The first item that you will need is a box or other carton. This can be any container of moderate size. A cigar box or similar works perfectly. The important thing to consider is that the box is the appropriate size to hold your collection, and that it is sturdy enough to stand up to daily use.
You can also fashion a box yourself. Have you ever seen a clever box created from an antique book? Simply glue the pages of the book together, and to the back cover. Do not glue the front cover, as this will become the lid of the box. Once the pages have dried, use a box cutter or X-Acto knife to cut the center out of the book, leaving approximately ½ “ on each side.
Once the container has been obtained or created, the interior must then be modified. Storing all of your jewelry in a single large compartment will make organization more difficult, and heavier jewelry pieces can scratch others in your collection. Smaller compartments should be added with smaller divider walls. Alternatively, another box that contains small compartments, can be selected to fit inside the first one. A multi-compartment pill box or even a ceramic egg carton work well. Using jewelry rolls or soft fabric pouches is another way to keep your jewelry organized and protected, inside of your jewelry box.
The inside and outside of the box can be decorated if you're feeling inspired. Paint, mosaic, decoupage, or mixed media techniques all work well. The inside can be painted or lined with fabric in a complimentary color. If space will allow, you can also affix a small mirror to the inside of the lid. Be careful to ensure that all paint, glue and varnish are completely dry before adding jewelry to the box.
If you would like to see how we create our boxes using traditional woodworking techniques, we will be posting about our process soon. It is a more complex undertaking, but it is a lot of fun and something you can practice to perfect!