How to Make a Jewellery Box
Learn how to make a wooden jewellery box with Matt Wallace from Ottawa City Woodshop. Combining rich walnut, contrasting ash and splined miter joinery, this project transforms beautiful hardwood into a thoughtful handcrafted keepsake.
A Handmade Jewellery Box Built to Last
Few gifts are as personal as something you've made yourself, particularly one that can be enjoyed for years to come. This jewellery box made with contrasting woods brings together thoughtful design, beautiful materials and the satisfaction of creating something by hand.
Rich walnut forms the body of the box, while bookmatched ash creates a distinctive lid. Ash splines reinforce the mitered corners, adding strength and a subtle decorative detail.
From carefully fitted joints to a natural tung oil finish, the details reflect the care taken in its construction. The finished box highlights the character of the wood and makes a lasting keepsake.
Meet the Woodworker Matt Wallace.
After working as a graphic designer for 15 years, Matt Wallace redirected his talents into furniture making. He works primarily in the mid-century modern style or with live-edge stock, and uses locally sourced material that might otherwise end up in the landfill. Matt is the cofounder of the Ottawa City Woodshop, a community shop and school.
Tools For This Project
TRANSCRIPT
Hi everyone. My name is Matt, and today we’re going to build a jewelry box. A jewelry box makes a great gift, and it’s a perfect project for an intermediate woodworker that can be built over the weekend.
For the jewelry box, we’re going to use a mix of ash and walnut. We’ll use walnut for the sides, a bookmatched piece of ash for the top, and walnut for the bottom as well. So let’s get started.
First, we’re going to glue up the top and bottom. We want to give the glue ample time to dry before we start building the box. We’re using Titebond III. We’ll apply a bead all the way across, smooth it with a fingertip, and place the pieces together. We’ll let this dry overnight while we continue with the rest of the box.
I’ve got my walnut dimensioned. We’re making a box that will be roughly 12 by 18 inches. These two pieces for the longer sides are roughly 7½ inches deep by 19 inches wide. We’ll start by cutting the miters, then reinforce them with ash splines.
I’ve finished cutting the miters. Next, I’m going to sand the inside surfaces. You want to make sure they’re fully sanded before assembly.
With the insides sanded, the next step is to cut the rabbets for the top and bottom. We’ll cut the rabbets first, then sand the top and bottom to fit.
We’re ready to assemble. One thing we’re doing a little differently is letting the top and bottom float instead of gluing them in. We’re using panel barrels to allow the wood to expand and contract through the winter and summer months. We will glue the miters, using tape to pull them snug while continually checking that the box is square.
The jewelry box has sat overnight, and the glue has hardened. Next, we’ll cut the top off on the table saw and cut the slots for the splines.
We’ve trimmed the top off and cut the spline slots. We used tape to help reduce the chance of blowout as we pushed the box through the saw blade. That gives us nice, crisp slots.
Now we’re ready to glue in the ash splines. I’ve got a mallet to help tap them into place. We’ll let them dry, then trim them with a Japanese flush-cut saw.
The splines are seated. Once they’re dry, we’ll cut them flush, sand the exterior of the box, fit the hinges, and prepare it for finishing. When trimming the splines, I cut from one side, then turn the box and work around all four sides.
All the sanding is complete. I’m going to use a block plane to soften the edges, including the inside edges where the two pieces meet. After that, I’ll fit the hinges, and then it’s on to the finish.
We’re ready to apply the oil. I’m using tung oil and will probably apply two or three coats. I also like to use Merlin abrasive pads. I’ll wipe off the excess with an old rag, let it dry, and apply another couple of coats over the next few days.
There you have it: a jewelry box made from walnut and ash, with mitered corners reinforced by splines. It’s a gift a loved one can enjoy for years to come.