Build Better Boxes (10 Projects to Improve Design & Technique)

In Build Better Boxes, Matt Kenney distills and shares what he’s learned in 20 years of box making using step-by-step photos that walk you through the process of creating 10 beautiful designs from scratch.

You’ll begin with a few simple, but elegant painted boxes that introduce fundamental concepts like cutting miter joints and fitting a lid. Then you’ll progress through several stunning projects that include tea cabinets and jewelry boxes—designs that show just how much you can do with a box. Along the way, you’ll learn smart techniques for joinery like rabbets and dovetails, how to create box sides with grain that flows seamlessly around all four corners, to make your own veneers, and to apply finishes like milk paint and shellac.

Throughout all of the projects, Kenney emphasizes good design and demonstrates several unique design elements that he’s developed, like pulls wrapped in thread, fabric lined bottoms, and grouping individual boxes to create a single piece of furniture. Build Better Boxes, is more than a set of instructions for 10 boxes: In the course of building these designs, you will gain a thorough understanding of key woodworking and design concepts—like wood movement, grain selection, and proportions—that will help you design and make your own boxes.