inch edges and any imperfections, with rough- or medium-grit sandpaper. Remove sawdust particles with tack cloth.

3. Mark one length of the 36-by-24-by-1/2-inch panel "chest front" in pencil. Mark the other length "chest back."

   Mark both lengths of the 24-by-18-by-1/2-inch panels "chest side."

   Mark one length of the 19-by-37-by-1/2-inch panel "chest top" and the other "chest bottom."

   Mark four lengths of the 24 1/2-by-2-by-1/2-inch pieces "A" and mark the remaining four lengths "B." These will be the corner pieces for the chest box.

   Mark both lengths of the 18-by-3-by-1/2-inch panels "top side."

   Mark one length of the 36-by-24-by-1/2-inch panels "top front" and the other "top back."

   Mark four of the 3-by-2-by-1/2-inch pieces "C" and mark the remaining four "D." These will be the corner pieces for the chest lid.

Construct Chest Box

1. Place the piece marked "chest front" in the vice with the thin edge up.

2. Apply a thin beaded line of wood glue to one long edge. Apply a thin beaded line of wood glue to the inside of the bottom front edge of the bottom panel.

3. Affix the front edge of the bottom to the long thin edge of the front panel so that you are gluing the flat side of the bottom panel to the 1/2-inch edge of the front panel. Apply even pressure. Remove excess glue with a warm, damp cloth.

4. Nail the glued sides together with the hammer and wood nails at even intervals. You should have a piece that looks like the letter L.

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the back panel so that your piece resembles a squared-off letter U. Turn the partial box on one short end.

6. Apply a thin beaded line of wood glue to the two long sides and one short side of one of the side panels. Slide the panel between the front and back panels along the edge facing up. Apply even pressure on the front and back edges. Remove excess glue with a warm, damp cloth. Turn the box so that the open short end is facing up, and add the second side panel in the same way.

7. Nail the glued sides in place on the side edges and at the bottom edge.

Add Chest Corners and Feet

1. Take one of the A corner pieces and apply a thin bead of wood glue to a long thin edge. Attach one of the B corner pieces along the corresponding edge. The piece should look like an L. Secure the piece in a vice or clamp for the glue to set. Repeat for the remaining three pairs of corner pieces.

2. Take the first completed corner and apply a wavy line of glue to the insides of the L along the entire height of the corner. Attach the corner to the left front of the chest box so that the shorter side of the corner is on the side panel. Nail it in place with one nail at the top side, middle side and bottom side of the corner piece. Repeat this step for remaining corner pieces.

3. Drill a hole in the center of one short end of each 2-by-2-by-3-inch foot piece to 1/2 inch less than the length of a double-ended screw. Screw a double-ended screw into the new hole.

4. Turn the chest upside down. At each corner of the bottom panel, mark a dot 1 inch in from the front and sides. Drill a starter hole. Add glue to the feet along edges of side with a screw. Screw feet into the chest bottom.

Construct Chest Lid

1. Place the lid top on the floor. Apply a thin bead of glue to the inside edge of one long end.

2. Apply a thin bead of glue to the 1/2-inch edge of the chest lid front. Attach to the lid. Repeat for chest lid back. Remove any excess glue with a warm, damp cloth. Nail in place the chest lid front and back.

3. Apply a thin bead of glue to the two short sides and one long side of one of the chest lid sides. Slide it into place with glue facing the chest lid top. Apply even pressure. Repeat for the second chest lid side. Remove excess glue with a warm, damp cloth. Nail in place the chest lid sides.

4. Take one of the C corner pieces and hold it so that its height is 3 inches. Apply a thin bead of wood glue to the thin edge. Hold a D corner piece in the same position and attach it to top corner piece C. The piece should look like an L. Secure the piece in a vice or clamp for the glue to set. Repeat for the remaining three pairs of top corner pieces.

5. Take the first completed corner and apply a wavy line of glue to the insides of the L along the entire height of the corner. Attach the corner to the left front of the chest box so that the shorter side of the corner is on the side panel. (Use the constructed chest box as your guide.) Nail it in place and repeat for the remaining top corner pieces.

Finish/Decorate

1. Give the chest a final sanding and dust removal with tack cloth. If desired, glue decorative wood trim to the top, removing excess glue with a warm, damp cloth.

2. Stain, varnish or paint the chest exterior with the lid open. Let it dry completely. Repeat coats of stain, varnish or paint as necessary.

3. Attach felt furniture pads to the bottoms of chest feet.

4. Attach a clasp by closing the lid and positioning the clasp on front of chest. Mark screw holes or nail holes and trace around the clasp with a pencil. Screw or nail the clasp into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Have all of your materials and tools together and at arms' reach. If you do not have a vice, consider renting one from a large hardware store or get a friend to help keep the parts steady. Avoid putting nails in on an angle. Line chest interior with fabric or cedar panels. Aim to have the wood grain of each panel go in the same direction. Make sure hinge is same width as depth of back board or smaller. Personalize it—decorate with wood craft trimmings, hardware, upholstery tacks or jewels or get creative with etching, burning or drill work. Avoid using particle board and very light-weight woods like balsa. Always remove dust and debris with tack cloth. Aim to space nails in even intervals. Consider upholstering the top so that the chest can also function as a comfortable bench. Add metal or wood handles to the exterior side panels.

• Always wear eye safety gear. Work in well-ventilated area when applying varnish and working with wood glue. When sanding and varnishing or painting, consider using a facemask, even when working in a well-ventilated area. Always follow manufacturer's precautions when using varnishes, paints and their corresponding removers. Always let previous coat of varnish/paint dry completely before applying new coat.

References

• HGTV: How to Build a Blanket Chest
• Woodworkers Workshop: Frontier Chest Woodworking Plans
• Woodworking Corner: Free Blanket Hope Chest Plans

Resources

• Woodworker's Journal
• Wayne of the Woods: Woodworking Tips